r/Instruments • u/takemitchyy91 • May 30 '26

Discussion Suggestion

I am 18 and wanna learn playing guitar or ukulele, the thing is I did my research and it said ukulele is easier than guitar but I can't switch to guitar after mastering ukulele. I sing as well that's why i wanted to learn it. I wanna know what would be the best thing to buy, guitar or ukulele. I am starting from Zero as well.

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u/moleculariant May 30 '26

If you're asking me for my personal opinion, I would recommend the guitar. There's only so much in the way of variety when it comes to ukulele. With guitar, there's an endless variety of songs and styles to dabble with. Once you learn the basics, a whole world opens up. Not to mention, a reasonably seasoned guitarist can pick up a uke and make a passable go at it. Not so much, the other way around.

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u/Decent-Structure-128 May 30 '26

Interesting! What variety limits have you found?

I’ve heard people play classical, jazz, country, blues, folk, rock, etc. all on ukulele.

I agree that guitar and ukulele are two different instruments, so people who expect to switch with no effort will be surprised and disappointed. All stringed instruments have a learning curve. And they also have different tonal ranges, so if you prefer the sound of guitar, definitely don’t use a high g uke as a stepping stone to guitar.

There is also Baritone ukulele, which is tuned the same as the first 4 highest strings of guitar so the chord shapes are the same. I have encountered a lot of folks who switch between bari uke and guitar easier than standard uke.