Top 5 Starter Ukuleles
So you’re buying a ukulele for the first time?
The first thing you’ll probably do after deciding you want to play,
Instead, take a look at these five ukuleles. Whether you are looking to buy a ukulele for yourself, your child, friend, parent, grandparent, or even to start a ukulele program at your school, any one of these ukuleles would be a great place to start your journey to becoming a master. They are all moderately priced and a great quality for a beginner ukulele player.
FIRST, her e are a few things to consider…
Ukuleles come in a variety of sizes and different tunings. The soprano is the smallest. It will be the easiest to learn on and build your skills from. Similarly, if you are starting a ukulele program, get sopranos for your classroom because most likely the students you will be teaching will be smaller little humans. The soprano size is PERFECT for their little hands and bodies.
If you want to learn more about the different types of ukuleles, I’ve written a blog post all about it!
Another thing to think about when budgeting your money to buy a uke, are considering the accessories that you might want.
A non-negotiable for me is a padded carrying bag. Many of the cheaper options come with little dusters that technically carry the instrument, but they lack any real support. Ukuleles are rather delicate and fragile if dropped, do yourself a favor and spend an extra $10-$15 dollars and buy a padded bag if your bundle doesn’t already come with one.
Lastly, you will want a tuner. There are a slew of free tuner apps out there for the ukulele. While they are useful and I personally use the free tuning app GuitarTuna all of the time, it is worth investing in a clip-on tuner. They range from $3-$25 dollars on Amazon and are far more accurate than apps as they use the vibrations coming from your instrument to gauge the frequency you are playing when plucking individual strings. If you are in a noisy room or the microphone on your phone is old or poor quality, it can greatly affect the accuracy of the app.
Alright, enough with all of that. Here are my recommendations!
Hola! Music HM-21BU Soprano Ukulele Bundle
Cost: $39.00
What you get:
- Soprano ukulele (available in a variety of colors)
- Neck strap (no drilling)
- Draw string duster (carrying tote)
- 3, 1.2 mm picks
The Hola! ukulele is a great place to start because after a few times tuning, my experience is that it keeps its tune fairly well. A number of my students have this ukulele so I have worked with it a lot. It is fun to see students pick the colors they like while the instrument itself is both sturdy and well-made. I would still upgrade on the bag as while the duster is nice, it will not hold up to a dropping and I have noticed the fabric gets worn easily leading to the
Kala KA-15S Satin Mahogany Soprano Ukulele Bundle
Cost: $70.00
What you get:
- Soprano ukulele (made of real wood not composite)
- Lightly padded carrying bag
- Neck Strap (no drilling)
- Extra set of Aquila
nylnut strings - Tuner
- Polishing cloth
- Instructional DVD
While this is the most expensive recommendation on my list, I do feel as if it is a fantastic beginner kit simply because it takes a lot of the guesswork out of the equation for you. Plus, Kala ukuleles are fantastic! In fact, this model was my first ukulele. I have it to this day and believe in it so much I’ve ordered a class set of these (ukulele only) for my own classroom.
Alone the ukulele ranges from about $40-$50 bucks depending on where you buy it from. (For educators, check out the Kala Education Program for some great discounts on many of their models for schools that qualify). It has a wonderful sound, keeps its tune easily, and is SUPER durable (I might have dropped mine more than a few times). I’ve had this ukulele for a number of years and it is still like new.
Kala MK-SD-PL Makala Dolphin Soprano Ukulele Bundle
Cost: $60
What you get:
- Soprano ukulele (available in a variety of colors)
- Lightly padded carrying bag
- Tuner
- Polishing cloth
- Instructional DVD
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Why wouldn’t I just spend $10 more dollars and get more stuff with the Kala 15S?” Well, not only does this also have a beautiful sound (a little lesser quality to the Kala 15S, but not hugely noticeable for a beginner player) it ALSO comes in many really cute pastel colors. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! It also has a dolphin bridge! If I had a child (not counting the 600 kids I teach) this is the ukulele I would buy them. While looks aren’t everything and it’s the inside that matters, it doesn’t hurt to look THAT cute!
Here’s the deal, at some point, especially if you are buying a ukulele for a small child, they are going to say, “I don’t want to play anymore. My fingers hurt!” Now, that is completely reasonable. My fingers hurt too, but I was in college when I first started, not a child. Having a cute instrument to play is sometimes the determining factor when it comes to a child continuing their study. Plus, like I said, it’s super cute. I mean, I’m 26 and even I want one.
Mahalo Rainbow Series Soprano
Cost: $35.00
What you get:
- Soprano ukulele (comes in a variety of colors that are even cheaper!)
- Carrying bag duster
This is a great starter ukulele with a decent sound (for a $35.00 ukulele). In comparison to the Hola! bundle mentioned above, this is one is a few bucks less, but I’ve added it here simply because it’s another option. There are other colors that range from the $25-$30 that offers the same duster in addition to a bundle option, which in my opinion, is not worth it. I recently just bought this ukulele and after playing it for a bit found that, yes, it went out of tune faster than higher quality ukes, but was perfect for what I paid. See the video below if you’d like to see the ukulele in action.
Diamond Head DU-106 Rainbow Soprano Ukulele
Cost: $28.00
What you get:
- Soprano ukulele (comes in a variety of different color options)
- Duster carrying bag (color matches the ukulele)
While this ukulele lacks some of the bells and whistles that other bundles get you, it is the cheapest option on this list. While I have not personally owned this ukulele, a number of my students do and I have been pleasantly surprised by the good tone quality and overall performance from this little uke.
It is comparable to the Mahalo ukulele, but offers some additional colors if that is important to you. I would note that I have found this ukulele to be a little more difficult to tune at first, but it holds its tune longer than the Mahalo (and might even have a better sound after a few weeks of playing). So, if you are willing to be patient, you could find yourself with a decent little ukulele for under $30 bucks!
Final thoughts…
No matter what, if you are starting out, and you get a ukulele on this list, you won’t go wrong. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, but it really comes down to what YOU want to spend your money on and what YOU value in your playing. Whether sound quality, cuteness, cost, or bundles are most important to you, pick one of these ukes and you’ll do great!
Plus, the more you play, the less quality seems to matter and skill makes up the difference. I often pick up new ukuleles all of the time. Some are of high quality and others are less. When I play them, yes, you can hear a bit of a difference, but no matter what my skill are what really shine. That’s what I tell my kiddos all of the time. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend. Work hard and practice. Eventually, your sound will improve!
Happy shopping and happy playing!
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