There are several types of ukulele available and from my collection I’ve included a photo showing the three most common types. From left to right, there’s a soprano, a concert and a tenor ukulele. These types of ukulele have the standard gCEA tuning and I’ll explain the features of each model.
The soprano is often seen as the “classic” model and will give the most authentic ukulele sound. It’s small size means that it’s easy to carry, will fit snugly under your arm and can be the ideal choice for someone starting out. On the left of the photo is my Laka Joe Brown signature soprano ukulele which I use when I’m playing the more traditional ukulele songs such as those by George Formby and those of the “music hall era”. However due it’s small size the soprano isn’t as powerful as other models and the smaller fretboard can be challenging for some adults.
The concert is slightly larger than the soprano but it still keeps that authentic ukulele sound. Its bigger body gives it more volume and a deeper sound than the soprano. It also has a larger fretboard with more room between the frets so the concert can be easier to handle. This means it can be more suitable for those who have issues with the smaller soprano. My first ukulele was a concert model and it gave me a great deal of pleasure especially whilst I was learning some basic chords. However, a few months later I suffered my first attack of Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome (UAS). I fancied going electric so for my second ukulele I looked for a model which was also fitted with a pickup so that the instrument could be plugged into an amplifier. My aim was to have a go at playing some rock’n’roll. In the centre of the photo is my Fender 52 electro acoustic concert ukulele which can be played acoustically or plugged into an amp. It has the famous Fender stratocaster guitar shape and the iconic headstock. Rock on dude!
The tenor is the largest of these traditional ukuleles and with its wider body it gives a much fuller sound. Having a larger fretboard also means it’s easier to play and if a guitarist wishes to switch to a ukulele, a tenor would be most suitable. There is a great variety of tenor ukuleles – for example acoustic, electric, four-string and also eight-string models. The tenor usually has the standard gCEA tuning, however they can be fitted with a G-string tuned an octave lower than normal in order to take advantage of the tenor’s fuller sound. On the right of the photo is my Kala acoustic four-string tenor ukulele which I tend to use when I’m performing with a band as it gives a greater volume.
There are several other types of ukuleles available such as baritone, bass and hybrids such as banjoleles and guitaleles but these are tuned differently and perhaps are models to move onto at a later stage.