Does switching between different sizes of Ukes slow progress?

McCall

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Hello, I’ve been playing for almost two years now, and I’m trying to improve as much as I can. I regularly play two sizes, Tenor and Soprano, and I was wondering if splitting up my practice time between different sizes might slow my overall progress. I enjoy playing both sizes but wonder if I’d progress faster if I focused on only one size?
 
Not for me. Enjoying playing is more important.
often some songs are easier on one size than the other and typically useful to figure out the fingering on a soprano before getting your fingers to be good enough on a tenor scale.
 
I play classical guitar (6 and 7 strings), electric guitar, bass guitar, guilele, baritone 'ukulele and tenor 'ukulele, often switching between guitar and 'ukulele in the same session and I'm good. Once your brain maps the fingerboards, the hand automatically adjusts and you'll play fine. It's only tricky when you start a new instrument and you have to take the time to get used to the new scale and voicings.
 
I have a suspicion that playing more than one instrument might make your progress faster.
I think that the difference is marginal though.
 
To my mind, the only time swapping instruments might slow me down is if I find an instrument physically uncomfortable to play. Trying to learn a new tune using an instrument on which I have to concentrate on getting my finger placement correct, either because it's too cramped or too big, is a constraint I can live without. Simply because I'm a guitar-size kind of bloke I'd probably not pick up a soprano ukulele to learn a new chord sequence. Once I've learnt it, transitioning between instruments isn't usually a problem.
FWIW, my favourite ukulele is a tenor, but I do have and use all four sizes ;)

Enjoy :music:
 
I don't think it slows overall progress much at all. For me, if I practice with a soprano for half an hour and then switch to something bigger, I do seem to miss a little for the first few minutes, but overall it doesn't seem like much of a problem. I'm guessing that those with many years of fingers on a fretboard don't thing twice about switching to different sizes. Perhaps playing different sizes is a good thing in the long run.
 
If you are training to be a concert level virtuoso like Jake then maybe it would hamper you a bit. For the rest of us mere mortals we should be ok. You said something important........you love to play both sizes. That will keep you playing which in the long run will keep you improving.

Side story. I started on acoustic guitar about 1-1/2 years ago. I was playing my uke in front of a follow player a few months back that had not heard me play in a while. She said wow your playing is much better. I have spent 80% of my time on guitar over that year because of the steep learning curve. My improvement on ukulele comes from time spent playing on guitar.......a lot of time.
 
For me, it's the subtle changes that throw me off a little. Starting with a soprano and going to a concert scale or sopranino scale, my mind thinks it can rely on muscle memory and I'll slip up a bit until I adjust, but going up to a baritone or guitar, I know I have to switch up my thinking so it's not a problem. I don't know if it slows my progress at all though.
 
Switching between soprano and concert, I don't even notice the difference. So I would say my progress would be just as slow regardless. Switching between uke and guitar, I lose five minutes or so while my brain tries to catch up. Considering that lost five minutes is the least of my problems, I'm not very concerned.
 
The only switch that has caused me any problems was switching from being a sit-down player to being a standing player. The angle between the two was significant enough to that I had to take a while to accustom my fretting hand to the new angle.
 
The only switch that has caused me any problems was switching from being a sit-down player to being a standing player. The angle between the two was significant enough to that I had to take a while to accustom my fretting hand to the new angle.

That sucks. Fortunately for me, at my the first guitar lessons years back, I was told to have a consistent position sitting and standing (and so I can't look cool with the guitar on the hip when standing). So, now, I don't have to adjust; and I'm aiming to do the same with ukulele. I think this is very useful for a beginner like me; it may not be too important to an experienced player.
 
The only switch that has caused me any problems was switching from being a sit-down player to being a standing player. The angle between the two was significant enough to that I had to take a while to accustom my fretting hand to the new angle.

Even with a strap?
 
Even with a strap?

I misspoke to a degree. The switch was sitting down and playing without a strap and sitting/standing with a strap. The biggest part of the problem was me nurturing the bad habit of tilting the ukulele so that I could see the fret board. The wrist angle is atrocious ergonomically speaking.
 
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