Ukulele

lemongrenades

So, I want to learn to play the ukulele. I have a somewhat musical background vocally with just being in choir and show choir in high school, but I've never played an instrument and I'm not great at reading music. I'm looking for a good entry-level uke and some books or CD's or something to learn by. Anny recommendations as to where I should start?

naporeon

Awesome. Can I ask what your price range is?

And as far as books and CDs, I'd actually recommend YouTube. There are a TON of great instructional videos by and for enthusiasts of varying skill levels. They are pretty outstanding resources for learning things like strumming techniques.

As for learning specific songs, http://www.chordie.com/ has tons and tons of tabs, and has a function for transposing to various uke tunings.

Awk

I would recommend a Kala ukulele. They are a bit on the expensive side but they scream quality. They sound ridiculously good and are far from quiet. Any good dealer should have these in on display in their store.

http://www.kalaukulele.com/

lemongrenades

Naporeon, I would like to spend under $100, but I really don't know what an entry-level uke should cost. I would hope if I spent a hundred or more, there would be a bag or tuning device or something more included than just the lil' guy himself.

MyDcmbr

I have an Oscar Schmidt OU2. Picked it up on Amazon a few years ago on sale for <$50.

It's all about keeping your eyes open for good prices.

naporeon

I have an Oscar Schmidt OU5 Concert Koa Ukulele, and I would recommend it (or other Oscar Schmidt models) as good entry-level instruments.

If I had it to do over again, however, I would have spent a little more and gotten one of THESE.

ScreamingTurtles

I bought my first ukulele (a Lanakai N-KC) about 5 months ago . I chose lanakai because they seemed to have the best balance of quality, price, and appearence for my price range. So far I've been extremely pleased with it . The one I bought costs around 329$, but I ordered mine from ebay for about 280$. They have beginner models that are cheaper though.

If you want to go super cheap, you could get a Mahalo ukulele (20$) or a similar cheap ukulele, and then put Aquila strings on it to improve the sound quality. This would be a great way to start if you're unsure if it's something you'll be able to continue doing. And then, if you do decide you enjoy it and want a better quality uke, you could paint the old one and use it as decoration

Also, listen to some videos on the different sounds of different sized ukuleles. If I'm not mistaken, the main difference is the volume. But I think the biggest ukulele may be an octave lower than the others.

lemongrenades

Thanks, guys! Went with the Kala KA-S as it came in a package with case, turner and book for $90 on amazon with some flawless reviews.