Trying to decide which instrument is right for you? For lots of folks, it comes down to guitar or ukulele. You can’t go wrong with either and in fact, there’s enough overlap that many people learn both.

But where should you start?

I’m Lesley Diane and I’ve taught both instruments for years. I’d like to point out three key differences to help you decide.

Which is easier to play?

Ukulele. This small, friendly instrument has only four strings. Guitar has six. Fewer strings means smaller chords. The shapes are easier to learn and play. Small chords means no big stretches, which is a lot friendlier to beginners. Another plus, those four strings are soft nylon, not hard steel like guitar. So less “ouch!” on your fingertips. If you start with ukulele, right away you’re looking at a friendlier instrument and quicker success.

Ukulele wins in the easy-to-play department.

What about sound?

Both instruments sound great, but in different ways. Guitar offers a wider tonal range than ukulele- low end, mid-range and highs, you get them all on guitar. Ukulele definitely lives at the high end.

Here’s a quick demonstration.

Hear how those two extra strings give you more variety in pitch- the lows and highs of music? But they bring added complexity that you might like to avoid as a beginner.

Guitar offers more tonal richness. But both sound good.

Which instrument is most affordable?

Ukulele, but not by much. There’s a wide price range for any instrument, and affordable options exist for guitar as well as ukulele. But good starter ukuleles cost a bit less than guitars. The $80-$150 range will get you a solid ukulele. A lightweight gig bag and tuner, too, probably. Kala is a well respected brand you should check out. I’ve linked to their Starter Ukulele collection here, tenor size. You could go with a concert size ukulele if you want something slightly smaller. Unless you’re below double digits in age, soprano size is just too small to hold onto comfortably.

If you’re passionate to learn guitar, though, there are solid affordable options out there. Check out the Dana Mini travel guitar from Orangewood Guitars. Those usually run about $165 and include a lightweight gig bag. I own one of these and have been very happy with it. It’s my main teaching guitar.

Affordable options are available for both ukulele and guitar. Ukuleles run slightly less, but not enough to make you choose one instrument over the other. Choose the instrument you want to learn!

Most importantly-

Which one will you pick up and play?

Probably ukulele. Why? Because ukulele gives you easy, early wins- that great feeling of “yes, I can do this!”. That’s important. To enjoy making music, you need to practice and play. The more you play, the better you get, the better you get, the more you enjoy playing. When you hear yourself sounding good right away, you keep going. Success brings forward momentum and ukulele gives that to you quicker than guitar does.

Still torn? Remember, you can start with ukulele and add guitar later. Skills you learn on ukulele will give you a serious head start on guitar, especially strumming and fingerstyle skills.

One last note- if you feel a definite pull toward guitar and you’re strongly motivated to learn that instrument, go for it! It’s more difficult than ukulele but there are ways to make it easier. I fell in love with guitar in 3rd grade, then had to wait til 7th grade for a guitar and lessons. But the desire to play never left me. If you feel like that, go with your passion! Strong desire will help you overcome early difficulties.

So that’s a quick breakdown of how to choose between ukulele and guitar. I hope it helps you toward the right choice for you!

Which way are you leaning?

If you’re leaning toward ukulele and would enjoy learning alongside other beginners, I’m offering a small online Ukulele Starter Class on Tuesday morning, June 2, 11:00am. It’s designed for brand new players only. You can read more about it here.

Have questions I didn’t cover in this post? Feel free to reach out:

Lesley Diane Guitar and Uke

Phone/Text: 864-412-9658

Email: lesley@lesleydianeguitar.com

Or use the chat button on my website!

Best wishes for your playing! 🎸🙂🎸 Lesley Diane