I wanted to take up a new musical instrument. Something portable, cheap and easy to play. I have tried the guitar before, but found it quite challenging and bar chords were totally beyond me. I have recently discovered the Ukulele – like a guitar, but only 4 strings, so much easier to play, and you can pick up an entry level instrument for around £15 – £20.
Different Ukulele Sizes
Ukuleles come in 3 main sizes: soprano, concert and tenor. These are all tuned the same, but the larger instruments have a slightly different tone and more depth to the sound. The larger instruments may better for those with bigger hands, as the strings are a little further apart, but the stretch between the frets are also more, so sopranos are usually good for beginners.
I got a makala ukulele for just over £20 and am pretty satisfied with it. It isn’t perfectly in-tune- but I have a fussy ear! For a beginner it’s a pretty good quality sound and I guess you get what you pay for! I share it with my 3 year old, so don’t want any too valuable! A tuner is also very useful. You can get tuning pipes, but the electronic ones are great. They work on vibration, so you can tune even with background noise, and you don’t need to have a good ear - the LED lights show you which way to tune. Don’t bother getting a chord book- I did- and it was a really a waste of money. You can get chord charts on-line easily. Get one with suggested fingering, then strum away and have fun on your ukulele!
If you want to try playing a Ukulele, this is a good entry level instrument – plus free postage!