Ukulele for a girl

Hi!
My daughter is 10 years old and she sings and plays on my Yamaha F310.

Ukulele is a bit smaller than normal guitars so more handy for a girl, also a little quieter and with less bass.

Recently there is a trend for the ukulelele, and she watched some videos, listened to some songs and now wants to play.

I have considered the matter, and thought yeah okay why not. I did a bit of a research, and found that there are the following sizes of ukulelele (given in cm):

Soprano - 53 cm
Concerto - 58 cm
Tenor - 66 cm
Baritone - 76 cm

In the movies and videos the best ukulele sound comes from the small one as in the bigger, the sound of the ukulele becomes thicker, more like a guitar.

That is why I need your advice on which ukulele should I buy for my daughter? Thank you!

She could play whatever size she likes. When I was 11, I was playing a dreadnought size guitar. That being said, if it were my daughter I would probably look at concerts, unless her hands are very tiny.

If she can play a bit with your F310 guitar, AND since she has shown an interest in the ukulele, I suggest that you start her on a Concert-size ukulele. Since she has played a bit with a guitar, a soprano might strike her as more of a toy than a real instrument. The concert is still small enough to be easily fingered by a child, but has a bit of extra size that should appeal to her experience with a larger instrument.

You are truly blessed to have a daughter who wants to "play music like her dad." Your daughter is truly blessed to have a dad who encourages her musical interest. In actual fact, I think the **best way** (& one that she will remember fondly even when she is grown) would be for you & she to go together to a music store that sells ukuleles & let her try various sizes, so that you & she -- together-- choose her first, very own instrument. Have a wonderful day!!!

A concert scale, or a 'long neck' soprano, (both have the same scale length neck).

It has the uke 'sound' - but usually with a bit more sustain than a soprano, & bit more finger space.

(A baritone would use the same chords as a guitar, as it is usually set up as DGBE, which may make the switch easier.)

Shaohao said:

Hi!
My daughter is 10 years old and she sings and plays on my Yamaha F310.

Ukulele is a bit smaller than normal guitars so more handy for a girl, also a little quieter and with less bass.

Recently there is a trend for the ukulelele, and she watched some videos, listened to some songs and now wants to play.

I have considered the matter, and thought yeah okay why not. I did a bit of a research, and found that there are the following sizes of ukulelele (given in cm):

Soprano - 53 cm
Concerto - 58 cm
Tenor - 66 cm
Baritone - 76 cm

In the movies and videos the best ukulele sound comes from the small one as in the bigger, the sound of the ukulele becomes thicker, more like a guitar.

That is why I need your advice on which ukulele should I buy for my daughter? Thank you!

Click to expand...

Having checked on the new and second hand prices of your Guitar (what a bargain) you might be upset by what Ukes can cost ... I hope that doesn’t change your plans.

I’m not sure what your local culture is but as far as I’m concerned here (in the U.K.) gender isn’t an issue in Uke selection - hand and frame size might be. Size wise (person) the Soprano can be played by virtually everybody but that’s maybe not so true of the larger instruments. As well as being large the Baritone has different tuning, as such I suggest it isn’t a good first choice. Concerts are very adaptable and understandably a popular choice, however I suggest that a Soprano would be a better choice and a choice that could well work well for her into adult life. Many adults choose to play Soprano rather than other sizes.

The Soprano is the original size of Ukulele and was so for good reasons, reasons which remain valid today for very many people. The Soprano is easy to transport, is easy to store, is easy to hold, is easy on the fingers, is loud enough to sing with, sounds good and is not particularly expensive. They are perfect for strumming and singing with, but they can do so much more than that. For some things the bigger Ukulele sizes do work better than the Soprano, but I find that the ‘advantages’ of the Concert and Tenor sizes are balanced by some of their drawbacks.

Here’s a link towards an expert in Poland: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4BbcS8gWEOg

If your daughter is comfortable with the fret spacing of the F310 get her a tenor. If she struggles to reach the frets on some chords a concert or soprano would be easier for her. Of course if she has expressed a preference for one size or another indulging her opinion would not be a bad thing to do.

If possible, I think you should try to get each size in her hands to see what she might take to. It is very much personal preference. Hopefully you can buy from a place that does a setup too in order to make sure the instrument plays well from the start and doesn't have any defects. I have no idea what your options would be there in Poland. I hope you find something that works well. It's always great to hear about a child taking interest in music.

Shaohao said:

Hi!
My daughter is 10 years old and she sings and plays on my Yamaha F310.

Ukulele is a bit smaller than normal guitars so more handy for a girl, also a little quieter and with less bass.

That is why I need your advice on which ukulele should I buy for my daughter? Thank you!

Click to expand...

My humble advice is let her be part of the picking process. She could play soprano or concert. Let her pick what it looks like, what shape, what color, any laser graphics on the soundboard, or stickers to put on it. If she falls in love with the way it looks, she's probably more apt to play it more. When she's ready for one with a more sophisticated sound, you can figure out what to get then.

Good luck and what a blessing

Not to dissuade you from purchasing her an ukulele, but if she's enjoying guitar, have you considered a 3/4 size guitar? You could look at the Yamaha JR1, Orangewood Dana Jr., or the Taylor GS Mini (in ascending order of price). That being said, if you want to purchase her an ukulele, then by all means take her to a store and let her try them, then once she finds a size that she likes, go buy a uke from Mim so that you know that it's setup well.

mikhou said:

Not to dissuade you from purchasing her an ukulele, but if she's enjoying guitar, have you considered a 3/4 size guitar? You could look at the Yamaha JR1, Orangewood Dana Jr., or the Taylor GS Mini (in ascending order of price). That being said, if you want to purchase her an ukulele, then by all means take her to a store and let her try them, then once she finds a size that she likes, go buy a uke from Mim so that you know that it's setup well.

Click to expand...

Good point.
I've played on the Yamaha JR2 (little bit of an upgrade from the JR1) and GS Mini. To me, the GS Mini doesn't feel small at all. The Yamaha is about the smallest really playable guitar in standard tuning I've had my hands on. It was a good player and definitely much more child friendly too.

Good advice from another member about making her a part of the decision making process if possible. If a child gets to pick out the one they want they will love it and play it much more. Because she can play a bit of your guitar she will be able to easily navigate any size ukulele

mikhou said:

... ...take her to a store and let her try them, then once she finds a size that she likes, go buy a uke from Mim so that you know that it's setup well.

Click to expand...

There you have it -- a major reason why more & more local music stores are going out of business. Ditto for book stores.

I often buy from Mim. Her set-ups are spot on. However, if I find a uke I want at a music store, I buy it there. When I find an ukulele that I like in a music store, there is NO guarantee than an instrument bought online will have the same feel and sound -- even if it is the same brand and model. Each individual ukulele is a *unique* ukulele. If I play a uke & fall in love with it, THAT's the uke I will buy.

Further, the cost of getting a set-up in Poland will be much less than the cost of shipping an ukulele from USA to Poland.

If she can play a full scale guitar, she can play any size ukulele she fancies. Dont worry about which size for a girl or boy, 10 year old or adult.

If you like her instrument to be more quiet for your own comfort when she plays, the sopranos and concerts would have an edge, as the smaller string tension often means less volume.

I think she would have the most Joy picking an ukulele herself, if that is possible. The best ukulele is the one that gets played, which is more likely the more she invested in the proces I guess. If it is supposed to be a surprise, I am personally a fan of the concert size. It keeps the low string tension and a not very guitar like sound, while having a bit more sustain and space on the fretboard than the soprano.

bellgamin said:

There you have it -- a major reason why more & more local music stores are going out of business. Ditto for book stores.

I often buy from Mim. Her set-ups are spot on. However, if I find a uke I want at a music store, I buy it there. When I find an ukulele that I like in a music store, there is NO guarantee than an instrument bought online will have the same feel and sound -- even if it is the same brand and model. Each individual ukulele is a *unique* ukulele. If I play a uke & fall in love with it, THAT's the uke I will buy.

Further, the cost of getting a set-up in Poland will be much less than the cost of shipping an ukulele from USA to Poland.

Click to expand...

That's a good word, and one I agree with. I should have said that if it's not a store that you trust, then you can go online to a reliable dealer (like Mim). I, too, prefer to support local businesses, but if it's a big box store then it's possible that you're going to get it off of the shelf or from the stock in the back with no attempt at a setup whatsoever. In that case, I'd recommend going with a reliable online dealer.

Bellgamin, thanks for adding your thoughts there, and, again, I agree.

I find the whole thread absurd on an abstract level. Is there a certain kind of cutaway which will accommodate a female's budding breasts? No. Is there a certain shape that will do things to a female's netherregions? No.

There's nothing about gender in any of this. So accept it. Accept that you have a beautiful soul that wants to play. Give her whatever instrument she wants, for whatever pretext, and let her start jamming.

ripock said:

I find the whole thread absurd on an abstract level. Is there a certain kind of cutaway which will accommodate a female's budding breasts? No. Is there a certain shape that will do things to a female's netherregions? No.

There's nothing about gender in any of this. So accept it. Accept that you have a beautiful soul that wants to play. Give her whatever instrument she wants, for whatever pretext, and let her start jamming.

Click to expand...

Perhaps I misread it, but I read the question as, "Would a smaller instrument fit my 10-year old better than a full-size guitar?" I didn't read OP's original question as being gender specific. Granted he did mention that she's a girl and that perhaps a uke would fit a small girl better.

Either way, let her play what she's most comfortable with and what she desires to play. That way she'll keep at it.

ripock said:

I find the whole thread absurd on an abstract level. Is there a certain kind of cutaway which will accommodate a female's budding breasts? No. Is there a certain shape that will do things to a female's netherregions? No.

There's nothing about gender in any of this. So accept it. Accept that you have a beautiful soul that wants to play. Give her whatever instrument she wants, for whatever pretext, and let her start jamming.

Click to expand...

In my opinion, that is quite the overreaction and unnecessary. I don't get why mentioning gender is such a big deal.


Also...I'm not sure about with uke but have heard women guitar players state that certain shapes absolutely do fit them better due to their anatomy. I've seen it on forums, but just did a quick search and there is this:
https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/...-designs-women-s-guitar-with-room-for-breasts
I don't think this really applies to the heart of this thread, but since it was mentioned...

Google gives multiple results of women musicians talking about this kind of thing.

It also reminds me of something I've heard about guys with the thin body Ovation guitars that used to be more popular. Guys with a bigger gut had trouble with them due to the round back.

Looking back at the original post gender wasn’t really an issue but rather a fact. The OP has a 10 year old daughter and wants a suitable instrument for her. Little girls like what they like and what they like can be very variable and can change quite a lot over a short period of time, well that’s just my observation.

Women might talk about such things between them but I just hear the occasional muttering about how well different instruments match their anatomy. Whatever, leave the Ladies to it and OP’s Daughter will doubtless pick and use what she wants. I still think that Soprano is the way to go but that’s ‘cause it’s the size a Uke should be - Soprano, original and best.