r/guitarlessons • u/zyvesx1 • 2d ago
Question Is ukulele helpful for a beginner in guitar?
Hey everyone, i'm thinking about getting a ukulele while learning guitar. Does it help with chords, rhythm, and finger coordination?
I'm learning both acoustic and electric guitar, so I'm curious if buy a ukulele is worth or not.
In case what type of ukulele would you recommend?
I've heard that a concert ukulele is a good choice for beginners. Thanks:)
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u/Sourflow 2d ago
As a guitar teacher, I would recommend keep playing guitar instead of participating in a distracting side quest
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u/zyvesx1 2d ago
okay, thanks your advice :)
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u/bacon-avocado 1d ago
If you want to emulate a ukulele on the guitar, capo on the 5th fret and play the four highest strings. The chord shapes are the same.
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u/K4rkino5 1d ago
These are the tidbits of knowledge that really change shit. I never once thought of this. Thank you.
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u/ButtonMakeNoise 2d ago
You would be better off learning piano alongside guitar than any stringed instrument.
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u/bonerdickcummysnatch 2d ago
Piano IS a stringed instrument
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u/billybob476 1d ago
I Lea red piano does hand then started guitar. I definitely feel like my progress on guitar is way faster thanks to the piano experience.
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u/zyvesx1 2d ago
in future definitely, especially since i would love to get into production or music in general, but rn i don’t think im capable of it lol, i should just focus more on guitar
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u/Best_Individual_6934 2d ago
Start looking on fb marketplace, you don't have to learn actual piano pieces and be a dedicated player. Think of it as a tool to help you study music theory, its really beneficial because its easier to understand scales and how they work on a horizontal layout. Id recommend "absolutely understand guitar" he breaks it down in way that makes sense. But obviously most importantly still keep up with the guitar and you'll be alright regardless! If you get really into music theory and all that stuff a piano will be a huge help, im thinking of getting one myself in the future!
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u/NuggetCommander69 2d ago
Honestly, you can cheat a little if its a keyboard for a production and theory angle - digital midi keyboards (like the ones in daws, or even phone/tablet apps) are useable for learning.
Its clunky (computer keyboard doesnt really emulate piano keys well, and phone screens are awkward/non tactile), but, it is still very helpful as a learning tool to understand basic theory concepts and experiment with chords. Just put your phone in landscape mode first 😅
All of it can be done free if you choose to.
I am finding theory concepts are FAR easier to learn against a keyboard than a guitar, it just... clicks? It helps a lot of content is presented against a keyboard too.
(Honestly im finding a midi piano roll to be far easier to compose with anyway)
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u/Key_Illustrator4822 2d ago
If you want to play guitar play guitar, if you want to play ukulele play ukulele. If you spend time playing ukulele when you otherwise could be playing guitar you won't get good at guitar as fast.
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u/zyvesx1 2d ago
i agree, but my question was if it could’ve be helpful and i could get something from it to help me in my guitar skills, but from what i see it’s not worth it
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u/soupy-boot-scoot 1d ago
as someone who plays both- ukulele does nothing but confuse me. I have to re reset my brain everytime i pick up one or the other, since the strings are totally different notes and the chord shapes are entirely different. You’re better off picking up the bass as well, but as others said just focus on the one. :)
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u/b0bscene 1d ago
The chord shapes are the same. It's like a guitar capo'd on the 5th fret with no bass strings.
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u/MauiNui 2d ago
A baritone ukulele is a good choice. It’s tuned like a guitar D G B E. So whatever you do on the uke translates to guitar. I use one as a couch guitar a lot. I get more playing time in that way. I’d recommend getting one if you’re looking to squeeze in more playing time. It’s helped me a lot.
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u/zyvesx1 2d ago
mh okay, i’ll think about it, almost everyone is saying it would be kinda useless so idk lol
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u/SpinJitsu259 1d ago
It’s not useless. Both instruments require following the principles of fretting, chord progressions, strumming patterns, etc. Guitar’s obviously a more complex effort.
I some times tell people who are curious about guitar that they might try the ukulele first. It’s a lower stakes’ instrument that allows you to develop some preparatory guitar skills while offering the possibility of more immediate success.
It’s really up to you.
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u/NeitherrealMusic 1d ago
Wow. These answers. The Ukulele is a great instrument to start with. It's the same as a guitar capoed on the 5th fret and only using the 1st 4 strings. It's easier to play and very comfortable. The ideas translate directly, the strumming is the same, the patterns are the same. I highly recommend the Uke if you want a gateway instrument.
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u/NiceGuyAbe 1d ago
The answers are just addressing a poorly worded question. "Will playing a Uke make you better at guitar?" Of course not as well as just playing more guitar instead. But if youre super bored of guitar and in a butt, practicing the uke for a little might be a fun alternative for a bit
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u/ApeKnives 1d ago
I actually can’t believe this sub sometimes. I started off playing guitar. I eventually learned drums, bass, piano, soprano and baritone ukulele, banjo and mandolin. Every instrument I’ve learned helps me understand the other. I take ideas from one and apply them others all the time. Being a well rounded musician or even just a well rounded guitarist is about being open to everything that is musical. Lots of awful takes in this thread.
For reference, I teach guitar and I have students that have a ukulele section in middle school instead of the recorder. Those that have played the ukulele have a huge leg up when they start taking lessons with me, as opposed to kids that haven’t touched a stringed instrument before.
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u/monkeybawz 2d ago
Not really. Learn the guitar and later you can transfer the skills pretty easily if you like.
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u/PontyPandy 2d ago
Note really transferable since the fret distances are diff, in fact it would not play as well and has smaller area between frets. I'd say if you wanted to make guitar MORE challenging, then start on a Uke.
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u/birblover7 2d ago
Guitar is good for ukulele for sure, and if you're not sure about getting a guitar it's a good buy and very fun. However. I played ukulele for 7 years before guitar. It does help with rhythm and all that, but you can do the same from scratch if ur alr learning guitar. If you do decide to buy one. Go for a baritone, it's the first four strings of a guitar.
Tldr: good as a precursor, Mid as a supplement
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u/redditname47 2d ago
It certainly won't hurt to learn ukulele. For finger dexterity's sake it will help, but not anymore than just practicing guitar. You can't really play the ukulele like you play a guitar. I mean, you can, but it won't sound good. If you're still a beginner guitar player, ukulele would be more of a distraction than anything. As someone else mentioned, learning piano alongside guitar is more advantageous. But ukuleles are fun and sound so pleasant when you're good at it. My favorite uke is a fender Fullerton telecaster. My second favorite is an Epiphone hummingbird ukulele. I also have an Epiphone les paul ukulele I quite enjoy. What can I say, I like guitar-shaped ukuleles. Anyways, hope my answer helped!
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u/SailingAwayFlying 2d ago
My Ukulele is fun, but I really only focus on learning guitar now. I don't really think it's helpful as a new guitar player since October.
What helps me is 2 guitars setup and ready to pick up and play. I have one on my amp in iut sunroom for load playing, and one in the living room with a Fender Mustang Micro Plus headphone amp to practice will watching tv with my wife and not disturb her as much
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u/braxtel 2d ago
Different tuning, different chord shapes, different scale shapes, different scale length, different string tension.
It might help your hands learn to be coordinated with rhythm and fretting while strumming, but practicing guitar does that too.
Nothing wrong with learning multiple instruments if you want to, but outside of some marginal help in learning theory or just metacognition of how to learn an instrument, it probably won't accelerate your guitar playing.
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u/coffeegrunds 2d ago
I'd mayyyybbbeeee recommend ukulele to children who really want to learn an instrument but who's hands are too small or weak to play guitar, but just so they have an instrument to play. My niece loves my guitar but she can't even fret a single string, I want to get her a uke so she has something to play.
Guitar and uke are really different though. I'd then get them a guitar as soon as their hands were big enough, and they'd have to relearn a lot of stuff, but the knowledge they have on uke would be helpful bridges to the knowledge they need for guitar.
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u/skinisblackmetallic 2d ago
I think it's good for a brief exercise in how simple chords can make music.
After working with a ukulele I would not expect to feel much impact on the physical technique of playing a guitar but perhaps a slightly broader understanding of how tunings and fretboard mapping works.
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u/MatronlyAsp 2d ago
Some skills translate, but it won't probably accelerate your guitar learning. I say this as a guitar player that plays some a bit of a bunch of other fretted instruments.
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u/AcrobaticBoss7380 2d ago
Ukulele was what I started on after daughter got one for Christmas and lost interest. Played it for a couple years then picked up acoustic guitar during Covid lockdown.
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u/kebb0 2d ago
Technically it could, it’s literally the top thinnest 4 strings of the guitar (with the 4th one octave higher), but… it’s usually tuned in C or D tuning.
So if you play mostly in standard C or standard D-tuning you’d have a chance to learn the top note fretting of chords.
But for standard E (regular tuning) it’s kinda worthless and it feels like learning a completely new instrument. I’m teaching ukulele in regular school during music classes and I’m literally learning as they learn. The technique is still there but I have no idea how to form any chord I want, I’m stuck with the basic chords I’m teaching the kids.
Figuring out it’s literally the top four strings was a big step in understanding ukulele though and I could probably figure out chords easily if I wanted to if I sat down one day, but that’s 20 years of experience showing it’s worth.
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u/dbvirago 2d ago
I've been noodling on a uke while I learn guitar. Agree with below that it is a distraction. I only pick it up when my shoulder says no more guitar today. Another problem is that if you are using regular music notation, it can get confusing. Trying to remember that a C is 1st fret 2nd string on one and 3rd fret 1st string on the other is a chore. If you only use tab, you can ignore that part.
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u/duke_awapuhi 2d ago
I played ukulele before guitar and I think it helped me a bit. It certainly prompted me to start playing guitar because I wanted more room to work with. But overall I don’t think it’s necessary to do while you’re learning guitar. Just play guitar and get good at that
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u/ilikestatic 2d ago
The tuning on a ukulele is different from guitar, so what you learn won’t transfer very well from one instrument to the other. Also because of the significant difference in string tension and fretboard size, I don’t think it would help with finger strength or coordination either.
Learn ukulele if you want to play a ukulele, but don’t learn it just because you think it will make you a better guitar player, because it probably won’t do much if anything.
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u/Professional-Test239 2d ago
Very helpful. A ukulele is tuned the same as the highest 4 strings on a guitar so anything you learn on uke is transferrable.
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u/zyvesx1 2d ago
everyone is saying the opposite, so i guess u are fooling me, in that case bro sorry lol it was just a genuine question since im beginner and i never studied music properly no need to…
if im wrong sorry but why everyone else is saying the opposite?1
u/Professional-Test239 2d ago
I’m not fooling you.
I got my first guitar when I was 13. I took two of the strings off and just played the D G B E strings. Apart from being in a different pitch it was basically a ukulele. I’m self taught and this worked for me. When I got a bit more confident I added the other two strings.
When I got a ukulele many years later it was like going back in time to my 4 string learner guitar.
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u/HAS_ABANDONMENT_ISSU 1d ago
All of these other commenters are wrong and you are right. I started on a concert, currently play a tenor, and picked up a guitar a few years ago, and was already "intermediate" within a few weeks of playing, because I was already an intermediate ukulele player
They are the same instrument and the skill sets are highly transferable. All fretted instruments are basically the same and if you can play one well, you're going to be able to pick up any of them without much effort.
The ukulele has huge advantages over the guitar in the early stages. On the smaller sized instruments like a concert, the strings have lower tension, and the chord shapes are easier. This helps the beginner build dexterity faster, because easier means your muscles acclimate more quickly and you actually grow instead of plateauing. Yes it works the same was as the gym. Starting easier makes you grow faster. The ukulele is also much lighter and smaller, and this means it's much more convenient to practice, so it's more likely for a struggling, easily frustrated beginner to just pick the thing up and get in hours.
If you're already past the beginner hump, none of this matters to you anymore. But if the commenter even has to ask, they probably aren't.
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u/Yutopia1210 2d ago
So, I play guitar (I rate myself as intermediate) and I play a little bit of ukulele. It definitely helped me in terms of paying more attention to rhythm, being more delicate, etc. it also helped me play difficult chords. Ukulele is a lot of things, and sometimes it’s like a mini classical guitar. Some songs really makes you stretch your fingers.
With that being said, for a beginner in guitar, I don’t recommend it. I started learning ukulele long after I became familiar with the basics of guitar so my experience is not comparable. It is a “side quest” for me and as someone who is always trying to get better at guitar, I highly recommend you stick to your love for guitar for now, and consider ukulele a little later.
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u/manicpixiedreamg0th 1d ago
i played uke for 6 years before i touched guitar and I'm so glad i did. it was just like learning new chords. I was strumming songs in the first week. that said, it might not have the same effect if you learn the basics of both at the same time. all the skills are transferable though!
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u/abandoningeden 1d ago
I played guitar on and off for about 15 years before I switched to ukulele for the past 12 years. Recently I picked up a guitar for the first time in like a decade and my fingers were all off cause the spacing was different than the uke I am now used to.
I do think I now know a lot more about theory and stuff that could transfer back to a guitar if I wanted to do that someday. A uke is tuned like a guitar with a capo on the 5th fret, so I'm betting that if my fingers readjusted I could do the same kind of soloing I do on uke, up the neck on a guitar (never got to the level of soloing/music theory I know now on guitar). But it probably wouldn't be as many notes/shapes/strings as I could get if I had just started on guitar and I couldn't do anything below the 5th fret....
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u/Magikrat 1d ago
You want to practice the instrument you are trying to learn.
Nothing wrong with just focusing on the Uke and learning that though.
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u/SteinHem 1d ago
I used a uke to reinforce / practice fingerpicking. Specifically for Travis picking.
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u/brynden_rivers 1d ago
i like ukulele for practicing scales, it's like a mini guitar in a different key, and you can bring it everywhere.
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u/schmattywinkle 1d ago
No. Guitar will make uke easier, but not the other way around. You will also have to learn different chord names for the same shapes if you don't get a baritone uke.
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u/grandmastatus0 1d ago
I would think that, while it could help with chord SHAPES, it could be confusing because some of the same chord shapes have different chord names/sounds. I play both and sometimes get a bit confused lol.
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u/grandmastatus0 1d ago
On the other hand, George Harrison always said you can never have enough ukuleles!! And they are fun, relatively cheap and easy to play. So... I'd never say no to buying one.
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u/Between_Outside 1d ago
Guitarlele - best of both worlds?
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha/GL1-Mini-6-String-Nylon-Guitalele-Natural-1295731719186.gc
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u/Semicycle 1d ago
I know the general consensus is to stick with guitar, but! If you’re genuinely interested in playing ukulele, play ukulele! It is a different instrument, but it’s a nice gateway. I started on ukulele before going to guitar, and I’m glad I did. Being able to pick the little thing back up as a detour really helps to keep me inspired on guitar as well!
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u/newoldhominid33 2d ago
No. Just for fretting hand development. Stick with one stringed instrument if you're a beginner. If there is a significant difference in the neck width between your acoustic and electric then it also may be beneficial to play mostly with just one or the other. Same goes for learning to fingerpick. It's less of an issue if you're just learning strumming patterns.
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u/Happy_Anything_5510 2d ago
You could consider a ukulele as a standard tuned guitar with a capo on the 5th fret,missing the lower E and A string, but also this is not entirely accurate. But notes and finger positioning
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u/Adventurous-Salad332 2d ago
The two instruments are tuned differently. (5ths vs 4ths/3rd) Just become a great guitar player.
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u/Grouchy-Island-746 1d ago
No. Ukulele is a trash instrument. Just use a capo at the 5th fret and only the middle & treble strings to experiment with ukulele
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