Tenor Ukuleles – What Are They Good For?
It used to be that the most popular ukuleles around were soprano ukuleles. Indeed, they were the very first ukuleles. But as time has gone on the larger tenor ukulele has become more and more popular. It has been used by ukulele superstars such as Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and Jake Shimabukuro. With their support, more and more people are looking to start their ukulele playing careers on a tenor ukulele.
Defining A Tenor Ukulele
The tenor ukulele, like all ukuleles, is classified by its scale length (i.e. the distance from bridge to nut). The tenor ukulele is the largest of the high-G ukuleles – being two inches larger than the concert ukulele at 17 inches.
Along with this larger neck is a larger body. This produces a bigger, richer sound than the smaller ukuleles.
What are the advantages of a tenor?
The extra room on a tenor ukulele gives you space to perform more ukulele show-off skills. This is why it is so popular with ukulele soloists like Jake and James Hill. Without this extra space, your fingers have a tendency to trip over themselves.
A huge number of factors affect how a ukulele sounds – its construction, the wood, how it’s played. But one factor is the size of the body. And the tenor ukulele’s large body will offer you greater volume and tone with all the other factors the same.
What are the disadvantages?
The greater resonance of the tenor isn’t always something you want. This tone means it loses the traditional ukulele sound and doesn’t have the same punch to it.
One the flip-side of the tenor’s suitability for picking is its decreased suitability for for strumming. Not that you can’t strum a tenor. It just doesn’t feel as natural as strumming a smaller ukulele.
If you have a budget of under $100, then your choice of tenor is likely to be very restricted. They tend to be more expensive than sopranos – even in the beginner range. So if you have a limited budget, you may have to start with a soprano.
