The ukulele has become really popular over the last 5 or so years. For young musicians with smaller hands, it is a great alternative to guitar. Many young students begin with ukulele and move up to guitar when they get a little older. Playing ukulele is fun for a lot of kids, the songs are often easy, chords are sometimes 1 or 2 fingers, and the instrument has only 4 strings.
There are 4 types of ukuleles:
Soprano (smallest)
Concert
Tenor
Baritone (biggest one, different tuning)
As a ukulele player and teacher, I'd like to share some of my recommendations for ukuleles and tuners. I should also add that I am not endorsed by any of these companies, there are just my personal recommendations based on my experiences. I would recommend that beginners start with either a Soprano or Concert ukulele.
Good, affordable beginner ukuleles:
Higher price and quality:
Brands that are generally good quality (in my opinion):
- Cordoba
- Kala
- Lanakai
Products to avoid:
- Any fully painted kids ukuleles, especially cheap ones on Amazon. These are more like toys. Stick with the regular wood colors.
- Cheap ukuleles from Luna, Hola, Mahalo
Hopefully this helps anyone out there who wants to venture into the world of ukulele!
If you are interested in taking virtual ukulele lessons, please visit
https://www.randymcgraveymusic.com/lessons for rates and other info.