The Best Soprano Ukuleles 2020

October 01, 2020

The human race is an entertainment-loving lot. The growth in the music industry has led to the production of more instruments. One such instrument is the famous ukulele that originated from Hawaii. The lovable instrument is widely used thanks to the great melodious sound it produces when played.

In this article, we’re going to discuss the ukulele soprano, which is a type of ukulele. Good music can only be made if there is good instrument, and the soprano ukulele is one such instrument. The article will tell you what the ukulele soprano is, if it’s a good fit for beginners and such like things. You’ll also get a review of one of the best ukulele sopranos that are available in the market.

What is Soprano Ukulele?

To start with, ukulele is a term used to refer to small guitar-like instrument that has four strings. The popular music instrument has its roots in Hawaii, having been introduced in the region by the Portuguese centuries ago.

Soprano ukulele is one of the four types of ukulele that include the concert, tenor, and baritone ukuleles. Of the four ukuleles, the soprano ukulele is the smallest in size and is popularly known for its sound; bright and harsh, which is mostly associated with the instruments.

Is Soprano Ukulele good for Beginners?

The soprano ukulele amounts to the best ukulele for beginners for a number reasons. Other than the pocket-size ukulele, which in unpopular, the soprano ukulele has a light weight that makes it easy to carry and handle. Its low weight is coupled with the few frets on the instrument that further makes it easy to play and ideal for beginners. To top it up, it is associated with a low price being one of the cheapest versions of not just ukuleles but all four-stringed instruments.

How to Play Soprano Ukulele

Before you proceed to learn how to play the soprano ukulele, it’s important to start by learning the basics, specifically with regards to soprano ukulele chords and how to tune it. You should get a chord table and learn how to read it; ukulele strings are represented by the vertical lines in the cord while for the horizontal lines, the thick and thin lines represent the instrument’s nut and frets respectively.

Now that you understand the meaning of chords and how to interpret them, you can start to learn how to play this beautiful instruments. Learning is easy. The following is a step-by-step process on how to play it.

Step 1: Acquire the Instrument

It goes without saying that you’ll need to have an instrument to be able to learn how to play it. Thankfully, soprano ukuleles are among the cheapest four-stringed instrument and are easily found in the market. If you have planes to acquire a new one, it will do you good to first conduct your research to ensure that you not only get the best but one that best suits you and your style.

If you’re low on budget, consider using a borrowed instrument or renting one.

Step 2: Learn to Hold the Instrument

It may not make sense at the beginning, but holding your ukulele instrument is an important skill that has to be learnt right from the beginning. Try to hold the instrument in different ways and positions and practice severally. You need to know how to hold it while standing and sitting.

While doing this, get to know the holding positions you find comfortable and practice more on them. This notwithstanding, you should practice many different holding positions

Step 3: Learn to Tune the Instrument

Soprano ukulele tuning is also a must-have skill. The sound you create with the instrument will only be as good as how well the instrument is tuned. Having learnt of the soprano ukulele chords, you can then tune the instrument to suit your style.

Please note that ukulele soprano instruments have to be tuned regularly for quality sound.

Step 4: Practice Playing with Different Songs

The saying goes; “practice makes perfect”. Well, this cannot be over-emphasized when it comes to learning how to play the ukulele soprano. For better outcomes, consider doing the following.

Find songs that have their chord diagrams and play along repeatedly. It’s good that you practice different songs, maybe practice two or three songs a day. These can be easily found on the internet.
Learn how to change the instrument’s tune to suit the different songs you’re practicing.
If possible, find other ukulele soprano players and play along with them.
Record yourself while playing. Listening to these recordings later will not only help to identify where to improve but can also be good for your motivation.

Most importantly, play slowly while practicing and have fun.

Step 5: Learn How to Strum Your Instrument

At this point, you’ll be able to comfortably play the instrument with the repeated up and down movements. As you get better, you should start to add more flavor to the sounds you create. Strumming is the best way to do this. It involves the creation of more sound by slapping the instrument, or muting the sounds with your palm for a short time.

Step 6: Exercise with Your Fingers

The several up and down string movements with your fingers may cause pain and can even cause injuries to the finger over time. If you’re planning to play the instrument for a long time, you better start preparing your fingers early enough. Finger exercises will help you build tough finger skin, also referred to as calluses, which will serve to make your fingers used to it and reduce pain.

The Difference between Soprano Ukulele and Concert Ukulele

To start with, soprano ukulele and concert ukulele are both part of the four types of ukulele instrument. They share certain similar characteristics that include the near resemblance of their shapes as well as the fact that the same tuning standard can be used for both instruments.

However, there exists slight differences between the two that make them ideal for different purposes. Below are some of the differences between the two.

The concert ukulele’s scale is slightly bigger than that of the soprano ukulele, one inch difference.
The concert ukulele has a much bigger neck and weighs more than the soprano ukulele.
More frets can be achieved by the concert ukulele. The frets will also be widely spaced thanks to the wide neck.
A warmer note as well as fullness in sound is best produced by the concert ukulele due to its bigger size.
Better projection of loud sound is possible with concert ukulele as opposed to the soprano ukulele

Please note that the big size of the concert ukulele makes it more ideal for players with experience using the instrument. However, beginners with large hands and fingers can find it more comfortable to use than the soprano ukulele.

The Best Soprano Ukulele Review

1. Ukutune UKS1 Soprano Ukulele

The Ukutune UKS1 Soprano Ukulele is one of the best types of soprano ukuleles that is available thanks to Ukutune and an instruments manufacturer based in China. The instrument is specially designed to make it ideal for both experienced and beginner players.

This 21” soprano ukulele from Ukutune does not weigh much and its size is the most popular among beginner players.

Features

It has a wide neck that allows up to 15 frets. Through this, finding notes and the perfect playing chords is not just made easy but convenient as well.
It is specially designed to produce the best quality sound. This is made possible by the combination of nylon and gut to enable the produce a consistent tone that is warm and melodious.
The use of sapele wood does not only give the instrument a beautiful and visually appealing look but also serves to enable the production of a rich and warm tone.
The use of plastic in its saddle is responsible for its lightweight, a feature that further makes it a convenient instrument.
Its strings are made of Aquila Nylgut that does not cause much harm to the fingers. Additionally, 4 extra Nylgut strings are given during purchase as well as a carrying bag.
The instrument is affordable.

This article has shared with you all you need to know about the soprano ukulele. You have learnt what the instrument is and that is the most suitable type for beginners. The article has also shared with you a step-by-step process of learning how to play the instrument. Learning isn’t hard and only takes a few days for serious learners. Additionally, the article has reviewed one of the best types of ukulele soprano available in the market.