This post will answer the question “Is Ukulele Easier Than Guitar”.
If you’re a beginner musician, you may be wondering which instrument to learn first. Find out why the ukulele is often considered easier than the guitar in this article.
Here are my opinions from years of training and playing. However, in the end, my opinions don’t really matter. What matters, is your preferences.
Reasons You Should Be Playing Ukulele
Looking for a fun and easy instrument to learn? The ukulele is perfect for beginners and offers a variety of benefits, from stress relief to improved coordination.
1. You can learn to play a song in less than 10 minutes.
Many people feel intimidated the first time they pick up an instrument. With the ukulele, the learning curve is not as steep.
Ukulele is among the easiest instruments to play. You can learn to play your first song in no time, with minimal effort.
A ukulele only has four strings. On these four, you can easily locate 3 – 4 chords. They are enough to form a melody, that you can use to accompany your singing.
2. You can sing most songs with the ukulele
Most popular music songs can be adapted to play on the ukulele.
What’s more, the more challenging chords that are difficult to play on other instruments are simpler on this instrument. There is also a massive amount of ukulele tutorials on the net – from which you can learn for free.
If you are looking for an instrument to work with your singing, then playing the ukulele is a good choice.
3. A ukulele is affordable
There are all kinds of quality and price ranges in the musical instrument world. With that said, even the best ukulele is still relatively more affordable than other instruments.
The piano requires a hefty amount, while a good guitar will cost you more than $400. In the meantime, a great ukulele runs you about $70 – $300.
And you can get a decent one from a reputable maker at $50!
The reason why the ukulele is not costly is the size. Ukuleles are small, they don’t require a lot of workload or materials.
4. You can take it anywhere
There’s no hassle with carrying a ukulele around. At 1/8 of the size of a guitar, it won’t take you much space, and you can carry it easily on your back with a strap.
The instrument is also lightweight, and it’s no bigger than a backpack. A road trip, traveling by air, roaming on the water, or just going downtown – a uke can go with you, wherever you go.
Nobody ever put it on the table, but knowing how to play an instrument does make you more popular.
For the extroverts, it adds to the fun and gets you to more gatherings. For introverts, it makes you look cool and acts as a layer of security blanket. Don’t know what to say? Just whip out some chords.
Ukulele is a fun instrument: it is very welcomed at a bonfire, on a beach trip, or virtually any casual event. While carrying a guitar can announce that you are trying too hard, a ukulele is guileless and straightforward.
6. Ukuleles bring fun to everyone
There are small and big ukuleles with slight differences in tones. However, all ukuleles have an upbeat, sweet sound that just brings the ambiance into the atmosphere.
People feel light-hearted and chill out listening to the strums of the four strings. It’s not only you who will feel rewarded.
7. You don’t have to do much to master the ukulele
If you start to learn the uke in the first days of the summer, then by the end of summer, you might just have learned all the chords for all the songs that you want to learn. It also takes less time and efforts to go professional on this one than on other instruments.
And playing the uke also makes a good foundation to switch onto the guitar or even keyboards if that’s your thing!
Reasons Ukulele is Easier Than Guitar
Looking for an easier instrument to learn than the guitar? Look no further than the ukulele! Discover the top reasons why the ukulele is a great choice for beginners.
Is the ukulele easier than the guitar? Yes. below are reasons the ukulele is easier than guitars.
1. Less Painful than Guitars
Learning to play a string instrument can be a daunting task, especially for beginners. The constant pressure of pressing thin strings against a hard fretboard can be painful and uncomfortable.
However, if you’re looking for a kinder option, the ukulele might be the perfect choice for you. Unlike most guitars, ukulele strings are made of synthetic plastic materials that are much gentler on the fingers.
Additionally, the ukulele has a thinner neck, which means less stretching for your hands.
Forming different chord shapes requires your fretting hand to stretch in two directions at once, but the ukulele’s shorter scale length, reduced string tension, and closer frets make the process much more manageable.
So, if you’re looking for a more comfortable way to learn a fretted stringed instrument, the ukulele might be the perfect choice for you.
2. Ukulele Chords Are Easier To Press
Chords are essential to playing any fretted instrument, as they form the foundation of songs.
The good news is that on your first day of playing the ukulele, you can learn the basic chords used in most songs.
Due to the ukulele’s fewer strings and unique tuning, forming chords requires pressing down on fewer strings compared to the guitar.
This also means that it takes less time to develop muscle memory and finger placement for chord shapes.
The chords C, G, Am, and F are commonly used in popular songs and are easy to play on the ukulele, with C and Am requiring only one finger.
The G chord uses three strings, but they are close together, making it easier than the guitar version.
The F chord requires fretting two strings, while on the guitar, it requires a full barre chord and fretting three strings.
Overall, the ukulele is a great instrument for beginners due to its ease of learning chords and playing popular songs.
3. Ukulele Chord Changes Are Easier Than Guitar
When it comes to playing chords on a musical instrument, the ukulele has a clear advantage over the guitar.
This is because the ukulele has a thinner neck, fewer frets, and frets that are closer together, making it easier to navigate the fretboard.
Additionally, the strings on a ukulele are softer and have less tension, making them easier to play. With just a little practice, beginners can quickly master the basic chords on a ukulele and easily switch between them.
In contrast, learning the same chord changes on a guitar can take longer due to its wider neck, longer neck with more frets, and tighter metal strings.
4. Ukulele Tuning Is Simpler than Guitar
Tuning a ukulele is much simpler than tuning a guitar. Ukuleles typically have four strings that you can tune with either a standard tuning such as GCEA or with an alternate tuning like ADF#B.
The process of tuning the ukulele involves tightening or loosening the strings until they produce certain notes when plucked.
It’s much easier to tune a ukulele than it is to tune a guitar, which has six strings and requires more precision in order to achieve the desired sound.
Furthermore, most guitars require frequent retuning due to tension changes caused by frequent use whereas a well-tuned ukulele will seldom need retuning often.
5. Simplify Everything and Learn Faster
The ukulele is smaller and has only four strings, making it easier to play chords, melodies, and scales.
On the other hand, guitars have six strings and more frets, which can be overwhelming for beginners. Playing chords on a guitar requires using multiple fingers and figuring out what to do with the unplayed strings.
This can lead to frustration and even quitting music altogether. Ukuleles, however, simplify everything and allow beginners to learn the basics and enjoy themselves faster.
This increases the likelihood of sticking with it and becoming a skilled musician.
6. Convenience and Portability
The ukulele may be small, but it packs a big punch when it comes to convenience and portability. In fact, the largest ukulele is still smaller than the smallest guitar!
This compact size makes it easy to hold, travel with, and store. Guitars, on the other hand, can be bulky and heavy, making them challenging to play for extended periods of time.
With a ukulele, you can play for hours without discomfort, and even take it with you on the go, whether it’s camping, flying, or just playing in the car (safely, of course!).
Plus, the more opportunities you have to practice, the more progress you can make. So grab your uke and start strumming!
7. Cost Is Also A Concern
When starting your musical journey, it’s natural to feel anxious about committing to an instrument.
The cost is also a concern, but it’s important to invest in a well-made instrument that produces desirable sounds and stays in tune.
A good starter ukulele can be purchased for $50 to $100, while a beginner guitar will cost at least $200 and a decent one will set you back at least $350.
The pressure to invest in expensive equipment can add unnecessary stress to the learning process.
Keep expectations low and stress levels in check by starting with a more affordable instrument.
8. Being Fun and Easygoing
Guitars have a reputation for being intimidating and difficult to learn, while ukuleles are known for being fun and easygoing.
The mellow and relaxing music produced by ukuleles is often associated with a carefree and lighthearted attitude.
Because they are not as commonly played as guitars, there are no preconceived notions or expectations when it comes to learning the ukulele.
Some people even mistake them for toys, but make no mistake, ukuleles are serious instruments.
The ease of learning an instrument should never be a barrier to entry, and the ukulele offers a welcoming and accessible option for beginners.
What is easier, the guitar or the ukulele?
Let me put this forward, as with any other instrument, you have to spend a lot of time and dedication to get proficiency points.
However, with a ukulele, you can make proper music on the first day of playing, or two.
Among the two, the ukulele requires a shorter time to make music. And you don’t have to put a lot of effort initially.
In comparison with a guitar, the ukulele is easier to play for beginners, because:
Its strings are made of nylon, as opposed to the steel ones of a guitar. They won’t hurt you as badly as guitar strings do, and you can form the chords with less pressure.
On the ukulele, there are four strings. That is two strings less than on the guitar. Which means you don’t have to do so much math.
The basic chords of the ukulele are so easy they are out of this world. You will only need to put one or two fingers into the spots.
If you want to go from “instrument-deaf” to “making recognizable music”, or you want to play some music tricks as soon as possible, then your solid choice is the ukulele.
Ukulele is of lower barrier
I’ve seen a lot of people try to teach themselves guitar. However, the problems arise so soon in the process that they dim the light of these aspiring people.
If you don’t have someone to guide your hands on, you are going to have trouble figuring out how to make the strings ring, and how to put your fingers in the right position. How much pressure should you give to each string? Where should your fingertips be?
That’s not all. Once you’ve mastered the first four chords, then the trickier ones, like the F and the Bm – which requires barring – will hurt your head (and your fingers) all over again.
With the ukulele, it’s another story. There’s virtually no barrier, and no matter how you play, you are bound to make some melodies from it.
There’s not much to do: you remember where one finger goes, you place it there, and you strum the chord. It wouldn’t take much effort to play the basic routines. In no time, you could use the ukulele to accompany your singing.
What about the guitar?
Seasoned users sometimes recommend that you pick the guitar first. That bears some truth because the guitar trains your fingers well. Another reason is that once you know how to play the guitar, the ukulele is an easy game.
However, keep in mind that while choosing a guitar first can save you time and effort down the road (if you want to play both instruments), it’s not easy – from a beginner’s perspective.
If you are a hard believer in “no pain – no gain”, then go for it. However, if making pleasant music in a shorter period of time is your goal, then choosing a ukulele would be smarter.
In short
All of us have a musical dream, but many of us are shy. If that’s your case, then ukulele can help. I hope these reasons are enough for you to pick up the wonderful uke and start your break out.
From this post, I hope that you got the answers to your question: “Is Ukulele Easier Than Guitar”. There’s no doubt that you will have a better chance of mastering the ukulele. Strum on, playa!
