Is the Ukulele a Good Instrument for a Beginner?
Are you considering learning to play the Ukulele, but you never played an instrument before?
I can highly recommend this instrument to all beginners, from small children to elderly people. It is fun, easy to play, great to sing along to, and not physically demanding at all.
Why the Ukulele is Easy to Learn
- It only has 4 strings, which are nylon and easy to pluck.
- The frets are closer, which means less finger stretching.
- Chord shapes are easier, due to the fewer strings.
- It is light and portable, so you can take it everywhere.
- It is inexpensive and easy to maintain.
The ukulele is also very quiet and soft, which means you can play it without having to worry about annoyed family members or neighbours.
Playing chord charts written above lyrics is simple and fun, and will keep you motivated for learning and improving more technical playing techniques too.
Singing along as you strum the chords to songs is much easier than a guitar, since it’s easy to drown your voice when playing full guitar chords due to the loudness.
Why the Ukulele is a Great Starter instrument
Just like the recorder is a great starter instrument before transitioning to other wind instruments, the ukulele is the perfect instrument to start on if you ever plan to learn more fretted string instruments like: guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, banjo etc.
Starting on a more difficult instrument may hinder your progress, because you will quickly become frustrated. The ukulele is so simple that most people learn the basics within a month.
I always recommend anyone interested in learning music instruments, to take the path of least resistance.
This goes for choosing an instrument, I recommend picking one that is at least easy to learn to play on a basic level. So instead of starting on violin, trumpet or oboe, I would recommend: ukulele, piano, glockenspiel, melodica etc.
Regardless of what instrument you choose, and I highly recommend the ukulele as your first instrument, you should then take the path of least resistance when it comes to your learning journey.
Meaning that you should focus on learning and playing chords first, starting with the main ones. Then rhythm and strumming patterns. Then some finger picking and arpeggios of chords and harmonies. And finally playing scales and melodies.
What Ukulele is Good for Beginners?
I recommend starting on a standard tuning ukulele first, which means: soprano, concert or tenor. Those are all tuned the same: G, C, E, A. The baritone ukulele is tuned lower.
I also recommend choosing the ukulele size depending on your hand and finger size. For children, the soprano ukulele is great. For adults, many prefer a concert or tenor because the frets are simply too close on soprano for their bigger hands.
If you pick a very cheap “no brand” ukulele from Amazon or online marketplace like Ebay etc, you may be disappointed and frustrated which will hurt your motivation and learning.
A decent standard ukulele is a very inexpensive instrument, even when choosing a nice brand. I also recommend buying from a music store (either IRL or online). And don’t be afraid to ask them questions.