With so many different types of ukuleles out there, the prospect of buying one can be unnerving. It's a tricky undertaking, especially if you're looking for a beginner or basic ukulele. If you've dug into typical sites that have ukuleles for sale at $30 or $40, you've probably seen that you won't get much more than a toy for that price and one that you can't play seriously, forget the idea of getting any real acoustic value.
When you consider price, remember that you won't get much more than a toy for $30 or $40, one that you can't really play seriously, and one with not much to offer in the way of acoustic value. Having so many different types from which to choose, coupled with the need for a quality, well playing instrument, makes for a thorny undertaking. This can be especially unnerving it you are looking for a beginner ukulele, but don't just want a toy.
Before your purchase, it is important to consider the use you plan to make of your ukulele, and how "serious" you are about that use. We're talking serious fun here, which depends on the quality and playability of the instrument itself. Suffice it to say, regardless of all other considerations, the primary focus should be on how seriously it will be played. Let that seriousness be your measure of both quality and price.
Whoever is the intended user, how serious will that person be? Think of that user's age and level of playing proficiency. Will this be a gift for someone just learning to play (a beginner ukulele makes a very unique Christmas gift)? Is that person serious about playing, even if just playing for fun? We're back to the idea of serious fun.
A good principle to follow is that whether for a beginner or an established player, and regardless of the age, the more serious you are, the more you can expect to play, and the higher the quality you will need. Although you should expect to pay more for quality, you may not see a direct proportion. There are exceptions-some very well playing instruments are very reasonably priced, but you can expect to get what you pay for. The question of quality and price will establish your budget. Now it's time to decide which of the four types of ukuleles will fill your need.
Soprano The earliest ukuleles were nearly all soprano sized-to a purest, it's the classic size with the classic sound and is less like the guitar than the others. But, as many gifted ukulele players will attest, there is nothing quite like strumming away on a soprano, and it's the thing you are naturally drawn to do. Being the smallest and most common, it's a good place to start, particularly if you are a beginner.
Soprano is good for playing chords and beginner strumming and is easier to learn to play than the others. A lot of finger picking on the soprano is another story. It is harder to master more difficult routines on soprano and its resonance can sometimes seem thin.
Although good for the young beginner, the soprano's smaller size may make you think it is only for children or people with small hands and fingers. Don't be fooled. Great soprano players come in all sizes, and many large players swear by it. Its popularity among seasoned players makes for a wider variety from which to choose, and as a rule you will see the soprano ukulele will priced lower.
Concert Concert is a little bigger than soprano and it therefore sounds bigger. You'll find more middle range, more alto, and a somewhat deeper, mellower sound. Some players find that a concert is easier to hold than the smaller soprano. The traditional ukulele sound with more complex playing potential makes the concert an instrument that offers the best of both worlds.
If you like to strum and fingerpick and should you not be entirely comfortable with the reduced size of soprano, the concert ukulele may be a good compromise. It has the same tuning as the soprano, gCEA, and has that same unmistakable ukulele sound, with more resonance for a fuller tone. It's not a guitar, but with some serious practice, you can learn to play whatever you want to play. So we're back to that seriousness again.
Tenor The tenor ukulele can be used for more advanced solo playing i.e. Jake Shimabukuro. It has more of a guitar-like tone, more finger room that allows faster play, and lends itself to more complex runs. Its size produces a deeper, fuller, more resonant quality in sound and tone. The fourth string can be tuned an octave lower, giving it even further range.
Baritone The baritone's crisp, fuller sound can begin to make one think of a guitar. Make no mistake, the baritone is all ukulele, but if you are just beginning to play guitar, you will have an easier time learning to play a baritone uke. It can actually help your guitar practice and vice versa. The baritone is tuned like a four string guitar. The two top strings (base) are not there, so it plays like a guitar with no top end.
After you consider the cost plus your level of musical ability and interest in playing (seriousness), you are ready to go shopping. But before we go, there is one additional possibility that can make your selection even more meaningful. After you've checked out the complete range of ukuleles available to you, consider the possibility of building your own ukulele from scratch or assembling one from a kit.
The internet is loaded with ideas that can show you how to produce your own creation from scratch, and many sites offer a basic ukulele building kit that you can start with, and then add other components as you desire. You may want to check out the tramp art music culture where good quality instruments are made from everyday components, using a multitude of boxes for surprising resonance, i.e. a cigar box with a wooden back or a simple box you can make yourself.
Whether you build your own from scratch, use a conventional or cigar box building kit, or purchase a completed instrument, you're in for some serious fun. And remember the pithy and so often repeated observation made by many serious players-you can't play a sad song on a ukulele. Whether you decide to purchase a completed instrument, build from scratch or assemble from either a cigar box ukulele kit or a conventional ukulele kit, here's to you; good luck and good building.
When you consider price, remember that you won't get much more than a toy for $30 or $40, one that you can't really play seriously, and one with not much to offer in the way of acoustic value. Having so many different types from which to choose, coupled with the need for a quality, well playing instrument, makes for a thorny undertaking. This can be especially unnerving it you are looking for a beginner ukulele, but don't just want a toy.
Before your purchase, it is important to consider the use you plan to make of your ukulele, and how "serious" you are about that use. We're talking serious fun here, which depends on the quality and playability of the instrument itself. Suffice it to say, regardless of all other considerations, the primary focus should be on how seriously it will be played. Let that seriousness be your measure of both quality and price.
Whoever is the intended user, how serious will that person be? Think of that user's age and level of playing proficiency. Will this be a gift for someone just learning to play (a beginner ukulele makes a very unique Christmas gift)? Is that person serious about playing, even if just playing for fun? We're back to the idea of serious fun.
A good principle to follow is that whether for a beginner or an established player, and regardless of the age, the more serious you are, the more you can expect to play, and the higher the quality you will need. Although you should expect to pay more for quality, you may not see a direct proportion. There are exceptions-some very well playing instruments are very reasonably priced, but you can expect to get what you pay for. The question of quality and price will establish your budget. Now it's time to decide which of the four types of ukuleles will fill your need.
Soprano The earliest ukuleles were nearly all soprano sized-to a purest, it's the classic size with the classic sound and is less like the guitar than the others. But, as many gifted ukulele players will attest, there is nothing quite like strumming away on a soprano, and it's the thing you are naturally drawn to do. Being the smallest and most common, it's a good place to start, particularly if you are a beginner.
Soprano is good for playing chords and beginner strumming and is easier to learn to play than the others. A lot of finger picking on the soprano is another story. It is harder to master more difficult routines on soprano and its resonance can sometimes seem thin.
Although good for the young beginner, the soprano's smaller size may make you think it is only for children or people with small hands and fingers. Don't be fooled. Great soprano players come in all sizes, and many large players swear by it. Its popularity among seasoned players makes for a wider variety from which to choose, and as a rule you will see the soprano ukulele will priced lower.
Concert Concert is a little bigger than soprano and it therefore sounds bigger. You'll find more middle range, more alto, and a somewhat deeper, mellower sound. Some players find that a concert is easier to hold than the smaller soprano. The traditional ukulele sound with more complex playing potential makes the concert an instrument that offers the best of both worlds.
If you like to strum and fingerpick and should you not be entirely comfortable with the reduced size of soprano, the concert ukulele may be a good compromise. It has the same tuning as the soprano, gCEA, and has that same unmistakable ukulele sound, with more resonance for a fuller tone. It's not a guitar, but with some serious practice, you can learn to play whatever you want to play. So we're back to that seriousness again.
Tenor The tenor ukulele can be used for more advanced solo playing i.e. Jake Shimabukuro. It has more of a guitar-like tone, more finger room that allows faster play, and lends itself to more complex runs. Its size produces a deeper, fuller, more resonant quality in sound and tone. The fourth string can be tuned an octave lower, giving it even further range.
Baritone The baritone's crisp, fuller sound can begin to make one think of a guitar. Make no mistake, the baritone is all ukulele, but if you are just beginning to play guitar, you will have an easier time learning to play a baritone uke. It can actually help your guitar practice and vice versa. The baritone is tuned like a four string guitar. The two top strings (base) are not there, so it plays like a guitar with no top end.
After you consider the cost plus your level of musical ability and interest in playing (seriousness), you are ready to go shopping. But before we go, there is one additional possibility that can make your selection even more meaningful. After you've checked out the complete range of ukuleles available to you, consider the possibility of building your own ukulele from scratch or assembling one from a kit.
The internet is loaded with ideas that can show you how to produce your own creation from scratch, and many sites offer a basic ukulele building kit that you can start with, and then add other components as you desire. You may want to check out the tramp art music culture where good quality instruments are made from everyday components, using a multitude of boxes for surprising resonance, i.e. a cigar box with a wooden back or a simple box you can make yourself.
Whether you build your own from scratch, use a conventional or cigar box building kit, or purchase a completed instrument, you're in for some serious fun. And remember the pithy and so often repeated observation made by many serious players-you can't play a sad song on a ukulele. Whether you decide to purchase a completed instrument, build from scratch or assemble from either a cigar box ukulele kit or a conventional ukulele kit, here's to you; good luck and good building.
About the Author:
Find the best deal on ukuleleshere, or visit www.papasboxes.com to find the best advice on high quality instruments for you.
0 comments:
Post a Comment