Soprano, Concert or Tenor for a beginner?

ak_uke

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Hey all....

I'm about forum-ed out figuring out which of the three sizes to get. Seems like I can't go wrong with brand I just want to know which will be the best to learn on. As I am 6 foot 4 (a little reference for your feedback), would the tenor be the most comfortable? Or is that not necessarily the case?

Thanks!

Steve
 
If you have big hands, you should go for a tenor, or a tenor neck on a concert body (super concert) or a tenor neck on a soprano body (Ohana has one). Once you get used to it, you might be able to go to the smaller sizes. If you are a strummer and rarely go above the 5th or 7th fret, you will probably be OK with the smaller sizes too. If you think you will be playing up higher on the neck and do a lot of fingerpicking, you will appreciate the extra room on a tenor or concert scale neck.

–Lori
 
Hi Steve,

And welcome to UU, glad you could join us!

Lori is right, and to add my two cents worth:

I started on a concert, cos it was the only quality uke I could purchase where I live here in Melbourne, Australia. Shortly after i purchased a cheap red ply mahalo soprano for a christmas pageant. Now I find it is helpful for me do practice my chords on both instruments. Practice on concert change to soprano change back to concert and it seems to make it easier. It also relieves the boredom (?) for me of doing chord progressions to change instuments. I am now looking for a pineapple uke so that my alternative uke is of better quality (damn, just missed one from italy. lol)

Have you access to a shop where you live to test them out. (btw no matter how big your fingers/hands are, there will be advantages and disadvantages for each instrument)

Cheers and happy ukeing in twenty ten, Tony
 
Really there is no particular scale that's preferable or easier to learn on. Your size and the size of your hands doesn't really seem to matter a whole lot either. I'm 6' 3" with apparently very large hands (based on my inability to ever find proper fitting gloves) and I play soprano quite easily. I started on a concert scale and that's my go to for our uke group. I'm currently waiting on a sopranino (a smaller than soprano scale) from Paul December. And I come from a long long guitar background, so the conventional concept that "guitar players prefer tenors" doesn't hold true for me either.

There really is no right or wrong as to size or what's considered "pro" or any of that. You really ought to be thinking in terms sound and what you're looking to accomplish as a player. A little patience and a lot of practice and you can adapt and learn on any scale you choose.

You're actually better off in the long run thinking less in terms of scale than in what your budget can afford. Quality matters much more than scale.
 
Hi Steve,

I am now looking for a pineapple uke so that my alternative uke is of better quality

I just received my OHANA PK-25G from Mike at MGM. I love it.:love: If you are in the market for a pineapple, consider it. I'll post sound samples soon.
 
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Thom,

Hadn't considered a pineapple.... I'll have to look into it. What is the appeal besides the shape? Can't wait to hear the sound clips!

On that note, what do you think of the flamed mahogany? Is that just a style issue or does it affect the sound as well.

Still learning...

Steve
 
Really there is no particular scale that's preferable or easier to learn on. Your size and the size of your hands doesn't really seem to matter a whole lot either. I'm 6' 3" with apparently very large hands (based on my inability to ever find proper fitting gloves) and I play soprano quite easily. I started on a concert scale and that's my go to for our uke group. I'm currently waiting on a sopranino (a smaller than soprano scale) from Paul December. And I come from a long long guitar background, so the conventional concept that "guitar players prefer tenors" doesn't hold true for me either.

There really is no right or wrong as to size or what's considered "pro" or any of that. You really ought to be thinking in terms sound and what you're looking to accomplish as a player. A little patience and a lot of practice and you can adapt and learn on any scale you choose.

You're actually better off in the long run thinking less in terms of scale than in what your budget can afford. Quality matters much more than scale.

Count me in as another guitar player coming from a long long guitar background who even played some bass...who now prefers a soprano over any other size. I should also add that I sing...love the rhythm machine aspect of the soprano...and that I love to play fingerstyle on a soprano...and I love the sound.

I'm also one of those people who plays/listens to a concert and hears a uke that is "louder" but not necessarily "fuller." For me, and yes it's my sense of it, a soprano gives you more compression and requires effectively less amplification to cut through. I make the distinction between cutting through and creating a kind of context sonically...

This was always my experience BTW when playing a 00-15 Martin and a 000-15 Martin side by side...
 
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I just received my OHANA PK-25G from Mike at MGM. I love it.:love: If you are in the market for a pineapple, consider it. I'll post sound samples soon.

Thanks for the recomendation. It's so debilitating buying something as personal as a uke over the net, I mean would you buy a puppy in the same manner? And you need a sympatico with your instrument that only familiarity can foster. Ah well, such is life in the antipodes.:)

Oh pineapple ukes, theyre so cute and retro, want one. lol

Cheers, Tony
 
Count me in as another guitar player coming from a long long guitar background who even played some bass...who now prefers a soprano over any other size. I should also add that I sing...love the rhythm machine aspect of the soprano...and that I love to play fingerstyle on a soprano...and I love the sound.

I'm also one of those people who plays/listens to a concert and hears a uke that is "louder" but not necessarily "fuller." For me, and yes it's my sense of it, a soprano gives you more compression and requires effectively less amplification to cut through. I make the distinction between cutting through and creating a kind of context sonically...

I switch back and forth between concert and soprano all the time (depending which is closer to wherever I'm sitting) and there is a difference beyond volume at least for the ones I've got. (And I've got a pair of Koaloha concerts made a few months apart and there's a difference in how each of them sound.) There is a bit more ooomph. An expanded mid-range and it still retains most of that essential ukey-ness. Some of the fingerstyle stuff is a bit easier on concerts and benefits from the slightly expanded range too.
In a lot of ways they're sort of interchangeable for me (though I use the Koalohas for our little Orchestra and the other uke meet-ups because it's easier to hear and lead with because they are really loud and easier for people to keep track of. Those puppies can cut through a whole herd of other ukes.) I just play whichever I feel like playing at the moment.
 
I have 'ukuleles in all 3 sizes but prefer the sound of sopranos the original 'ukulele (probably from being an island boy) with the concert a very close second. I have a couple tenors that I don't play too much but have been playing my new super concert quite a bit this past week. I don't have humongaloid hands but I do wear size large gloves and have no problems playing my sopranos or sopraninos.
 
First Uke on the way!

My solid mahogany Kala Soprano is on the way from MGM!

Can't wait!

Next it's onto the learning forums! :)

Thanks for all the advice from everyone. It seems as though just being a uke owner puts you in a good mood and you can't go wrong! Just play...

- Steve
 
My solid mahogany Kala Soprano is on the way from MGM!

Can't wait!

Next it's onto the learning forums! :)

Thanks for all the advice from everyone. It seems as though just being a uke owner puts you in a good mood and you can't go wrong! Just play...

- Steve

Great choice! I really want to hear how you like it because I want to try an all mahogany Kala; I'm playing Ohana now but have heard great things about Kala. So keep us posted--with pics and sound clips!:cheers:
 
I play guitar and bought a concert I love it because I like bar chords and a soprano I think would be to hard to barr. I wish I had a tenor though for picking songs. What wood/strings are you going for lol? Ukuleles have souch varying choices of everything!
 
My solid mahogany Kala Soprano is on the way from MGM!

Woo-hoo! Congrats!

And remember, you didn't really decide which size ukulele to get. You decided which size ukulele to get first. :p

JJ
 
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