Comments on: 10 Reason It’s Easier to Learn the Guitar than the Ukulele

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:13:01 +0000

I learned the uke instead of the guitar because I thought it would be easier. Ukes, by virtue of being so small, are generally easier to hold. Guitars that are just the right size for your body are good, but they can be hard to find.
Overall, this article is really good to have out there. I thought I was alone in thinking these things. I think that the size and string quantity of ukes is ultimately conducive to them actually getting picked up once they’ve been bought, but that doesn’t make them easier to play.
People have talked a lot about how ukes used to be more popular than guitars and “whatever happened?” I think that what happened is, when ukes were more popular, it wasn’t because they were easy- it was because their sound fit with the popular music of the day.
These days, guitars fit more with what’s popular, so they’re inevitably going to be more popular.

By: Alf

Alf — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:43:45 +0000

I agree with you on this. The E chord is very hard on the Ukulele, but on the guitar I find its quite simple to play.

By: Jess

Jess — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:07:08 +0000

the amount of instruments (of any kind) avaliable reflects more on the store than the instrument. Just because I cant pick up a piano or accordion and a regular music store doesn’t mean they’re awful, it means theyre a more niche group of instruments that only the more dedicated would track down.
The music store I went to had an entire wall of ukuleles ranging from the begginners to the most advanced electric ones.

I own two guitars and one ukulele, I admit the guitar is better for my large fingers and theres a wider range of sounds on the guitars in one tuning (far more frets, chords and string length to mess around with.

But everyone and their dog would be carrying around giant guitar cases, public transport next to anyone with a guitar, even the most mindful person, would be awkwardly trying to balance their instrument.
Guitars were so mainstream (lol) and so many people would be playing TNT by ACDC.

Ukuleles are handy by been small and sweet. There are deffinately difficult things to play on the Ukulele. Easy to learn and hard to master.

I’m a novice at both instruments (only a few years of guitar but a few days on Ukulele already sounds nicer).

I guess for me the Ukulele is something different that can cheer anyone up.

Also sitting down playing guitar is rather difficult for the more…ahem…well endowed woman, having one boob squished and the other sitting ontop like a lazy cat is rather unappealing.
Hawaiian girls with grass skirts and coconut bras are sexy though.

By: jeh

jeh — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:30:15 +0000

i am learning to play the guitar(recently), and it is quite difficult because I teach myself and I also use videos, now I am thinking about buying a uke coz i think it is easier to play since it has only four chords plus my thumb hurts coz i don’t know how to place it at the back of the neck, even though I believe i can also learn guitar through practice…once have the money i will buy a uke.sometimes it’s more expensive than a guitar.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:58:46 +0000

I’ve been playing ukulele for about a year, just teaching myself things and trying to learn new songs.

I don’t find the E chord hard at all. It can be a change to switch to in some situations but it’s not on my list of problem-chords.

By: Salty

Salty — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:16:34 +0000

1: I haven’t tuned many guitars but I find it pretty much the same.

2: I agree, good teachers are easier to find for guitar.

3: Yes, guitars have that “room shaky” ability which is impressive.

4: I have no trouble holding my uke standing up, I find it much easier to hold a ukulele than a guitar.

5: Oh dear god I hate friction tuners more than anything.

6: Absolutely true.

7: Well true, it is debatable. There are two “Long & McQuade’s” Here in Winnipeg, both have great selection of ukes. I think combined they have 20 on display.

8: So true, strumming patterns make things sound so much better.

9: I don’t think it really makes a difference. Chords are chords, tabs are tabs. It doesn’t really matter what order the strings are in.

10: I think E is quite simple, bar the second fret with your index finger and bar G C E with your ring finger.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:43:35 +0000

I totally agree with the generosity of guitars. It’s easier to get a good sounding chord progression on a guitar because of that big sound you’re talking about :).

By: end33thousand

end33thousand — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:18:34 +0000

I play guitar, uke and piano (I’m still a beginner on all of them). My hands are a tad too small to play some of the trickier chords on the piano and guitar and my fingers aren’t always long enough to do barre chords on the guitar. My uke (i don’t know what one it is but it was cheap and makes a fairly decent sound) is so easy to play in comparison. I’ve only had it for 4 months and am already at the same level as I am on guitar and piano (I’ve been playing them longer).
You don’t need a teacher to teach you an instrument, I learn everything online and this site is the one I use for uke stuff (because it’s amazing).
I got my uke from a shop that sells loads of them, and it’s not even a uke specialist shop. I live in a teeny tiny town with only 3 music shops, and ALL of them sell more than 1 type of uke.
Uke is loads easier than guitar, even my dad could tell you that and he doesn’t even play uke. He just steals mine and plays stuff on it.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:32:35 +0000

Woodshed: I live in the midwest and there’s a local music shop that sells ukuleles. I went there just this afternoon and saw about ten different ukuleles.

By: Woodshed

Woodshed — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 07:49:10 +0000

blair: The important part of that sentence: “i live in hawaii”.