Much of a difference?

Is there really much of a difference in size between soprano and concert? I am thinking that my next uke will be a concert. I currently have a soprano. It just seems that the fret spacing is about the same, with the concert having a couple more frets. The Fretboard width seems about the same as well.

I personally feel that the concert has a lot more space in the frets than soprano ukes...I'm not a small guy either

I'm a small person with small hands, and I find the concert size to be much more comfortable to play when playing higher up the neck. But for first position chords I don't notice a whole lot of difference between soprano and concert necks.

I believe Concerts generally give a 'bigger' perhaps more mellow sound vs the 'brighter' sound of the traditional Soprano-size ukes.

Of course not every Concert will sound the same, nor will every Soprano. Hence the fun, the challenge, the heartache, and the heartbreak of UAS. Not to mention 'bank account-break'! lol : )

I generally play the Soprano nowadays, but I did play the Baritone and Tenor for quite a while in the past. I perform with a violin-shape Tangi Concert at my regular Restaurant gig. I carry around either my Applause Adamas Red acoustic soprano or my Kala Soprano Travel uke.

I suggest you play around with the various sizes and see which feels and sounds most comfortable to you. I know some uke players only have a handful (maybe up to 5) and some have only a couple, and others have room(s) full of ukes.

The key is to have fun, and keep uke'in',

Uncle Rod Higuchi said:

I believe Concerts generally give a 'bigger' perhaps more mellow sound vs the 'brighter' sound of the traditional Soprano-size ukes.

Of course not every Concert will sound the same, nor will every Soprano. Hence the fun, the challenge, the heartache, and the heartbreak of UAS. Not to mention 'bank account-break'! lol : )

I generally play the Soprano nowadays, but I did play the Baritone and Tenor for quite a while in the past. I perform with a violin-shape Tangi Concert at my regular Restaurant gig. I carry around either my Applause Adamas Red acoustic soprano or my Kala Soprano Travel uke.

I suggest you play around with the various sizes and see which feels and sounds most comfortable to you. I know some uke players only have a handful (maybe up to 5) and some have only a couple, and others have room(s) full of ukes.

The key is to have fun, and keep uke'in',

Click to expand...

I like the idea of a different sound. That alone would be reason enough to try a concert. By the way, thanks uncle rod for the training material.

You and everyone else are very welcome. Please feel free to pass along copies to anyone who may want to learn or who may need a different kind of 'kick-start' for their ukulele playing.

Although I think this (the Boot Camp) is a good way to begin to learn how to play the ukulele, I can see that it can also be a good way for those who have already begun to learn to play their ukes to try a slightly different tack.

Also, please check out the "Self Evaluation Tool for Ukulele Proficiency" [it's a SET-UP : )]. By now it might be on page 3 of the Beginner section.

Thanks again for the affirmation, and keep uke'in',

There is a little more space between the frets on a concert, though it doesn't seem like much, I find it noticable when playing.

Go for it and experience new things...everyone's preferences is different...only way to know it to try one for yourself and see how it works for you...."want to see how deep the water is, jump in."

In general, concerts have the ability to be louder than sopranos. Again, as stated before, different instruments all have different qualities. Often, a concert has a little fuller sound, whereas sopranos are a little more punchy.

In general, I prefer soprano as an every day player....but tend to take my concerts when I play with others.....who usually seem to want to play concert or tenor, saying soprano is too small. However, I usually find that my friends who think soprano is too small tend to be folks who have come over from guitar!

Like Rod said, try a few out and find what is comfortable and best suits you. That is what really matters!

There are three differences that need to be evaluated individually.

The first is the scale length, concert scale is about 2 inches longer than soprano. This leaves a little more room between frets, but the difference is not great. If your hands feel crowded making some chords on a soprano, then a concert scale will probably be more comfortable. But the difference is not so great that a concert scale will necessarily be difficult for someone whose hands fit comfortably on soprano.

The second is the body size - a concert body is typically enough larger than a soprano that, all other things being equal, the concert will tend to have a bit more mid range while the soprano will be more trebley. However, all other things are seldom equal! Still, the generalization sticks.

The third is the volume, concerts can be louder than sopranos but that "all other things equal" caveat applies. A really good hand-made soprano is going to be louder and probably have better tonal response than almost any inexpensive laminated concert uke and will even be louder than some "factory" solid-wood ukes.

I find a soprano scale a bit cramped, but I prefer the sound of a soprano body (for strumming, at least). Thankfully, some genius invented the "super soprano" - a concert scale neck on a soprano sized body. For me, that is the holy grail of a strumming uke. Other's mileage may vary considerably.

Finally, I can't stress it enough, build quality and setup have far more effect on tone, volume, and playing comfort than 2" of scale length or the slightly larger body of a concert vs. soprano.

John

concerts are easier to play in a sense, for sure, but then there are advantages to the Sopranos like reaching for the fifth fret in first position is easier on the soprano. They are both nice and everyone should have one of each. I find the Tenor even easier to play all up and down the neck, bar chords I mean but I never bother with the tenor. I like smaller ukuleles. I totally ignore the baritone.

I am a beginner who is used to a soprano and when I picked up a concert, found the fret spacing huge and was messing up on alot of chords for a while. You'd get used to it after a spell I'm sure.