Is the size of the ukulele based on the ukulele player?

Bigylittle

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2007
Messages
248
Reaction score
0
Location
Carson California
I had a conversation with my mom and she was saying that I was to big for my soprano uke and that it was for little kids. She told me I should get a tenor, if not a concert uke. So should the size of the player affect the size of the uke? Uhm, off topic but just wondering is there up's and downs for the different sizes for ukes? If so what are they?
 
i dont believe their is a right or wrong answer to this. because there are several sizes and because there are so many ways to tune them, it comes down to what the player wants to do with the instrument.

IMO, if you only want one uke, ever, then get one that suits your comfort and playing style. i got the tenor, because of its size and versatility, while being probably the most popular size. but eventually, i will re-tune my baritone to DGBE, and i will acquire a soprano. they will each have their place with different styles of playing.

go to the videos and links forum, and check out the video on "mozart on uke". if you look closely, the guy is playing a soprano, concert, baritone, tenor, and banjo uke for different parts of the piece.
 
ya bro there isnt a correct answer.

i see lots of adults playing soprano and they are wayyyyyy big, but they cover the chords so easily because their hands are big.

but like Nuke said. its up to the person. i honestly love the sound of the tenor and concert ukes.
 
Yep, the answer is "whatever you like". I'm 30, I've got huge hands, and I'll play either my concert or soprano the most.

There's something to be said for the sound of the smaller instruments as well. To me, the larger you get, the closer it comes to sounding like a classical guitar. Which is a great sound, but not really to "uke-y".

That being said, I own one of every size, I just play what I'm feeling that day. Plus, big hands on a small instrument let you play spreads that you couldn't otherwise play; which can also be cool.

-John
 
I had a conversation with my mom and she was saying that I was to big for my soprano uke and that it was for little kids. She told me I should get a tenor, if not a concert uke. So should the size of the player affect the size of the uke? Uhm, off topic but just wondering is there up's and downs for the different sizes for ukes? If so what are they?
Nah: personal preference. Look at Iz. Huge guy, tiny uke. It's not like SUVs where little folk (or merely small minded people) get big cars to make themselves look bigger. Ukes are almost reverse Freudian in that way.

The only "down" I can see with any uke is your own ability to play chords in the space provided. Me, I played guitar for years and I have relatively big hands. I find tenor the best size for me. I have concert as well and can play them but I find them a bit more cramped. Soprano drives me crazy; teensy little fretboard makes my fingers feel like the Michelin man. But it's what you're used to and what feels best that you should go with.
 
Yeah, ask your mom what size uke IZ shoulda been playing - superdupersupermegacontrabass? Size of the player and size of the uke aren't related. It's all personal preference. Soprano ukes don't have an age limit.
 
where is howlin hobbit? there is a thread about this very same thing in the beginner section, and HH posts a video of him playing the size smaller then a soprano (i forget what its called)
 
I had a conversation with my mom and she was saying that I was to big for my soprano uke and that it was for little kids. She told me I should get a tenor, if not a concert uke. So should the size of the player affect the size of the uke? Uhm, off topic but just wondering is there up's and downs for the different sizes for ukes? If so what are they?

Show your mom this picture and tell her size doesn't matter:

about3.jpg
 
size ??????

Show your mom this picture and tell her size doesn't matter:

about3.jpg

I just recently started playing a soprano uke..... My friends gave it to me for my 51th B Day..... I love it..... I am a big man and have found that when I pick it up to play I have to smile..... It cures depression as well as satisfies my need to make music, hehehehehehe.....
 
Everything I have read always states that Iz played a Martin Tenor, which is what that looks like...he was just that big that a tenor looked small in his hands.
 
I was told by MGM in a e-mail message that IZ played tenor. I just bought a soprano and I'm a big guy with big hands. Soprano wasn't my first choice for two reasons. One, I thought I was too big to play soprano and two, I like the sound of the bigger ukuleles a little more. The only reason I bought a soprano is because of finances. I can't help but think that the sopranos sound like toys. Then again, I'm probably just remembering the times I've heard people playing with ultra-cheap toy-like ukuleles. I think the sound of an instrument should hold more weight than the size of a person when selecting the size of instrument.
 
Top Bottom