Advice for a ukulele beginner

DustinCasler

DustinCasler

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Hello everyone. I've decided to buy my first Ukulele and am very happy to have found these forums. I'm having trouble deciding what to do as far as my first one though. I am 29 years old and my only musical background was playing the bass for a bit in high school. I am leaning toward the Kamoa pineapple soprano after the videos and reviews i've seen. But i'm wondering if I should be worried about the smaller size being harder to learn/start on. I'm also looking at the Lanikai LU-21CE and the Kala concert size. Can anyone give me any advice on whether the pineapple soparano is suitable for a new player or if I should go for a larger size to start?

-Thank You
 
I personally have concert size uke's, I like the feel better. If you have a place you can go and mess around with them I recommend that. It really has nothing to do with your size, just what you are comfortable with....
 
Thanks. I was hoping to order one today. I guess maybe I can try to stop by a local guitar center or something, or just make a choice and hope for the best. With the reviews i've read on Kalas and the Kamoa I think I should be happy any direction I go. I'm also concerned about the trouble i'm having finding reasonably priced hard cases for pineapple soprano size. That's another definite thing making me lean a bit toward a concert or even standard soprano.
 
I'm a bass player too and had similar concerns. I ended up getting a tenor, but that all depends on what you are comfortable with. I went to a local music store that had a few cheapies just to try out the different sizes. Then ordered what I wanted on line. I live out in the middle of nowhere so there is no good selection of ukes to choose from. If you live in or near a big city you may get lucky and find a good on in a store. If you have to order online like I did, there are a couple good stores that have big selections and do pro setups on them and have cases available. If you look around here on UU you'll soon find out who they are.
 
Hi Dustin, welcome to UU.
I'm another bass player, too. My first wooden uke (after the banjo uke) was a concert. It is a good place to start. In the last 15 months I have also aquired several sopranos, two tenors and a baritone.
These things are like potato chips. You can't stop with just one !

Bill
 
Welcome to the UU and congrats on getting your new uke!!! The best way to decide is to get to a store that carries ukes and try the different sizes. You will know which size is best almost as soon as you hold it.

Have fun!!
 
Even if you just hit the store for size and then order the uke you want...I agree with others, you will know what feels good right away.. My youngest plays bass.. that thing (half size) is a beast! I play around with it sometimes.. Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the fast replies everyone! I think I might try to go to a guitar center later this afternoon and see what they have to play with. Also I played bass a bit in high school but haven't really touched one in 10-12 years. That was my concern coming from over a decade of not playing any sort of music which might be more comfortable. I'm also trying to find a good book or DVD to order. Any recommendations on those? I'm leaning pretty heavily toward the Kamoa Pineapple. Called yesterday and they said I could order one now and they'd ship as soon as they got one in. I'm kind of wanting to go with the Kamoa Concert, but not sure i'm wanting to drop the extra $60. I guess it would be worth it over time though.
 
As big as Dallas and Ft Worth are, there are surely some shops that carry ukes. Yellow pages, Anyone help him from Texas. Definitely would be a help to see and hold a few. I prefer Tenors and Baris, but each to his own. Good Luck. Lozark Go to Google and type in Ukuleles+Dallas+Ft. Worth Texas and see what happens?
 
Do you think you will be mostly strumming, or fingerpicking? Do you think you will play up the neck, where the frets are closer together? Your finger reach will be greater on a soprano, but doing bar chords at the tenth fret will be tight. There are lots of free music and info on the internet, and several books. What kind of music do you want to play?

–Lori
 
Aloha Dustin,
Welcome to the UU and our forums and the ukulele....my personal experience is to go to the music shop and try them out for sound, comfort, amd playability...it's personal preference...everyone's different...
Have Fun and let us know what you get....Happy Holidays!!! MM Stan..
 
Lori I really have no idea. I guess i'm trying to choose one that's pretty versatile but still good for a beginner. As of this time I know literally nothing about how to play a ukulele or the different styles and techniques. I guess i'm looking to just jump in, watch a ton of videos, read a ton of stuff, and hope for the best. It's seeming like the concert would be a more versatile choice. But my wallet is still leaning toward the soprano. I guess I could always get the soprano to learn on, then buy a nicer concert later as I get better and want to play more seriously.
 
DustinCasler said:
Lori I really have no idea. I guess i'm trying to choose one that's pretty versatile but still good for a beginner. As of this time I know literally nothing about how to play a ukulele or the different styles and techniques. I guess i'm looking to just jump in, watch a ton of videos, read a ton of stuff, and hope for the best. It's seeming like the concert would be a more versatile choice. But my wallet is still leaning toward the soprano. I guess I could always get the soprano to learn on, then buy a nicer concert later as I get better and want to play more seriously.
Click to expand...

The size of the ukulele has nothing to do with the level of music you are playing. A concert or tenor is not really for "advanced" players. If you check out the YouTube videos for John King, you will see that the soprano size is not restricting his selection of music. The nice thing about the uke is that it has such a variety of sizes, shapes and sounds to choose from. Soprano has a more uke sound, more bright and plucky, where the concert and tenor are a little fuller in sound (generally) and the tone is a bit more toward the guitar. Since you are just starting, and still trying to figure out what you want, you might see if there is a uke group that meets near you. If you visit one of those, I am sure you could see what they are playing, and I am sure they would let you try their ukuleles. If you are like me, you will end up with several different sizes and types. I really like them all, except I don't have a baritone (too much like the guitar I already have). This is a really fun hobby, between the research, shopping, and playing.

–Lori
 
I like sopranos. I have one concert size uke and I feel like I'm cheating when I play it because it is so big. The concert feels more like a little guitar to me. I also like the sound of the soprano over the concert . The differences are big.IMHO
 
That's not a bad idea Lori and thanks for the opinions Pete. I'm real close to calling and ordering the Pineapple Soprano. But i'm having a nightmare finding any hard cases online for it. Has anyone seen any for a decent price? Or I guess any at all?
 
Just ordered the Kamoa Pineapple Soprano through Larry's music. Downside is the up to 2 week wait before it ships. But i'm sure it will be worth it when it gets here. Anyone thinking about ordering through them, I would highly recommend it. The guy talked to me for about 15 minutes about the differences in what he had and what he was getting in and was very helpful overall. I can't wait to get and play the thing!
 
Larry's Music is a good dealer as well. Oh the agony of waiting!!!! Will it ever end?
 
Oh yeah. I'm already getting anxious waiting for it. I was told that the 2011 models have some nice improvements and also the videos I've seen me have me thinking that it will be very much worth the wait though. But still, waiting about 3 weeks to get it in the mail isn't so fun. Dang, wish I had something to practice on for the time being...
 
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