Which Size Of Ukulele?
Which Size Ukulele is Best for Me?
Read our step by step guide and find out all you need to know about ukulele sizes. Try a few out before you buy and decide which one is right for you!
There are four main types of ukuleles:
Soprano - 21inches (about 53cm)
Concert – 23 inches (about 58cm)
Tenor – 26 inches (about 66cm)
Baritone – 30 inches (about 76cm)
Soprano
Strictly speaking, the Sopranino is the smallest easily available ukulele, but Sopranos are by far the most popular of the smaller ukuleles. They are very portable and make the ideal starter ukulele, especially for children. The Soprano ukulele has a soft, but bright tone making it not only a good beginner ukulele, but also the first choice for many professional musicians. Standard tuning is the same as the larger Concert and Tenor ukuleles.
Concert
The Concert ukulele is the next size up from a Soprano, with its slightly larger body providing more volume and depth of sound. Some people prefer the extra frets that come with a Concert sized ukulele, giving more versatility to musicians who want to play higher up the fretboard. The slightly wider spacing of the frets also helps those with larger fingers. Having standard tuning, a Concert sized ukulele still retains some of the classic Soprano ukulele sound, but its deeper body projects a richer tone.
Tenor
The largest of the three most popular ukuleles is the Tenor, known for its louder, more resonant sound. With standard tuning and larger fretboard, the Tenor is particularly appealing to both amateur and professional players who are looking for a versatile sound and more space on the fingerboard. Great for finger picking and one to try out for size if you haven’t already done so.
Baritone
Baritones are the largest instrument in the ukulele family with wider frets and are renowned for having a warm, deep, mellow sound. Whilst the Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukuleles use GCEA tuning, the strings of a Baritone are tuned the same as the top four strings on a guitar – DGBE. If you’re looking for a fuller sound with plenty of bass, then this maybe the uke for you - don’t be put off by the different tuning.
What is Scale Length?
The scale length of the ukulele is the distance of the vibrating string from the nut to the saddle.
The length of the scale is an important factor when choosing a ukulele because not only does it affect the size of the fret spaces, but it also affects the whole tone of the instrument. Basically, the longer the scale, the more tension in the strings.
A longer scale gives the strings more room to vibrate and is good for rich harmonics and brighter overtones.
Whereas strings on a shorter scale instrument give more closely packed harmonics, producing a warmer, thicker tone.
The scale and lengths in this article are just averages. Different luthiers use different dimensions for each of their ukulele sizes. For example, depending on the size of the scale, some tenors can be bigger than some baritones!
Check out this helpful video from ‘Uke Like the Pros’
Best Ukulele for a Beginner?
The size of ukulele really is a personal choice, but most beginners tend to start with a soprano because you can get a good one for a reasonable price.
Basically, larger ukuleles have a fuller sound and wider frets. Try out some different sizes for yourself and decide which you like best.
Happy Strumming 🙂
Find more expert tips and practice techniques with our useful guides.