I have written elsewhere about the relationship between ukuleles and guitars. When you’re wanting to take up one of these instruments it’s good to know a bit about them – the pros and cons of one vs the other.
Different strokes for different folks
The major differences are these:
1. Ukuleles are smaller than guitars.
2. Ukuleles have only 4 strings (usually) vs 6 for most standard acoustic and electric guitars.
3. Ukuleles almost always have nylon strings vs metal for most guitars. Classical guitars also have nylon strings, but they are generally used for playing a different style of guitar music.
4. Ukuleles are tuned differently from the standard guitar tuning. More about this below…
The Bottom Line
All of the above differences (except perhaps the different tuning) make it easier to play a ukulele than a guitar. It is quite possible, and not unusual at all, for someone who knows nothing about the ukulele to start strumming along with songs after a few minutes of being shown a couple of fairly simple chords and a basic strum technique.
This is not quite the same for the guitar. The technique for a brand new guitar student needs to be a little different. I usually recommend to my brand new guitar students that they begin by playing on just 4 strings. This makes it quite a bit easier to get going. So typically a newbie can be strumming along with simple songs after one lesson and a bit of practice.
One big difference is that the guitar typically has tougher, tighter and at least a couple of thinner, sharper strings. This means that new guitar players will find that their finger tips hurt a fair bit after playing for more than about 10 minutes.
It generally takes a fair bit of practicing before a new player’s finger tips toughen up and callouses form.
As also mentioned, the guitar is usually a larger instrument. This makes it harder to hold in place.
Advantages of the Guitar
One of our ukulele students recently asked me which of the two I prefer – guitar or ukulele. I hesitated to say it, but I told her I tend to prefer playing the guitar.
When she asked me why, my simplest answer was because the guitar is more “versatile”.
Now it’s easy to misconstrue this. Both instruments are versatile in the sense that you can play either along with almost any song. You can take them with you when you go camping or on a trip, etc.
But because the guitar has six strings you can play a wider range of styles. For example you can isolate bass notes for a “richer”, fuller, more interesting sound. The guitar essentially has three strings that can be used to add bass effects, play “power chords”, allow a more interesting range of finger picking opportunities.
In comparison the ukulele actually doesn’t have any bass strings. The fourth string – the one that on the guitar is a bass string – is actually tuned an octave higher than its equivalent on the guitar. The uke is tuned this way, I suppose, because that gives the instrument it’s unique informal, easy-to-play feeling. If you’re familiar with the “my-dog-has-fleas” riff (which describes the tonal gaps between the uke strings) it is the “my” string I’m talking about.
What this string arrangement on the ukulele means is that it is not nearly as good for playing melodies or up the neck solos as the guitar. Obviously it can be done, but it’s just sort of unusual to do it.
Playing in a Band
So if you have aspirations to some day play in a band the guitar should probably be your choice. There are certainly ukulele groups. But they are not what we would usually call a “band” (where you’re playing along with other types of instruments – horns, violins, bass guitar, drums, etc.)
Ukulele groups tend to be “playalong” groups where a number of players get together and strum along with well-known songs. Think campers around the campfire, community playalong groups, classes of kids at school, or weekly gatherings of seniors at the retirement centre. The ukulele is ideal for these situations for the reasons mentioned above: easier to get started playing, and less taxing physically.
Ukulele/Guitar Crossover
A while back I decided to try a baritone ukulele. There are several different versions as far as I can tell, but the one I ended up with – a Kmise MI2564 – is a kind of ukulele/guitar hybrid. It has four strings like a ukulele, but they are tuned like a guitar.
And from my experience with it, that makes this little instrument a good place to start learning guitar. Yes, that’s right. This 30″ baritone ukulele is tuned like the top 4 strings of a guitar. So you can learn lots of beginner chords that are immediately usable on your guitar. I got mine from Amazon for just about $100 – much cheaper than most beginner guitars.
The one downside is that you won’t be able to pick up a normal ukulele and just play. The chords are played differently because the strings are tuned differently. But many of the chord shapes are the same – they are just different chords. You may find this confusing, but that will be fixed with a bit of practice. I actually discuss the relationship between guitar and uke chords in an article here.
It is a Kmise and has a few features worth noting: titanium strings, two “wound” strings for a bassier sound, good quality tuners, and already installed strap pegs. Strap pegs are something not all ukuleles have right out of the box, so you are more or less forced to play sitting down with your uke constantly sliding down in your lap.
By the way, I saw it pointed out in “Ukulele for Dummies” that when you move “down” from guitar to baritone ukulele you may be disappointed: it lacks that special “uke sound”. That may be true, but what I am suggesting is for people interested in the possibility of moving UP. In other words, the baritone uke serves as a small, light, easy-to-play, and cheap intro to the world of guitars. It is, in effect, a small 4 string guitar.
Either way, have fun with your ukulele, guitar, or baritone ukulele.
For more ukulele and guitar talk, including tips, tabs, and playalong songs check out here