Selecting a `Ukulele

From tuning by ear to using an electronic tuner. The lesson goes over the various tuning methods for tuning your ukulele. You ALWAYS need to play in tune.

The Banjolele (brand name; sometimes banjo ukulele or banjo uke) is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. 'Banjolele', sometimes also spelled 'banjelele' or 'banjulele' is a generic nickname given to the instrument, which was derived from the 'banjulele-banjo' introduced by Alvin D. Keech in 1917.

The Baritone ukulele is the largest of the standard, most common sized ukuleles. It is tuned just like the thin, higher four strings of a standard tuned guitar (D G B A). This makes it a great starting instrument for little tikes wanting to play guitar but can't handle the steel strings and larger body size of the most acoustic guitars.

Four sizes of ukuleles are common: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. There's also the less common sopranino and the bass ukulele at the extreme ends of the size spectrum.

The "Concert" ukulele is sized in between the smaller Soprano ukulele and the tenor ukulele. A concert ukulele typically has 14 to 17 frets. The tuning for the Concert is most commonly G C E A, or C Tuning. The same as the Soprano and Tenor ukulele.

Most acoustic ukuleles can be plugged in with the addition of a internal pickup or stick-on pickup. This page focuses on purely "Electric Ukuleles". These are typically solid body instruments with pickups. Either magnetic pickups in the same vein as solid body guitar electric pickups or a piezo under the saddle pickups.

The "Guitarele, guilele" is a tenor body sized ukulele with additional stow strings, five and size. Tuned A D G C E A. This is the same tuning as the top four strings of C tuning with a low G with an added A and D.. Also the same tuning as a standard tuned guitar an a capo at the fifth fret (A D G C E A).

Ukuleles can come all manner of shapes and sizes. From smaller than soprano ukuleles, triangle shaped, plastic, etc. They will most likely be a standard sized soprano, concert, tenor or baritone ukulele - just a crazy shape.

A Resonator ukulele or resophonic ukulele is a ukulele whose sound is produced by one or more spun aluminum cones (resonators) instead of the wooden soundboard (ukulele top/face). These instruments are sometimes referred to as Dobro ukuleles, however the term Dobro is currently trademarked by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.

The Soprano ukulele is the smallest ukulele. This is the size ukulele that most people associate as being a ukulele. It is the size that most people will remember Tiny Tim playing. A soprano ukulele typically has 12 to 14 frets.

Next size up from the Concert ukulele is the Tenor ukulele. A tenor ukulele typically has 17 to 19 frets. The most common tuning for a tenor ukulele is G C E A, or 'C' Tuning. The same as the Soprano and Concert ukulele.