Ukulele at Prairie Ridge

Different sizes of ukulele

Ukuleles come in a variety of sizes:  soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.  Every ukulele should have four strings (and if it has more it's not a ukulele but something like a guitarlele).  The smallest size of ukulele is perfect for an elementary student so look for the word "soprano" when purchasing.  Later on if kids want they can size up to a concert or tenor since they all use the same chords.  We use soprano ukes at PRE and kids will be used to that size.  It will not be too small, even adults often start on a soprano.

Brands to Trust

There are a ton of ukes out there and I can only speak to the brands I know and have used in the past.  If you discover a uke brand not mentioned below send me an email and I can reach out to other music teachers to see if they know about it.  Great brands to trust are Kala, Makala, Luna, and Enya.  Kala and Makala are different divisions of the same company.  The ukuleles we use at PRE are Makala "Sharks" or "Dophins."

How much should I spend?

With ukuleles, higher price doesn't necessarily mean a better uke.  Also, wood doesn't always mean it's a better instrument.  In fact, there are some really great plastic and fiberglass instruments out there.  A good starting price is $39 to $70 and if you're buying anything over $100 you're spending too much.  Again, for beginners it's totally fine to start with a less-expensive ukulele and if kids stay interested you can "level up" with a more expensive ukulele in a few years.

Accessories

Lots of ukulele kits come with a package of extras and gadgets  and you really don't need hardly any of them.  You really only need a ukulele, some sort of carrying bag or case, and a tuner.  You shouldn't need anything else.  As always, if you are interested in getting anything else send me an email and I can try and advise.