Types of Ukuleles: Which Size Is Right for You?

Walk into a music shop and you'll find ukuleles in four different sizes, multiple different woods, electric versions, acoustic-electric versions, and about fifteen different brands all claiming to be the best. Most of the information you'll receive will be well-intentioned and at least partially wrong. Here's the version that's actually useful if you're starting from scratch.

The four main types of ukuleles are soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. They're different in size, sound, and who they suit. My position on which one to start with is clear, and I'll give you the reasoning behind it so you can make the decision for yourself rather than just taking my word for it.

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The Four Types of Ukuleles -- What They Are

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Soprano vs Concert vs Tenor -- The Honest Comparison

For most beginners, the meaningful choice is between soprano and concert. Tenor is a reasonable progression after you've been playing for a while. Baritone is a different instrument for a different purpose.

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Which Type of Ukulele Is Best for Beginners?

Soprano. This is my consistent recommendation after sending over 1,200 beginners their first instrument, and it's not a close call.

The argument against soprano -- that adult hands need more room -- sounds reasonable and is almost always wrong in practice. The vast majority of adult beginners find that any initial discomfort with the tighter fret spacing resolves within the first week as finger placement precision improves. I've had exactly three students across 1,200 who needed to switch from soprano to concert because of genuine hand size issues. Three.

More importantly, the tighter fret spacing on a soprano builds better technique habits than the wider spacing on a concert. Fingers have to be placed more precisely. Chord shapes are cleaner. Students who start on soprano and later try a concert find the transition effortless. The reverse is sometimes harder.

Soprano also produces the sound most beginners have in their heads when they decide to learn -- the bright, cheerful, distinctly Hawaiian timbre that is the ukulele sound. When a beginner picks up a soprano and plays their first chord, it sounds right. That immediate recognition is motivating in a way that's easy to underestimate.

And it costs less. For someone who hasn't yet confirmed that they love playing, a soprano is a lower-stakes first purchase than a concert or tenor. If you love it, you can upgrade in six months. The skills transfer completely. If life intervenes and the ukulele ends up in a cupboard, the financial cost was much lower.

The full reasoning -- including the one scenario where concert genuinely makes more sense -- is in my detailed guide to choosing a first ukulele.

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The One Situation Where the Answer Changes

If you have genuinely very large hands -- not just adult hands, but hands that are genuinely large -- and you try a soprano and find that after a week of practice your fingers are still consistently crowding each other and muffling adjacent strings, concert is a reasonable next step.

The key word there is "after a week." First-session discomfort is not evidence that the instrument doesn't fit. The precision required to place fingers cleanly on a soprano fretboard is a skill that develops quickly. Most people who think their hands are too big find, within a week, that better finger placement solves the problem entirely.

If after a genuine week of daily practice the crowding is still creating persistent problems -- not discomfort, but actual inability to form clean chords -- concert is available. But try soprano first. That's my consistent advice, and it's based on watching what actually happens rather than what seems logical in theory.

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What to Look for Within Each Type

Whatever size you choose, the quality criteria are the same. These are the things that actually matter at beginner level -- and the things that don't.

What matters: tuning stability

The most important quality in a first ukulele of any type is its ability to hold its tuning. This comes primarily from the quality of the tuning pegs. Geared tuning pegs are more stable than friction pegs on cheaper instruments. Budget: £50-80 for a soprano or concert, more for tenor. My complete buying guide for beginners goes through every criterion worth checking -- pegs, strings, neck, brands -- before you spend anything. For everything else you need in the kit, the complete starter kit guide covers it in detail.

What matters: string quality

Proper nylon ukulele strings, already fitted. Very cheap instruments sometimes come with plastic strings that never tune accurately and produce a thin, unpleasant tone. Check that the strings are nylon rather than plastic before buying.

What doesn't matter: wood type

At beginner level, the difference between laminate and solid wood tops is not meaningful enough to justify the cost difference. Solid mahogany or koa produces better resonance -- but you need to have been playing for a year or more before that difference becomes audible. Don't pay for premium materials before you've confirmed you love playing.

What doesn't matter: brand name

Several well-known brands produce good entry-level instruments. Several less well-known brands produce equally good ones for less. The brand name is not a reliable indicator of quality at beginner level. Focus on tuning stability and string quality, and let those be your criteria. For the full breakdown of which brands are worth shortlisting and which are overhyped, see my honest guide to ukulele brands.