Uke size

dobrojay

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I am realizing the tenor uke seems to be the most popular. Would this be due to the ease and less amount of practice in regards to the "Soprano" to be able to play the "chords". My few earlier posts show my preference to the Soprano. I just like the tone of the "little one", I play my wife's TGO easily, the "little one" is much more of a challenge, and a great satisfaction to an old guy to be able to get a few chords. I'm 6 ft 2 in tall and enjoy playing the little one. Thanks for the time. Jay
 
I think tenor is more popular just because of the North American mind set that bigger is better. TVs, cars, boats, planes etc. etc. I find soprano more challenging to play.....for some pieces, for others it is easier. If you like soprano then by all means stick with it. Kamaka refers to the size as "standard" for a good reason
 
For me it's the comfort combined with a richer sound. I've four tenors; a 4-, 6- and 8-string, and a banjo uke. I just find the tenor to be a more versatile size.
 
The soprano is my fav. and it can be tricky to play but it really rocks out when you know how to use the proper right hand strums... and sounds great when you sing with it. However, the tenor is also great for its increased real estate for finger-picking and working out complex arrangements.

I love them both. So, I have both! hehe

Petey
 
I started with tenors because I am a big guy with big hands and I thought tenor suited me best. The only non-tenor Uke I have is a waterman and I found I could play it OK. It is not that much fun to play so I don't spend much time with it. I would like to get a decent soprano, I think I would play it more, but there are so many nice tenors out there I would like to get, and I would really like to get a. Baratone or two to mess around with. Ah, this hobby it's as bad as fly fishing. There is always one more.
 
Another reason people like the tenor is that the lower strings are not so foreshortened, so the upper harmonics are actually ...well...harmonics. I'm pretty comfortable with anything, but bouncing back and forth with mandolin and fiddle, the tenor always feels a touch more familiar to my fingers.
 
To me, a tenor and a soprano are almost like two different instruments. It's good to have both. :)
 
What SteveZ said. I started on concert (and baritone), and found the concert fretboard too cramped, especially as I began moving up the neck. Now I mostly play away from first position, so the smaller sizes are not a feasible option for me—except in fifths tuning, which requires that the left hand cover a wider fret span.

I also prefer standard geared tuners (12:1 ratio minimum), wider nuts, slotted headstocks, cutaways and side sound ports. These options are more common on tenors.
 
Personally, my wife and I share a soprano, a concert, and a tenor. Of the 3, I like the concert, and she likes the soprano. The tenor has its uses, though, and I'm glad we have one. The tenor is NOT easier to play. Of the 3, I find the concert easiest. If you like the soprano, then I think that's what you should get.
 
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I started with a soprano but didn't like it. Bought a concert--loved it. Moved to tenor for 6 string and a banjolele. Then, though I still like the concert for a ukulele, I got a baritone and decided that it was my Uke.

If, for some reason I had to start the ukulele over, I would play a baritone, but for singing songs I'd choose a concert. :eek:ld:
 
My first uke was a whim because it looked like my Telecaster electric guitar and I was only going to hang it next to the guitar to be cute. Then I decided to participate in a uke play-along so I got online and learned a few uke chords. After playing guitar for almost 50 years, I found that uke to be very difficult to hold the chords. I then learned it was a soprano, discovered the various sizes, decided tenor would be best for me, so I went to Sam Ash and tried a few, settling on a very nice Lanikai quilted ash cutaway with electronics. From then on all my ukes have been tenor cutaway.
 
I would say go with what you like the sound of, unless the playability is so much a problem that you don't like playing.

What sound I prefer depends on what I want to play.
For playability I think I prefer the concert, unless I play fingerpicking up the neck, where the tenor leaves more space.
On the soprano my fingers get entangled when I try some simple chords. The concert is big enough that this is rarely a problem. On the tenor it is even less a problem, but on the downside I can't reach as many frets without moving my hand. Hence I think that the concert hits the sweet spot for me. Still enjoy the others though :)
 
All I play is sopranos now a days. They may seem awkwardly small at first, but stick with it and you will be amazed how fast your fingers adapt. Today, I have no trouble at all playing clean sounding chords up to the 12 fret, which is something I thought was pretty much unrealistic when I got my first soprano. I'm six foot two with what I feel to be appropriate sized hands for my length.:)

Over here in Europe, I think the soprano is still the most popular size. I've seen pleanty of very large handed people play effortlessly in their little sopranos.

I think it's all in the mind. Don't go around thinking how much easier it would have been if only you had a larger uke. Instead, just work on the pieces you are having trouble with and you WILL be able to play it smoothly sooner then later.
 
Anything larger than a soprano is cheating .
 
I find the tenor size is the hardest to play.
 
I prefer a concert size, but I play soprano and tenor as well. I consider my Kamaka soprano my most "playable" uke, I just don't feel the same about all sopranos. It seems that size of person/hands, etc. is not the determining factor for most in choosing which size uke you enjoy playing the most.
 
I started playing on a soprano and am happy that I did. I had no idea that there were different size ukuleles! I have larger hands and at first some places were a little cramped, but not knowing there were other options it forced me to figure it out. I have since expanded my collection to include concerts, tenors, and baritones. I do not like tenors. The string tension (which I did find a option for) and scale length were just uncomfortable for me. Concert is now my preferred scale, but I will always have a soprano and baritone in my collection as they both have a very unique sound that I love for different playing.
 
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