The Good, the Bad and the Ukulele

[cojak]

Get two, and learn with her.

+1.

[Cliphead]

Buy the best quality instrument you can afford. A cheap model will never tune properly and likely have a high action which will make it difficult to play (the height of the strings from the fretboard).

There will be sore fingers at the beginning until the skin thickens at the fingertips so a good instrument well set up with a low action will mean less discouragement cos of the pain. I teach various stringed instruments and I get my students to play 20 minutes per day for the first couple of weeks helps - no missing a day that's important.

[TestMangler]

Buy the best quality instrument you can afford. A cheap model will never tune properly and likely have a high action which will make it difficult to play (the height of the strings from the fretboard).

There will be sore fingers at the beginning until the skin thickens at the fingertips so a good instrument well set up with a low action will mean less discouragement cos of the pain. I teach various stringed instruments and I get my students to play 20 minutes per day for the first couple of weeks helps - no missing a day that's important.

Sound advice. Clipster, bear in mind he's from Yorkshire though, so he'll be looking through his collection of ha'pennys right now to see if he can afford the two shilling one.

Barrydidit, let the contractor overtake the yorkshireman in you and splash out. Buy the kid a decent guitar (not a uke) and when you're choosing the electronic clip on tuner, get a Snark.

[barrydidit]

Sound advice. Clipster, bear in mind he's from Yorkshire though, so he'll be looking through his collection of ha'pennys right now to see if he can afford the two shilling one.

Barrydidit, let the contractor overtake the yorkshireman in you and splash out. Buy the kid a decent guitar (not a uke) and when you're choosing the electronic clip on tuner, get a Snark.

Yeah well, i've noted your uke-phobic tendancies during my research so your interjection wasn't exactly unexpected. What was unexpected was the helpful tuner advice, i shall investigate.

As for a guitar, she's at an awkward size - to big to be sent up chimneys and too small to be sent down t'pit. A uke will do her grand for the time being, thanks very much.

[Bunk]

Yeah well, i've noted your uke-phobic tendancies during my research so your interjection wasn't exactly unexpected. What was unexpected was the helpful tuner advice, i shall investigate.

As for a guitar, she's at an awkward size - to big to be sent up chimneys and too small to be sent down t'pit. A uke will do her grand for the time being, thanks very much.

Nothing wrong with a ukelele especially as she's so young. A dreadnaught size (the most common size of acoustic) guitar would be huge for her, unplayable in fact. She can always try guitar in a couple of years if she's enjoying the uke.

I'd second Cliphead's advice. It's a false economy to get the cheapest instrument to see if someone likes it, because it will be so hard to play that they definitely won't enjoy it. I've played guitar for about 15 years now and I still pick up someone's el cheapo guitar once in a while and think "Christ, this thing is murder to play", so imagine what it's like if you're just starting out and have no calluses on your fingers.

[Cliphead]

...get a Snark.

What I use but keep some of these batteries in the case, I just ordered these for my Snark. Yep, twenty for 3 quid free postage

[TestMangler]

Nothing wrong with a ukelele especially to start a bonfire. A dreadnaught size (the most common size of acoustic) guitar would be huge for her, unplayable in fact. She can always try guitar in a couple of years if she's enjoying the uke.

I'd second Cliphead's advice. It's a false economy to get the cheapest instrument to see if someone likes it, because it will be so hard to play that they definitely won't enjoy it. I've played guitar for about 15 years now and I still pick up someone's el cheapo guitar once in a while and think "Christ, this thing is murder to play", so imagine what it's like if you're just starting out and have no calluses on your fingers.

FTFY !!

[KentPhilip]

Doesn't the ukulele have an old fashioned image?

I always associated it with the 1930's comedian George Formby, who was a favourite of my grandfather's

On the other hand maybe it's me wot's old fashioned

[cojak]

[stek]

Nothing wrong with a ukelele especially as she's so young. A dreadnaught size (the most common size of acoustic) guitar would be huge for her, unplayable in fact. She can always try guitar in a couple of years if she's enjoying the uke.

I'd second Cliphead's advice. It's a false economy to get the cheapest instrument to see if someone likes it, because it will be so hard to play that they definitely won't enjoy it. I've played guitar for about 15 years now and I still pick up someone's el cheapo guitar once in a while and think "Christ, this thing is murder to play", so imagine what it's like if you're just starting out and have no calluses on your fingers.

I'll second that, I just bought an Epiphone 12-string acoustic, cracking guitar, action on the 12th fret is incredibly low, only one weird fault with it, octave G goes out slightly all the time - restring in order but they're all new anyway. Probably just need a good stretch....