Frequently Asked Questions
Am I too old to learn Ukulele?
No there is no age limit. Many people take up ukulele in later life and thoroughly enjoy playing and making new friends along the way.
Is the Ukulele easy to play?
Most people find playing the ukulele easy once they have mastered the basics. It is much easier to learn than many other instruments, and with a small amount of practice you will soon be playing many songs.
Which Ukulele should I buy?
Don’t spend a fortune on your first ukulele, there’s no need, there are plenty of reasonable ukuleles out there that offer good value for money. On the other hand don’t buy the cheapest as they can be difficult to play, and you may eventually lose interest and give up. Once you have been playing for a while and you have spoken to other players you will have a much better idea of the instrument you want to move up to. You should also decide whether you want a purely acoustic instrument or electro acoustic. An electro acoustic ukulele gives you the option to plug into an amplifier at a later date should you wish to.
What do the small letters on my clip on tuner mean?
Clip on tuners often have the letters U, G, V, B, C showing on the display. These are presets that can be selected.
U – Ukulele. Will only tune the notes: G, C, E, A, (standard Ukulele tuning)
G – Guitar. Will only tune the notes: E, A, D, G, B, E (Guitar tuning)
V – Violin. Will only tune the notes: G, D, A, E (Violin tuning)
B – Bass. Will only tune the notes E, A, D, G (Bass tuning)
C – Chromatic. Will tune all notes in the music scale, i.e. C, C#/D/b, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A, A#/Bb, B.
How do I tune my Ukulele?
Take a look at our video on Tuning.
How do I hold the Ukulele?
Watch our video on this subject here.
Is the Ukulele easier to learn that the guitar?
The Ukulele is smaller, lighter and only has four strings which helps. If you have never played before but put some time into practicing, you could be playing songs within a day or two.
How often do I need to change the strings?
It is always wise to keep a spare set of strings. That way if you break a string you can replace it straight away. However they don’t usually break that often. Other than breakages you only need to change the strings when your ukulele no longer sounds as it used to, and this is something you will notice once you are familiar with how your instrument sounds.
Should I use a pick?
This is something you will need to decide for yourself, try out different types to see which you prefer. After trying several types you may decide you prefer to use your fingers after all. Picks can offer different sounds so it’s worth experimenting.
Can I use my guitar capo on my Ukulele?
Yes you can, and some people do, however they are bigger than ukulele capos and can get in the way.
