# Ukulele players...a few questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506 "2008-08-10T17:14:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/1 "2008-08-10T17:14:51Z")
Wow…$25 to ship my guitar on a plane…each way. I’ve taken my guitar all over the world, and although I’ve never had a problem, I’ve heard horror stories and I’m afraid some day my luck will run out. Time to learn ukulele! I’m drawn to either tenor or baritone ukuleles, so if anyone can tell me about those as opposed to soprano, that would be great. Also, I heard a guy in Hawai’i last week play a six string ukulele that had an amazing sound. I don’t know how difficult a six string version is compared to four string. Anyone have one of these? As always, any other information you want to share is appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/2 "2008-08-10T18:25:36Z")
My mom plays and collects ukes - she loves tenors. No real issues vs. Standard other than the lower tone. She has a couple of 6 strings, but they have 2 2-string courses in the middle with single-strings on the outside. For what she plays - only chords - she finds it easy enough. On Youtube find While My Guitar Gently Weeps by Jake Shimobukuru (certainly misspelled - but I am on BBerry so search is a pain) to see uke virtuosity. If you play git and want to travel, though, why not a travel guitar? Baby Taylors, Martin Backpackers, Tacoma Papooses - all good. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/3 "2008-08-10T18:28:56Z")
How do you tune a ukulele? How are the chords made vs. a guitar? ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/4 "2008-08-10T18:44:12Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] She has a couple of 6 strings, but they have 2 2-string courses in the middle with single-strings on the outside. For what she plays - only chords - she finds it easy enough. [/QUOTE] Yeah…that’s exactly what this guy had. > [@](#): > > On Youtube find While My Guitar Gently Weeps by Jake Shimobukuru (certainly misspelled - but I am on BBerry so search is a pain) to see uke virtuosity. Yeah, someone showed that to me a while ago. I have as much chance of playing like that on Uke as I do on guitar 🙂 It’s an awesome vid for anyone to check out. > [@](#): > > If you play git and want to travel, though, why not a travel guitar? Baby Taylors, Martin Backpackers, Tacoma Papooses - all good. I have four guitars as it is, and I want to learn something different. Banjo and violin are too hard for what I want right now. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/5 "2008-08-10T18:49:42Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] How do you tune a ukulele? How are the chords made vs. a guitar? [/QUOTE] I’ve a friend who has a ukulele and I’ve messed around on it off and on. Here’s a chord chart that was one of the first Google results I got: [http://www.nfo.net/usa/uke2.html](http://www.nfo.net/usa/uke2.html) Standard tuning is GCEA (my dog has fleas). Some chords are so easy you can learn them instantly. Others take more practice. My problem is I suck at strumming with my fingers…I always use a pick with guitar. I’ll need to learn how to do that. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/6 "2008-08-10T19:02:25Z")
Why fingers? My mom uses a _felt_ flatpick - I have gathered from her that this is very common and those picks are readily available… ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/7 "2008-08-10T19:59:14Z")
I hope Runs With Scissors doesn’t mind my piggybacking on this thread, but I have some ukulele questions of my own. 1. How easy is it to become a self-taught ukulele player? I don’t mean a virtuoso, but maybe good enough for party tricks and company talent shows. If I tried to teach myself guitar several years ago and gave up in frustration after a few months, what are the odds that I’d fare any better with a uke? I’ve seen several claims that they’re easy to play, but does that mean easy for trained musicians or easy for the rest of us? 2. I have very little discretionary income right now, and yet somehow I have a burning desire to possess a ukulele. Can I get one for double digits that isn’t a piece of junk? I think a cheap “starter” model should be adequate for whatever I’m going to do with it, but I don’t want something that’s only useful as kitschy tiki lounge decor. And as one of the uninitiated, how am I supposed to tell the difference before it’s too late? 3. My very brief research indicates that soprano ukuleles are the most common variety, so would that be the logical one to shop for? Somehow I think I might feel more manly with a tenor or baritone, but that’s probably kind of silly. (I’ve been told that my singing range, if it can be called that, is baritone, if that makes any difference at all.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/8 "2008-08-10T20:12:42Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] I tried to teach myself guitar several years ago and gave up in frustration after a few months… [/QUOTE] There are a few beginning guitarists here. I can strum, but I’m trying to learn more; so I started a [Guitar 101](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=477000) thread. Maybe you’d like to try again? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/9 "2008-08-10T20:47:15Z")
**TWDuke** ukes have nylon strings - if you tried a steel string git you’d find a uke MUCH easier. Also 4 strings are easier to sort out for chords (although you could also try a 4 string Tenor guitar as well). Baritone vs. Tenor vs. Soprano for an instrument has no relation to singing over the instrument - a person with a very deep voice can sing along with a soprano uke, for instance. The designation refers to the range of the instrument… ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/10 "2008-08-11T05:04:15Z")
I play an old Martin Concert uke that belonged to my dad in the 1950s. It fits my large fingers just fine. I tune it A-D-F#-B - still is _My Dog Has fleas_ - but there is a good reason to tune it that way. Chords on a uke vs. guitar? Picture a guitar without the lower 2 strings. Then play the chord – and with the tuning above, add a fifth higher. So if you are playing a chord with one finger in the third fret of the highest string, on a guitar that would be a G chord - but on a uke it’s a D. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/11 "2008-08-11T07:11:32Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] How do you tune a ukulele? How are the chords made vs. a guitar? [/QUOTE] Essentially the same\* as the top four strings of a guitar except the bottom string (that would normally be tuned to D on a guitar) is tuned an octave high. Therefore normal guitar chord fingerings stripped of the bottom two string will work on a ukelele. \*By “the same”, I mean the same intervals. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ukulele-players-a-few-questions/459506/12 "2008-08-12T04:55:13Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] I started a [Guitar 101](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=477000) thread. Maybe you’d like to try again? 🙂 [/QUOTE] Oh, no, I’m not enduring that agony again. But I’m sure you’ll have fun! > [@WordMan](#): > > ukes have nylon strings - if you tried a steel string git you’d find a uke MUCH easier. Also 4 strings are easier to sort out for chords I like the sound of that.