Best Ukulele For Kids? – A Guide to Finding the Right One
You’ve read my top instrument choices for kids and decided ukulele is the best instrument for your child. AWESOME! Then you go to purchase one only to be completely overwhelmed by the choices. Sound about right? Well, I’m here to help! Which ukulele should you buy? Here are some things to consider, plus a list of some of my favorites!
Best Ukulele for Kids
First you need to decide which size ukulele is right for you. There are four different sizes, soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Soprano is the smallest and it’s also the one people typically think of when they think ukulele. So which one should you get?
Soprano Ukulele
The soprano is the most traditional size at 20 inches (51 cm). It’s also the most common one and it makes that classic ukulele sound. Soprano is great for the very young, toddlers, or elementary age children.
Concert Ukulele
One step bigger is the concert ukulele at 23 inches (58 cm). The body is bigger and the neck is longer with more room between the frets, thus making it a little bit easier to handle if you have larger hands. It has — like the soprano — that typical and classic ukulele sound and is a bit louder. It’s great for someone who wants something just a bit bigger.
Tenor Ukulele
The tenor sized ukulele is 26 inches (66 cm) and is my personal favorite, I find it’s the perfect fit for my hands. I also love the sound. It strays a little bit from the ukulele sound and is a bit more deep like a classical guitar. I mean, it still sounds like a ukulele, just a bit deeper than the soprano and concert ukuleles. Most professional and well-known ukulele players choose the tenor sized ukuleles. It would be great for older children, middle, or high school age
Baritone Ukulele
The largest of the bunch comes in at 30 inches (76 cm) and is called the baritone. This one obviously has the deepest tone and sounds even more like a classical nylon stringed guitar. This is the least popular ukulele, since many players choose the ukulele for its size, portability and ukulele sound (and the baritone has a kind of guitar sound). The tuning also differs from the other sizes, it has a more guitar-like tuning.
Please keep in mind the baritone ukulele is tuned differently, so if you are purchasing my Ukulele Course for Kids, I don’t recommend this one as I only teach tuning for the other three.
How Much Should You Spend On a Ukulele For Kids?
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Price is always a concern when you don’t want to be spending hundreds of dollars on something that your child may decide isn’t for them in 6 months. This is one of the many reasons I LOVE the ukulele for kids, it’s surprisingly inexpensive. You can pick one up for $30-40, or spend little more and get a nice one for $90-100.
My Favorite Ukuleles for Kids
Kala KA-15S Soprano Ukulele
I love the sound of this little uke. This is my go to soprano, and the one my 4-year-old plays almost all the time. He likes it because it matches Mom’s bigger one. It’s more expensive at $53.99 right now on Amazon, I would get this for an older child or a child who can really take care of an instrument.
Mahalo Rainbow Series Soprano Ukulele
This one is great for a few reasons, as the name implies it comes in a variety of colors, and it’s less expensive than the Kala KA-15s. Right now it’s $29.95 on Amazon. One small thing to note about this one is that I do find it comes out of tune more frequently than any of my other ukuleles.
Kala MK-SWB Makala Waterman Ukulele
The first time I saw these Waterman ukulele’s in our local music shop, I was like, EH…it’s a plastic ukulele. BUT, it’s a water resistant, durable, easy to clean, high-grade polycarbonate, and nickel-plated open gear tuner ukulele! What’s that all mean? Well, it’s not just a toy ukulele like I quickly thought and dismissed. It sounds really good AND it’s plastic. Which means it’s more durable and can hold up to, well, kids. They market this to beach goers for obvious reasons but it’s really cool for little ones too! It’s $39.99 right now on Amazon and comes in a variety of colors.
Luna Mahogany Series Tattoo Concert Ukulele
This concert uke sounds great and looks beautiful! Right now it’s $79.00 on amazon.
Kala KA-T Tenor Ukulele
As I mentioned above, this is my favorite size of ukulele and the Kala KA-T is my favorite ukulele. This is the one I always play. Right now it’s $129.99 on Amazon and the bundle includes a gig bag, clip-on tuner, and a polishing cloth.
