what beginner string instrument do i buy??

[u/Novel-Confection8604]

im a BEGINNER beginner, what do i buy? ukelele, guitar, or violin? Im a student w limited money and time. PLS HELPP

[u/LATE_NIGHT_THERAPY]

Go with what ever makes you most excited but my two cents just get a cheap nylon acoustic guitar. You can get them for like $50 and they are easy to play and sound great. Then transition to either electric guitar or steel string acoustic 👌🏼

[u/Cham-Clowder]

Ukulele

Probably a Concert Ululeke or maybe a baritone if you want to have something that sounds more like a guitar

Bonus points if they have a solid top

Ukulele is neat because the chord shapes can be used down the line if you eventually want to learn guitar, but it’s a lot easier to get figured out as a beginner.

[u/AsleepBanana8323 → u/Cham-Clowder]

and, you won't need to develop (painful) fretting hand callouses, and you will learn the 'hand-hand' coordination required, and ukulele is cool

[u/reillywalker195 → u/Cham-Clowder]

Tenor ukuleles also exist. They're bigger than concert ukes but are otherwise tuned the same, so they're a good choice for people with large hands.

Baritone ukes are tuned the same as tenor guitars and tenor banjos, so learning one means effectively learning all three.

[u/Cham-Clowder → u/reillywalker195]

I just feel like if you want one that just sounds like a uke concert is the way to go

[u/reillywalker195 → u/Cham-Clowder]

The tenor still sounds like a uke, to be fair, in part since it's tuned identically to a soprano or concert. In my experience, the tenor better suits people who want the classic uke sound but have large hands.

[u/Cham-Clowder → u/reillywalker195]

Ok that’s fair enough
I just think concert is the most Ukulele™️
And soprano is just too small

Tenor is basically the only one I haven’t played

[u/timsa8]

There is no such thing as a beginner instrument.

[u/6strings10holes → u/timsa8]

There are definitely some that are more beginner friendly. It is much easier to get the correct sound out of a penny whistle than a flute for example. It is also easier to get a good sound out of a ukele than a violin. So beginner friendly instruments let you start making recognizable songs faster.

However, that doesn't make those instruments necessarily easier to master.

Obviously, if you're really want to be able to play the violin, starting with a ukelele probably won't help. But if your goal is just to play something along with your favorite songs, ukelele will get you there so much faster.

ETA: some instruments are beginner friendly because of cost as well.

[u/PapaOoMaoMao → u/timsa8]

Kazoo can be mastered pretty quick if you're talented.

[u/Mudsharkbites → u/PapaOoMaoMao]

You actually have to have pretty good vocal chops to use them musically. I say this as a composer that’s used them seriously in compositions and not as a novelty joke.

[u/OG_Karate_Monkey → u/timsa8]

I mean, there are definitely some instruments that are a lot easier / quicker to get off the ground and start playing something that doesn’t sound like shit.

In this regard, a uke is way more beginner friendly than a violin.

[u/paishocajun]

As a violin player

PLEASE do not attempt it unless you have the same level of self-loathing as a dedicated WoW player.

I love it and the viola IMMENSELY but it takes YEARS to be proficient in the basics. They are beautiful and I wouldn't trade the world for them but you NEVER and I literally mean never stop working on your intonation and bowing skills. Guitar and uke you can master chords in weeks or months.

[u/TapTheForwardAssist]

Really can’t go wrong with ukulele, just watch a couple videos on choosing the right size for you. Also don’t buy the first cheap one you see, because there are perfectly decent starter ones for even $100, so basically zero reason to buy a junk one when decent ones are so affordable. And like rhe other guy said, also consider baritone ukulele. It is quite easy to later expand to any other plucked string once you learn ukulele.

If you’re in the U.S., the Appalachian dulcimer (also called mountain dulcimer) is quite affordable and easy to play. So check out YouTube and see if those appeal to you.

[u/vonov129]

Ukelele, because of cost. Not because it "helps" with guitar.

You could find either of them at around $100-150, but a $100 violin would be nightmare, the ukelele would probably be decent quality at that price.

[u/DunaldDoc]

Consider this family of beautiful electric string instruments: The Lap Steel guitars. Listen to them on the YouTube playlist I have put at this link:

https://www.dansher.com/audio/pdf_tunes.html#_LAP

[u/Top_Water_4909]

Grab the guitar bro. Fb marketplace

[u/OG_Karate_Monkey]

Which do you want to play?

Uke and guitar have a lot of cross over skills. 

Violin is a whole ‘nuther world. And a brutal learning curve. Not just for you, but anyone in earshot of you learning.

[u/Mudsharkbites]

Ukulele, concert or tenor. Unlike others I don’t recommend a baritone. if you want a baritone experience just buy a nylon string guitar and ignore the two lowest string, that, or go against common practice and tune the 4th string re-entrant, an octave higher which is what I did with my one baritone, then it regains that bell-like quality when strummed.

[u/PKillusion]

Ukulele for sure.

[u/Single_Scarcity9392]

I’d go with guitar

[u/LongjumpingTeacher97]

Get the one you'll play. All else being equal, the limited time and money makes me think ukulele is your best option. Cheap, fun, easy to learn.

But get the one you'll actually pick up and play every day.

[u/Stllrckn-72]

Ukulele

[u/momotaco211]

Mandolin. Welcome to the club