Tenor Ukulele

Tenor Ukulele

The tenor ukulele is the most popular of all the ukulele types in Hawaii. Worldwide most people start with the soprano, due to cost and design characteristics, but the tenor offers a deeper, fuller sound and can be modified to have more than four strings, up to as many as eight. You might still be able to get a tenor for less than $100 dollars, but if you want one for professional use it will probably cost more.

The Scale

The scale is the part of the ukulele that is the length where the strings can be played, usually from the top peg to the bridge. This length differs with each different type of ukulele you choose. The standard soprano ukulele has only a 13" scale. The baritone has a full 19" scale, but the tenor is somewhere in between, at a 17" scale. This along with the size of this ukulele, which is 26" long and you have a mid-sized instrument that can be more comfortable to play than a soprano, with a fuller sound too, but not as deep as the baritone.

Who Uses a Tenor?

Hawaiians and professional entertainers favor the tenor. It is versatile and the fourth string can be tuned an octave lower, giving it even further range. The price is higher, but that isn't an issue with serious players who want a quality instrument that will give them a fuller sound, but still sounding distinctly like a ukulele and not a guitar.

How To Decide

A tenor ukulele can be for a beginner who doesn't mind spending a little extra money on the instrument. They should go with the four-string ukulele so that they can learn to tune and play it in the G-C-E-A arrangement. Professional players may want to try either the six or eight string variety of a tenor to add more variety. Either way, this makes a fine instrument for any number of people who are committed to learning the ukulele and don't mind making an investment in their instrument.

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