Want to Learn Guitar? Here's Why You Should Start with a Baritone Ukulele

If you want to learn guitar, it will make your life so much better if you start with a baritone ukulele.

“But why?” you may ask. “I want to learn guitar!”

I understand. I really do. I’m sure it may take a little while to convince you. Here are some of the many, many reasons why baritone ukulele is the best way to learn guitar.

1. The four strings of the baritone ukulele are tuned the same as the top four strings of a guitar. You are not missing much by not having those two bottom strings. Any chords/finger picking you learn on the bari uke will translate directly to an actual guitar. It doesn’t sound much different from an actual guitar.

2. The bari uke is smaller than a guitar. Okay, this is rather obvious. Why does that make it better? Well, for smaller people in general, a smaller instrument will fit their bodies and hands better. (That doesn’t mean a bigger person will struggle with it. It’s not too small.)

3. Buying a smaller instrument will cost you less money. A decent starter guitar is going to cost you at least $200. A decent starter bari uke will cost you around $80. Once you master the bari uke, you will likely be ready to sound pretty good at guitar, so you will know if you’re ready to make a bigger investment and get an excellent quality guitar.

4. A smaller instrument is more portable. This will just make your life easier.

5. There is less string tension in a ukulele compared to a guitar. What this means is that when you first start out, your fingers will have a much easier time holding the strings down properly. Ask any guitarist to show you their fingertips: they will certainly have hard-earned callouses, with stories of Eric Clapton playing with bloody fingertips when he first started out. The bari uke will still give you some hard-earned callouses, but you will avoid the drama of those intense steel strings of the guitar. Remember when I said you will end up spending less money? Those ukulele callouses will give you a good idea if you really like the idea of playing a string instrument.

So, any parents reading this, can you imagine the difference it will have in helping your kid’s motivation? Trust me, I’ve seen enough eight-year-olds trying to keep a guitar upright, with their little arms barely reaching over the side of the guitar’s body, and their little fingers barely able to hold down the strings.

Now compound that with a kid who might have trouble remembering to practice in the first place, and you have hundreds of dollars, wasted on an instrument that sits in the corner, and guitar lessons that wasted everyone’s time.

When I taught in a classroom, I was able to teach class after class of baritone ukulele, and the kids loved it because they could sound good right away. That instant satisfaction is the “hook” it may take to get a questionable student onboard to a lifetime of music.

And to any adults out there thinking the ukulele is not what they had in mind, I’m telling you, the baritone ukulele is not what you’re thinking of when you think of a ukulele. I’m sure you’re thinking of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole with a teeny little instrument.

That is not what I’m talking about here. The richness of a baritone ukulele is more like a guitar than a teeny little soprano ukulele. And if you are concerned with your fingers being too long or your hands/fingers being too big, don’t worry about it. The bari uke is plenty big enough for a larger person (like myself!). This is because the frets are further apart compared to other ukuleles.

All in all, the baritone ukulele is a fantastic instrument that deserves some recognition. I highly suggest you give this little guy a chance, and discover how much you can enjoy this often-disregarded instrument.