Concert Uke Size Variation & how to live with it?

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Katz-in-Boots

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I knew there was a difference between my Kanile'a KC1 and my KoAloha custom slimline, but today I finally measured them.

The overall length is almost an inch different, nut to saddle is 3/8" difference, width at nut is 1/8" different and nut to where the body joins is 1/2" difference. 20 frets compared to 17.

Doesn't sound much, but it feels very different when I switch between the two.

I have two questions;
1. is there really a wide variation in sizes that are 'normal' for a given size?

2. how does one successfully switch between different size instruments?

I know there are people who play sopranos through to baritones, don't they experience difficulty hitting the strings & correct frets? How can you change instruments easily?

I love both of these instruments for different types of music. The little KoAloha is perfect for "George Formby" type music, fast & bright, whereas the Kanile'a is nice for slower stuff.
 
I recently got a concert after playing soprano for two years, and I'm puzzled by those who can easily switch sizes of ukulele. I'm still hitting or fretting the wrong strings. It's different with woodwind instruments; switching between clarinet and tenor saxophone is easier because your fingers don't move around (just the pinkies).

I think it's one reason why I don't ever see myself owning a whole lot of ukes.
 
I can't switch and fret perfectly immediately, but a few moments of playing and my fingers usually adjust. I am still trying to learn more chords, so I hope that once I have muscle memory, I'll make the adjustment more quickly.
 
Having soprano, concert and tenor ukes, I found that after having played them for a couple of months I don't even notice the difference when switching. Now going back to guitar is a different story...:)
 
I have a tenor, concert and soprano. I don't have any problem switching from concert to tenor and vice versa except when I really need to stretch that pinky. Obviously its easier on the concert. On the soprano I feel it's very cramp the moment I pick it up especially when I have to play chords like D where you need 3 fingers. I also play the guitar and sometimes I pick up the guitar right after playing the uke. First few chords I will press wrongly, because the spacing between guitar strings are narrower. But after about 5 mins I somehow adjust and get used to it.
 
It's just practice, practice, practice. :)

I do find that if I play mostly tenor for several days in a row then soprano will feel odd for a few minutes and so on but it usually doesn't take long to sort out.

John
 
I can see it being a bit of an adjustment moving between sizes but I'm surprised you'd notice a difference of 3/8" in the scale length.
 
If your fingers and your brain are getting confused by changes in scale length and nut width, I'd recommend spending the majority (at least three fourths) of your practice time with whichever instrument is most comfortable for you. Your finger/brain communication will improve more quickly if this confusion is avoided as much as possible. (Still play all your ukes, of course---just don't even worry about missing a fret now and then on any but your main instrument.)
 
I'm not interested in EVER owning anything but a concert size...and my UBass...but then, I usually don't know what I'm talking about....besides, being broke broke me of UAS....at this rate, I could afford another uke in say 2120...ha!
 
I'm honestly surprised...
...I'm far from being a good player and it only takes me a brief moment to adjust. Possibly you are over-thinking it?
 
Paul December said:
... Possibly you are over-thinking it?
Click to expand...

I don't think so. Perhaps it is another symptom of having played non-fretted instruments, esp cello. The space between notes is what it is - no frets, and your fingers learn to get to the right places. A slight difference in length or width means enough difference to not hit the string correctly. Finding this much difference between two concert size, I can't imagine accommodating a soprano or tenor.
I do find if I intend playing the smaller concert at class on Thursday night, it's best to practise with that for a day or two beforehand. Then I'll play on the bigger Kanile'a again until the next Tuesday.
 
I switch from Soprano (I have three) to Concert
and then to Tenor.No adjustment needed.It just
comes with practice.Keep plugging away there!
 
I have both a concert Mainland and a concert Flea. I don't know the measurements, but there is a very noticeable difference between the two. Flea is noticeably longer, with more spacing between the frets.

I like the Mainland better in just about every way, especially in every way that matters. I may have played the Flea 5-6 times since getting the Mainland two years ago (I think).

Jason
 
The more I play both, the more I realise it is the width between strings that is the biggest issue for me. When I bring my fingers down, they don't land squarely on the strings of the narrower uke. That's really the only difference I notice.
 
Same for me. I practice on both tenor and concert every day. My brain takes a minute or two to expand or contract the scale. But I'm early on the learning curve yet.
 
I think its mostly just a matter of repetition and practice. I play a lot of guitar and bass as well as uke, and even switching from those instruments to any size uke has become fairly easy. The more time you spend with each size, you will develop a "home" position or feel that can imediately orient your muscle memory within a few chords. I think if you pay particular attention to what changes or what is different between each size, you can more readily adjust.
 
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