Anyone that has been paying attention to the ukulele musical instrument lately will know that the instrument is of different shapes, sizes, and designs, and finding out what ukulele will work for you can be a little bit challenging. It doesn’t matter whether you want an ukulele to play for the fun of it, for passion, or as a profession, but this post will be focusing on the tenor vs soprano ukulele. You also need to know about the types of ukulele generally.
Knowing what model and size that will work for you is very paramount especially if it is your first time, and this can be a little bit difficult to tell since there are so many ukulele sizes on the market. The concert, soprano, tenor, and baritone are the most common ukulele musical instruments you will come across on the market, but other manufacturers have taken it a step higher to make ukuleles of other shapes and sizes.
We are talking about other ukulele musical instruments like;
- Bass ukulele
- Banjo ukulele
- Pineapple ukulele
- Sopranissimo ukulele
An ukulele’s size has nothing to do when it comes to matching the physical size of the player, and you can find various ukulele sizes similar to that of a violin and guitar. Manufacturers design ukulele musical instruments in terms of tone and application, and you will find it very surprising when you realize that the tenor, soprano, concert, and baritone ukulele all have the same tuning.
What you shouldn’t forget is that having various names also means having different sizes, and the soprano ukulele produces plinky tones. The tenor ukulele on the other hand is designed to produce deeper, fuller, and louder tones, and the combination of a large body and long strings makes it possible for the tenor ukulele to produce desired sounds. Sharing pitches and octaves like the soprano ukulele is what tuning the tenor ukulele results into.
Sharing tonal character like that of the soprano and tenor ukulele is what the concert ukulele is designed to do.
Ukulele For Guitar Players
The baritone is considered the largest of all ukuleles, and it is by far the only ukulele that can be tuned differently. It is slightly considered as different from the rest as it features a top four string tuning similar to that of a standard guitar, and so many professionals will recommend the baritone ukulele for anyone who is looking forward to learning how to play the ukulele musical instrument.
Beginners will enjoy playing the baritone ukulele as it is very easy to learn with, and having a fewer amount of strings is how the baritone ukulele is designed. Now that you know the baritone ukulele has similar build and design to a standard guitar, we will compare other types of ukulele for more knowledge about them. The concert, tenor, and soprano ukulele are known to have 4-5 steps higher than the baritone ukulele.
Linear tuning is the method used when tuning soprano, concert, and tenor ukulele musical instruments, and this is because the strings are arranged in such a way that they produce low to high pitch sounds.
Tenor Vs Soprano Ukulele
Soprano Ukulele
This ukulele is known as the one with the standard base size of the traditional ukulele sizing, and inspiration for its design was obtained from materials the Portuguese carried along to hawaii. This is considered as the most popular ukulele on the market today, but it is known to be less expensive and portable. Spprano ukuleles are known to have two octave ranges and twelve frets.
Concert And Tenor Ukulele
The concert and tenor ukulele were designed with the intent of making them compete with several big band instruments back in the days, and this is around the same time banjo ukuleles were introduced into the market. Banjo ukuleles are known to be louder unlike the tenor and concert ukulele, but one thing they share in common is having the same tuning. They produce more volumes and fuller sounds, which is what they are designed to do.
The tenor ukulele is known to sound like a standard guitar when it is played, and they tend to have the same tuning as well. Producing tones somewhere in between is what the concert ukulele is known for, but stage performers will prefer the tenor ukulele over the concert ukulele because tenor ukuleles offers full dynamic ranges. Another reason why tenor ukulele is preferred for stage use is because of the space between frets and increased playable notes.
How To Choose The Right Ukulele Size For You
Learning how to play ukulele with just any size is okay, but the soprano ukulele remains the most popular and widely accepted choice. Soprano ukuleles are affordable and have a small size, and it can be stored easily because of its size. Having basic chord positions is another reason why the soprano ukulele is a good instrument to learn how to play with, but whatever ukulele you settle for depends on your choice and what you prefer.
Selecting an ukulele has no bad or wrong choice, but the following criteria should be considered before making up your mind on just any ukulele.
Appearance – Ukuleles that are appealing to the senses and eyes is what you should consider going for, and the reason for this is if it appears appealing to you then you will definitely want to play it.
Tones – Producing various volumes and tones is what ukuleles are known for, and if you want to find an ukulele that will work for you then you need to review samples. Aquila Nygut Strings on ukuleles remain the best strings because of the quality tones they produce, and ukuleles with these strings are perfect for intermediate and entry level ukulele players.
Price Tag – Ukuleles with large sizes are known to have a high price tag, and this is because expensive materials were probably used when designing the large sized ukuleles. You can make a good budget of what you want to spend on an ukulele, and you are definitely going to get something that fits into that budget.
Rounding It Up – Tenor Vs Soprano Ukulele
Based on its price tag and size, a lot of people will go for the soprano ukulele. The tenor ukulele remains a very good option for anyone looking for an ukulele with a large size and the ability to produce fuller sounds. You should also consider all of the criteria we have mentioned in this post if you want to make a good choice.
