Are 6 and 8 string ukes harder to play? (part 2)

I'm interested in getting either a 6 string or an 8 string concert uke and started another thread in an attempt to get a better handle on whether they would be more difficult to play/play cleanly since more strings equals more string tension thus requiring more hand strength. Unfortunately, I don't have access to either to try one and the responses to the first thread were mixed so I'm still left wondering. I don't have access to either a 6 string or 8 string uke but I do have access to ........ a guitar! So I'll try this from a different angle.

In terms of tension and making clean chords and particularly barre chords:

Would a 6 or 8 string uke be easier than a guitar? (a lot easier? a little easier?)

Would a 6 or 8 string uke be about the same as a guitar?

Would a 6 or 8 string uke be harder than a guitar? (a lot harder? a little harder?)

Tension depends on many characteristics including scale length. The more strings there are the more tension there is. D'Addario has a tension calculator site where you can compare tension for different configurations. There are more variations in guitars than ukes so if you want to compare to guitar you have to be specific what kind of guitar. I find any kind of ukulele easier to play than any kind of steel string guitar I have tried so far.

In my case it is a standard 6 steel string acoustic guitar.

Thank you for the information but tension charts may be a bit more technical than what I'm looking for. I basically want to know if I make barre chords and chords on a guitar and then do the same on a 6 or 8 string uke, how do they compare? My guess is that the uke will be easier since it's fluorocarbon strings vs. steel strings but I could be wrong. If it is easier I'm hoping to gauge how much easier to try and figure out if the 6 or 8 string uke would be too hard for me to play. I don't want to spend the money on one and discover it's too hard to play and thus lose interest. In my prior post there were opinions that the 6 and 8 string ukes were harder to play and others who said that it's really not all that different.

It all depends on the setup as well.
A well setup steel string guitar is 'easier' to play than a 4-string ukulele with a mediocre setup (also depends on what tension strings used, etc etc).

Broadly speaking, from my experience of playing 8-string and 6-string ukes in store, they are not that much harder than regular ukulele playing.
It's just 'different'.. not necessarily 'harder'.

Nothing that a reasonable player cannot adjust to. If 6-strings and 8-strings were notoriously difficult, it would be known.

My response assumes you are talking about steel strung guitar.

I think the question you ask is very subjective. For my hands ( and as a guitar player too) I would say every one you mention is easier than guitar. In fact i've never met a uke yet that was harder than guitar. BUT... depends on hand size etc. I have big hands and find the guitar more natural for placement than ukes (despite me playing and writing about ukes for over 10 years) but that's just me.

The tension is much lower, the spacing is more difficult, but not much.

I think the only way YOU will know is to try one in a store or ask for a sale or return to try one out.

Guitars have much wider nuts for each individual string so for barre chords you need a longer part of the finger than for a uke where the strings even with a 6 or 8 are closer together. So with the smaller space there is a bigger chance to find a part of the index finger to apply the pressure needed.

bazmaz said:

I think the only way YOU will know is to try one in a store or ask for a sale or return to try one out.

Click to expand...

That's a great idea! I know there's no way that I'll be able to try one out in a store because no one around here would stock such a thing. I should be able to order one through Guitar Center so I'd be able to pick it up and return it for free. I've bought things through them before. I'll have to check it out.