You’ve probably seen this strange small guitar so many times in videos or movies.
You might even have a chance to grab it and dream about how it would be like to have one at home and play occasionally.
Luckily, we’re about to tell you a little bit more today about an instrument called Ukulele.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Ukuleles
- OUR TOP PICK: Kala KA-SMHT Tenor
- RUNNER-UP: Luna Guitars TEC MAH Tattoo Concert
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Deviser Concert Cutaway Bundle
Table of Contents
What is a Ukulele?
Ukulele is a lute instrument that most often comes with four strings, most usually made out of the wood, but it could also come in plastic or carbon fiber design as well. It’s very similar to acoustic guitar only smaller and it comes in various sizes and types.
How to Pronounce Ukulele
Ukulele is pronounced as oo-koo-leh-leh with the first “leh” accented.
What Does Ukulele Mean?
Ukulele is a Hawaiian word and there isn’t an exact translation for this word, but it could be described as a bouncy flea depicting the finger movement of the Ukulele performer.
Where is the Ukelele From?
Ukulele comes from Hawaii and it was made once Portuguese immigrants introduced their version of the small guitar to Hawaiian natives.
When Was the Ukulele Invented?
Ukulele was invented back in the 19th century, 1880 to be more precise. The original ukulele was made out of koa wood which grows only in the Hawaii Islands, a wood that comes from the acacia endemic.
Who Made the Ukulele Popular?
Once Portuguese immigrants disembarked King Kalākaua, the last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom incorporated their instrument into performances at royal gatherings and made it very popular in Hawaiian traditional music.
From this point, it first was transferred to Japan around the 1930s and came at a peak around the 1960s thanks to the Canadian school system to learn music using this instrument.
Its fame was revived in the late 1990s once again thanks to artists such as Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and his famous “Over the Rainbow” cover.
In the most recent years, it got promoted even further thanks to the social media support covering a wide array of video tutorials and free playthrough lessons.
How Hard is it To Play the Ukulele?
If you had a chance to play acoustic guitar at some point, playing Ukulele will be a breeze for you. If you haven’t, the good news is that it will be a lot easier than learning how to play a real guitar.
But, the bad news is that it won’t be an overnight process. You will have to learn how to place your hands correctly, learn how to tune your strings and to synchronize left and right hand, and learn a couple of playing techniques along with strumming, tab reading, and using frets with correct fingering.
How to Choose a Ukulele
There are so many questions you may ask before buying a proper Ukulele, so let us help you out with the basics:
Budget
Depending on how much you would like to spend, you may go for professional all solid wood models or towards laminate or plywood models ideal for beginners. Latter is more affordable but the overall sound quality is much better with the former one.
Bear in mind that having a professional model may always pay off in the long run.
Age and Size
Soprano ukuleles are the ideal first choice for kids or people that are considered as “small people”. The frets spacing is much smaller and it doesn’t require you to span your hand to play it properly.
But, this size won’t be comfortable at all for big guys so if this is where you belong, we would recommend you at least a tenor or concert ukulele.
Electric Models
If you plan to perform with ukulele, you may consider buying an electric model that allows you to plug into any PA when needed.
If we disregard the fact that these models aren’t the cheapest ones out there, the good thing about them is that it can perform as a typical acoustic ukulele as well.
Comparison of the Best Ukuleles
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Review of the Best Ukuleles
It was really hard to organize the best Ukuleles in general, so let's take some time and take a look at our picks:
Best Overall:
Kala KA-SMHT Tenor
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
It’s almost impossible to find a relevant complaint about this instrument. People are thrilled with the sound, especially how warm and mellow it can resonate, especially when compared with the cheaper ukuleles on the market. Also, they really loved the appearance and premium build quality of this Tenor Ukulele.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Tenor Ukulele is made from solid Mahogany with Satin finish which drastically improves the resonance of the instrument and this can be specially noted if you pay attention to how long sustain can last. Coming with Aquila Super Nylgut strings this effect and sound quality is polished even further.
Finishing details are also exceptional. The fretboard is a bit thicker than a regular ukulele and this might be appealing for bigger guys as it will generate more comfort for gripping the frets. The slotted headstock will come really handy as it will provide you with the vintage look and extend the string's lifetime.
Bottom Line
This Kala ukulele will probably be the best choice if you’re looking for a long term Ukulele instrument. While there are more expensive instruments out there, we find that this one offers the most quality compared to the money you will invest.
Runner-up:
Luna Guitars TEC MAH Tattoo Concert
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Overall, they are satisfied with the sound they got from it and they really dig the tattoo designs.
However, more experienced players comment that even though the gig bag has some decent padding you may check some more durable models if you plan to use it frequently outside.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Concert Ukulele is made from Mahogany for both body and top combined with the Walnut fretboard and Natural Satin finish. It comes with the onboard preamp which generates a clear, resonate sound with dedicated sliders for presences and bass sound control and overall volume.
Thanks to the cutaway design, it will suit really nicely if you support it on your right leg and the design is quite unique and matches the general vibe of the Ukulele Hawaiian origin, especially with shark teeth used as fret markers.
And on top of that, it comes with a proper gig bag and Aquila Super Nylgut strings.
Bottom Line
This Concert ukulele may be an ideal choice for any semi-pro player out there. Thanks to the pickup system and those Hawaiian motives printed on the body it will definitely make a difference in your audio and visual stage performance.
Best for the Money:
Deviser Concert Cutaway Bundle
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users are amazed how affordable this bundle looks like compared to what you’re getting and while the rest of the pack is completely oriented towards beginners, they really appreciated the bag quality. However, even though it says it’s made from a Koa wood, you should be aware that it’s actually Acacia wood.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Ukulele is designed as a Travel Concert format and it’s made from real wood including even the top which is not so often to be found at this price.
Also, besides decent sound, it also comes in three different colors (Natural, Rose, and Spruce) and a really nice travel bag, tuner, polishing cloth, and a strap and it’s also available in Tenor size as well.
Bottom Line
To be completely fair, there are more affordable Ukuleles out there. But, if you’re looking for a pinch of more quality instead of money-saving, you can’t really go wrong with this purchase, especially as you’re getting everything you may need for your first ukulele.
Best Cheap Ukulele:
Hola! Music HM-21BK Soprano Bundle
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users didn’t have high expectations from it so it’s hard to find any real disappointment.
Pro users say that at this price range this is probably the best sounding Ukulele on the market and even after a couple of years of experience, they would still recommend it to other beginners.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It’s hard to compliment a sound for something this cheap, so the best we can say is that it stays in tune and has everything you need to start with learning Ukulele.
However, we’re surprised to see that this Soprano Ukulele actually has any wood part at all, even if it’s laminate. And we can’t hide the fact that there are ten different colors to pick from.
And it’s nice to see they had enough resources to include at least some accessories such as a canvas soft bag, three picks, and neck-on strap and even provide a two-month online course for free.
Bottom Line
If you’re uncertain if your ukulele interest is just a fad or a real thing, you can’t go wrong with this model. It won’t hit your wallet at all and it can be a really nice first instrument for any kid.
Best Electric Ukulele:
Enya Nova U/BL
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Once they had a chance to try it out, all the prejudices regarding material fell down and they could only recommend it further. A thin profile is a big plus and the fact that they don’t have to care about moisture.
However, they report that you shouldn’t expect too much quality from the pickup.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Enya model is made out of a mixture of 30% of Carbon Fiber and Polycarbonate which makes it water-resistant and easy to clean and it is more lightweight compared to the regular Concert Ukulele. This material also generates a drastically brighter sound.
It’s also geared up with the TransAcoustic electric pickup system that comes with a rechargeable battery and allows you to add up a reverb or chorus effect to your sound with the dedicated knob.
It comes in 4 vivid color solutions and the best part is that all the accessories it comes with (hard case, tuner, and strap) are perfectly color-matched.
Bottom Line
Carbon Fiber is a kind of futuristic material, so if you want to have something that will stand on its own, while it delivers you the same playing experience, then Nova U is the right choice for you.
Best Soprano Ukulele:
Fender Grace VanderWaal Moonlight
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers are really satisfied with this purchase and they feel it deserves to carry the name of Grace VanderWaal in both audio and visual aspects. But, they had a remark that the fingerboard quality doesn’t match the rest of the instrument.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It’s rare to see Fender in the Ukulele world and they did really good with this Concert model. It’s made from real Dark Walnut wood including the fingerboard which comes with golden hardware and a Golden sparkle rosette.
Regarding electronics, the Fishman preamp system comes with a 3-band equalizer, a dedicated mode for tuner, and a low battery indicator. This model also features a convenient pull-through bridge, which makes string changes quite easier because there is no need for special knotting.
It’s available in two sizes so in case you’re looking for a soprano model, you may check out the Moonlight (blue) version as well.
Bottom Line
If you’re a guitar lover and you simply love that unique Fender headstock, this model might be the most appealing one for you and we don’t blame you for that. You won’t find so many better Ukuleles with preamps.
Best Tenor Ukulele:
Luna Guitars HTT KOA High Tide
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
They say that this Ukulele looks and plays really nicely, especially if you plan to use it amplified. However, while being a quite decent instrument, it’s misleadingly advertised as a Koa wood instrument while it only has a thin surface of Koa placed on the top.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Tenor Ukulele is one of Luna's flagship models. The top is made of a real Koa wood with a Natural Satin finish and the fingerboard is made of Walnut. Also, it has beautiful details made of abalone instead of fret markers and some details on the top as well.
It is equipped with an onboard preamp with piezo pickup placed at the bridge with a 2-band equalizer for bass and presence control and a dedicated button for switching into electronic tuner mode. It will come really handy as you can check your tuning without any additional equipment anytime anywhere as long as you have the battery installed.
Bottom Line
This Luna model hits for us the sweet spot as the best pick for Tenor Ukulele currently. It has everything you would need for a professional performance, and thanks to the equipped pickup, you will be able to perform at virtually any venue.
Best Ukulele for Beginners:
Everjoys Soprano Beginner Pack
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users comment that the songbook seems to be quite handy for the kids having the first experience with this instrument and even professional players seem to be satisfied with the quality of this specific model.
However, they advise you to replace strings as soon as possible as it will drastically improve tuning for your Ukulele.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This soprano ukulele might be an ideal all-in-one package. It comes with the digital clip-on tuner, bag, two picks, spare string, strap, a fun How-To-Play songbook, and microfiber polishing cloth at the price it’s really hard to beat without compromising the sound quality.
The body is made from basswood and solid wood for the neck while the fingerboard and bridge are made from blackwood.
We find this to be an ideal purchase for kids’ first ukulele. But as all beginners might be easily inspired and motivated by the visual appearance, you will be glad to know there are nine different color variations to pick from.
Bottom Line
The soprano ukulele might be an ideal gift for your kids. It’s not an expensive one and thanks to all the additional content it comes with you may realize that you won’t need any additional ukulele purchase except for new strings for a while.
Best Concert Ukulele:
Enya EUC-M6
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers say that this Ukulele has a deep and rich sound. They love the design, especially the two-color flower print on the fretboard and the guitar-like headstock, and feel that the price is just right compared to the quality it provides. It is recommended as an upgrade from your typical first ukulele.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This unit is made from real top-class AAA mahogany and has a wonderful polished gloss finish on all sides of the body while the neck has a satin finish which is more suitable for playing.
Frets are also done nicely and the headstock matches the size of the ukulele with an exceptionally comfortable position for placing the chords on the first fret. Tuning is also improved thanks to the 1:18 gold agate die-cast system.
It’s real eye candy, an instrument that will get attention on its own thanks to beautiful dark brown color and unique headstock design.
Bottom Line
Enya EUC-M6 might be the best pick for an advanced concert ukulele instrument. It will sound wonderful while it won’t damage your bank too much. And on top of that, you’ll get a really nice padded bag for transportation.
Best Baritone Ukulele:
Kala KA-ABP-CTG
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
People are generally overwhelmed with the playing experience they got from this model. They feel they got a lot more sound quality compared to what they paid and they would gladly recommend it to the others. It’s not so rare that this is the favorite one for those that have more ukuleles.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Baritone can sound really loud and the finish is exceptional. The sound is top-notch and generally, overall quality matches some significantly more expensive ukuleles out there.
Frets are rounded nicely and made from Mahogany and Rosewood fingerboard and Cedar top goes pretty well for fingerstyle playing while the overall body size resembles the body of the regular acoustic guitar.
Body color matches the sound character pretty well and resonates with the soft and warm tone with incredibly long sustain ringing features thanks to the mixture of steel and nylon stock strings it comes with.
Bottom Line
Baritone Ukulele has a similar tuning so it might be a nice step in your progress towards playing an acoustic guitar. But, it might be a perfect solution if you want to upgrade your Ukulele gear as well.
Types of Ukuleles
While the Ukulele isn't a very old acoustic instrument, it has several distinctive types regarding both size and sound. We will cover the four standard ones - Soprano, Concert, Tenor, and Baritone and will also try to give you some hints which type is considered to be the most popular and which is the best to pick based on your playing experience:
What is a Soprano Ukulele?
The soprano is the smallest and lightest ukulele model out there and it’s one the first-ever designed. It’s about 20 inches long. It comes with a shorter scale and is usually the first choice for most beginners out there and very suitable for kids. The sound is bright, soft, and shallow when compared with other models.
What is a Concert Ukulele?
Concert Ukulele lays as a middle ground solution between Soprano and Tenor Ukulele coming up to 23 inches. It could be represented as a “Soprano Ukulele for adults” because of the bigger frets, so in case you have bigger hands, we would recommend this model instead of going for Soprano.
What is a Tenor Ukulele?
Tenor is a different beast with 26 inches length. Size difference makes this model significantly louder and more close to the real acoustic guitar. But when compared to the Soprano, its sound is definitely a bit darker. It also comes with a significantly bigger scale which allows some advanced playing techniques, especially if you're an adult.
Luna Guitars HTT KOA High Tide (Source)
What is a Baritone Ukulele?
Baritone is the only Ukulele that comes with different tuning and it’s the largest standard Ukulele out there with 30 inches. Everything is larger at this model and the tuning is the same as found on the regular acoustic guitar so it might be the first choice for those who come with some prior acoustic guitar knowledge.
Which Type of Ukulele is Most Popular?
Bear in mind that the most ukulele music has been written for the Soprano, Concert, and Tenor Ukuleles and it’s a close call in which one of those three is more popular.
But, if you ask an average guy to imagine a Ukulele instrument, they will probably pick the Soprano Ukulele first.
Baritone Ukulele has a different tuning so it may require a little bit more effort to adapt Ukulele music for this model.
What Type of Ukulele Should I Get?
It all depends on what kind of timbre you want to achieve and how big your hands are. If you’re looking for a brighter sound and have small hands, Soprano Ukulele will be probably the best choice for you.
Ukulele Tips
Strumming is basic for any kind of Ukulele playing, so let’s focus on this aspect and tell you some tips on how you can perform better..
Ukulele Strumming Tips - How to Strum a Ukulele
It’s All About Patterns
Song rhythm is generated by performing patterns precisely.
All songs have a specific pattern of hitting the strings from the upper or down position so pay close attention to the sound and try to stick to the pattern as much as possible. Some will create you a reggae vibe, others will be more suitable for a country or pop music.
Pause is a Part of the Strumming
Think about strumming patterns you love and analyze them. You will understand eventually that there is a third strumming option besides going up and down and it might be the most important part of your rhythm - pause. Use it wisely.
Practice
Take your time and go slowly with every new strumming pattern you want to learn. Remember that if you can perform it perfectly at a slow speed it’s only a matter of time when you will get it at the tempo you want. But, if you can’t perform at slow speed, there is no way to sound good if you try it at the full tempo.
Comparison Overview
Ukulele instruments can easily be mixed up with other instruments so it will be the best if we compare them all together and settle it down once for all, even the obvious ones, such as comparison with the Banjo for example.
Ukulele vs. Guitar
Ukulele could be referred to as a small acoustic guitar. They both use nylon strings and may come with an electric pickup that can be used for amplifying your guitar or ukulele signal. However, it comes with the 4 string instead of 6 and unlike the acoustic guitar, the first string is usually the highest (thinnest) one.
Speaking about the sound, all Ukuleles have a much brighter sound when compared to the typical acoustic guitar, while the playing technique is the same in general and the tricks you have learned on any of those instruments could easily be transferred to another one.
Ukulele Chords vs. Guitar Chords
Ukulele chords have four strings tab compared to the typical guitar chords which use six strings. But, there is an easy way to convert guitar chords to the Ukulele as the string order is placed exactly the same like on a real guitar except for the difference of the fourth interval.
In general, this means that the chord fingering remains quite similar, except for the fact that a specific guitar chord is transferred to the ukulele with the transpose so, for example, chord E major on guitar is actually A major on Ukulele.
Mandolin vs. Ukulele
First important difference between Mandolin and Ukulele is found in the number of the strings - Mandolin has eight strings while Ukulele usually has four.
Next, Mandolin strings are made of steel while Ukulele has nylon strings. This results in much harder tension on Mandolin instruments and therefore, it might be harder for beginners to go on with Mandolin compared to the experience they had with Ukulele. If we add half of the string numbers, we can see why most people go towards Ukulele first.
Also, Mandolins are priced a little bit more than your regular Ukulele. But, also bear in mind that Mandolins have a much more intuitive tuning and they cover specific folk music.
Banjo vs. Ukulele
The thing they have in common is that the first string is the thinnest one. But, Banjo comes with the five strings and a circular body made out of plastic while most Ukuleles are made from some type of wood. Almost everything is different between those two - music genres, strumming, type of strings used, price range, and, of course, sound timbre.
Banjo has that “twang” sound while the Ukulele sound is more “plinky”. Also, needless to say, the banjo has a much more “respect” among people regarding its technical demands.
Cavaquinho vs. Ukulele
Cavaquinho could be considered a predecessor of the Ukulele instrument. It may resemble Baritone Ukulele, but compared in general they have different tuning systems. The Cavaquinho is tuned to DGBD, same as Baritone Ukulele, while the Ukulele’s standard tuning is GCEA.
Also, they use different materials for strings, so Cavaquinho uses steel strings, while you will usually find nylon strings on the Ukulele.
Pineapple Ukulele vs. Standard
A bit of trivia, Pineapple Ukuleles were made originally as a joke and sold to the tourists when they came to Hawaii. It also requires less tree to make a Pineapple Ukulele than a Standard one.
The pineapple Ukulele should have a louder volume in general compared to the Ukulele of the standard body because of the larger area that will resonate upon strumming. Also, due to its physique, the overall sound is warmer and more mellow.
Low G vs. High G Ukulele
Ukulele is a unique instrument because the first string can be set to be an octave lower than the usual. Such tuning is called low G while the standard tuning is referred to as high G. With Low G setup your lowest note won’t be C on the second string but note G on the first string.
What is the Difference Between Low G and High G Ukulele?
In general, the most important difference lies in the sound and note range. Speaking of factory setup, most Ukuleles will come with a High G setup. But if we take a look at professional players we can see they are using both setups.
Low G tuning has a deeper and fuller sound, almost “guitar-like”, while High G is a more typical ukulele sounding you would expect. Regarding string packages, Low G bundles are slightly more expensive than High G packs.
Also, Low G will allow you to play 5 more bass notes when compared to the High G setup which may come handy for certain music genres and that you will have a greater range within any hand position.
Those bass notes will come handy in various music genres and it is definitely more suitable for playing improvisations.
Conclusion
We hope that we covered the basics about Ukulele, provided you with enough models so you can pick one that suits you the most and that you have learned a bit more about this fun instrument. It’s not so hard to learn, it’s fun, versatile, and an ideal choice for anyone’s first instrument.
People Also Ask
You’re probably having a hard time getting all the chords and infos about Ukulele. That’s completely fine as every beginning requires tiresome work. Let us cover you some basics before you go out and help you buy the ideal first Ukulele for you based on the size and your experience level:
How to Play G Chord on Ukelele
The G chord is made from notes G, B, and D, so you will have to use three fingers to play it.
Skip the first string, press the second and fourth string on the 2nd fret and use your ring finger to hit the 3rd fret on the 3rd string.
How to Hold a Ukulele
Place it on your chest and your right forearm should come across the top edge. From this point, your strumming finger should almost reach the spot where the neck meets the rest of the body.
However, bear in mind that you can buy a lot of different straps that can help you out with holding a Ukulele.
What Key is a Ukulele in?
It depends on the Ukulele type.
Baritone will be tuned in the key of G major (DGBE tuning) while the rest will use most C major keys with strings using GCEA tuning.
However, some soprano Ukuleles might be tuned in the D major key using ADF#B tuning to get an even brighter sound.
What Size Ukulele Should I Get?
Ukulele music is usually written for either soprano, concert or tenor ukulele. Also, have in mind that the soprano is the smallest in size and the tenor is the largest.
This might come really handy to decide if you find frets on soprano too small for your fingers.
How Much Does a Ukulele Cost?
Ukulele can go even under $40 and these models will be alright for beginners and kids. However, if you want to have professional models you can even find Ukuleles around $1,700 price. But, for most people Ukuleles found in the range between $100 and $300 will probably cover all your needs.
What is the Best Ukulele For a Beginner?
We would recommend you to go and pick the soprano ukulele first as it will have the most usual sound you can get from the ukulele - bright and soft. Also, it’s the smallest and the lightest of all Ukuleles so it may be suitable for kids as well.
How to Read Ukulele Tabs
Every line in the tab represents a string but in the opposite, so the first string (usually G) is the last written in tabs. So, now it’s all about placing your fingers on the correct fret - if you see number 2, it means you should place a finger on the 2nd fret of the specified string.
