Buying Ukulele For Kids: A Complete Guide
When considering purchasing your kid a musical instrument, why not opt for a ukulele! They are great as they are not as large, and are much easier for children to handle and learn how to play. They are an ideal place to begin for children that might one day want to play the guitar, or even just those who have always wanted to pick up and learn the ukulele!
Ukuleles are relatively cheap compared to other stringed instruments such as guitars and bass’s. When considering one for your child, you should consider the material it might be made from, and the age of your child and how likely it is to be treated well. You should look for a durable instrument that is easy for them to play and not break – this may sound like a challenge but after taking a look at this guide, hopefully you might think otherwise!
The ukulele comes in four different sizes – soprano, concert, tenor, and bariton. The soprano is the smallest ukulele, and the baritone the larges.
When purchasing a ukulele for a child, the size of the instrument is an important deciding factor:
Soprano: The soprano ukulele is the original ukulele size and measures 51cm in length. The soprano would be the perfect for choice for young children, such as toddlers, or those in their early stages of school. Discover a full ukulele for kids buying guide through this site.
Concert: The concert ukulele is one up in size from the soprano, measuring 58 cm in length. The general size of the instrument is larger and the neck (the part that the frets are on) is longer, and the frets are spaced further apart. With more fret sacing, this may not be the ideal choice for the youngest children with small hands, but could be a good choice for those children that are upwards of say seven or eight years of age.
Tenor: The tenor ukulele is the second largest ukulele measuring in at 66 cm in length. This ukulele size is closer to sounding like a guitar compared to the traditional ukulele, and is not as popular as other ukulele size since a lot of players choose the instrument for its compactness. However, if you do opt for this size for your child, it may be better that they are slightly older, such as fourteen or fifteen years of age.
Cost
When considering how much to spend on a ukulele for kids, this can be a difficult choice. Something to consider is that your child may not enjoy playing the instrument as much as you originally thought – if you spent a lot of money on it, this would not be ideal. The lower end of your budget should lie between $30 and $40, which will still buy a perfect useable instrument. The higher end of your budget, if around $90 or $100, will buy a very good example.
An example of great ukulele for kids is the Kala MK-SWB. It is made of plastic, and is therefore resistant to moisture, is easy to clean, and is more difficult to break than a traditional wooden option. If you are buying for a young child, this is a great example of what to look for!
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