The Best Ukulele for Beginners: A Teacher's Buying Guide

The ukulele might be the friendliest instrument there is. It's small, it's affordable, the nylon strings are gentle on your fingers, and you can be strumming your first real song within a week or two. That's exactly why so many of our teachers recommend it as a first instrument — for kids and adults alike.

But walk into a store (or scroll through Amazon) and you'll find dozens of ukuleles between $30 and $400, in four different sizes. Which one is right for you? Here's the advice I give my own students.

First, pick the right size

This is the single most important decision, and it's the one most beginners get wrong. Ukuleles come in four sizes, from smallest to largest: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.

• Concert — the best choice for most adults. Slightly bigger than a soprano, with a bit more room between frets and a fuller, warmer sound. If you're an adult buying your first ukulele, buy a concert.
• Soprano — best for kids under 10. This is the classic tiny ukulele with the bright, plinky "island" sound. Its small neck fits small hands perfectly, but adults often find the frets cramped.
• Tenor — for players with large hands. More string tension, more volume, more room on the fretboard. A great choice if concert ukuleles feel tight under your fingers.
• Baritone — not for beginners. It's tuned differently from the other three (like the top four strings of a guitar), so it won't match the chord charts, songbooks, and lessons written for standard ukulele. Skip it for now.

Our top picks

Aklot Bamboo Concert Ukulele Bundle — around $70–90 CAD

This is the kit I point most adult beginners toward. For under $100 you get a solidly built bamboo concert ukulele plus everything you need on day one: a carrying case, a clip-on tuner, spare strings, and a strap. That strap matters more than you'd think — with the ukulele held securely, both hands are free to concentrate on forming chords instead of clutching the instrument.

Cordoba Concert Ukulele, Flamed Mahogany — around $200–250 CAD

If you want something a step up — or you simply want an instrument beautiful enough that you'll want to pick it up every day — Cordoba has been building respected nylon-string instruments for about three decades. This flamed mahogany concert model sounds as good as it looks, and it's an instrument you won't outgrow.

A budget soprano for young kids

For children under 10, a colourful entry-level soprano is all you need to start — models like the Mahalo Rainbow Series (usually around $50–60 CAD at local music shops) are light, sized for small hands, and come with decent Aquila strings. At this age, the goal is fun and comfort, not tonewoods.

Accessories worth having

• An adjustable strap — the upgrade I recommend first. It frees your fretting hand completely, which makes learning chords noticeably easier.
• Felt picks — most players strum with their fingers, but if you prefer a pick, use felt ones. Regular guitar picks are too harsh on nylon strings.
• A padded case — if your ukulele didn't come with one. Get 21" for a soprano, 23–24" for a concert.
• A ukulele tab notebook — blank tablature and chord-diagram pages, the same format most teachers (ours included) use to write out songs and exercises during lessons.

Frequently asked questions

What size ukulele should I buy for my child?

For kids under about 10, a soprano — its small neck fits small hands. Around age 10–12, most kids are comfortable on a concert, which they won't outgrow.

How much should I spend on a first ukulele?

Around $70–100 CAD gets you a genuinely playable instrument that stays in tune. Below about $40, ukuleles often have tuning pegs that slip and strings that sit too high — frustrations that make beginners quit. You don't need to spend more than $250 until you're sure the instrument has stuck.

Do I need a tuner?

Yes — new nylon strings stretch and go out of tune constantly for the first couple of weeks. A clip-on tuner (included in the Aklot bundle) makes this a 30-second fix. Free tuner apps work too.

Do nylon strings hurt your fingers?

Far less than steel guitar strings. Expect mild tenderness in your fingertips for the first week or two; it fades quickly with regular short practice sessions.

Is the ukulele a good stepping stone to the guitar?

Absolutely. Chord shapes, strumming patterns, and reading chord charts all transfer directly — many of our younger students start on ukulele and move to guitar a year or two later with a real head start.

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Still not sure which one is right for you or your child? Musiprof teachers help students choose the right instrument all the time — feel free to ask before you buy at musiprof.com.