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Thread: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

  1. #1

    Default Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    I'm a very basic guitar player looking to learn a new unique instrument that will allow me to play with / accompany guitar players, and yet also be fun to sing along with on its own. I have a very limited budget, around $200 - $250, and within that I'll need to get a gig bag and whatever is necessary for instrument enjoyment (I live in Nairobi presently, and it is hard, no...impossible, to get things like picks and strings here, nevermind good ukes or mandos). I know these parameters are strict, so I'm wondering what your well-considered opinions are on which I should pursue purchasing - a mandolin (try hard to find a Kentucky KM 140 or get lucky and find a 150 with a bag and stretch the budget a little), or a ukulele?

  2. #2

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    If your requirements include easy to sing with, a Uke is a good choice and IMHO easier to learn and play.

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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    All the guitar chord shapes you know will transfer directly to uke - it's basically the high four strings of a guitar capoed at the 5th fret.

    You're asking on a mandolin site - deep down, you must really want to go with the mando!

  5. #4

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    What DWM said. I came from the ukulele to the mandolin. You'll spend less money in the ukulele world for a decent instrument. Strings don't have to be changed constantly like the mandolin, and there are much fewer accessories needed for the uke as compared to the mandolin. The ukulele is a better instrument if you want to accompany yourself singing. I prefer the mandolin, but it was much harder to learn, took years to build proper caluses and I have spent quite a lot of $$ over the years.

    Good luck!
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    Registered User fscotte's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Definitely the uke. So easy a caveman can do it.

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    Wood and Wire Perry Babasin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    However, it does need to be said that mandolin is totally, decidedly, undeniably freaking awesome!!!
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    Wood and Wire Perry Babasin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    OK, got that out of my system. Ukulele is an easy strummer to accompany singing, probably easier than mandolin. My uke is strung and tuned GDAE like a mandolin ha,ha,ha
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Ukuleles are less expensive than mandolins, and many of the chord shapes apply, and I would argue it is better for singing with. It will do what you want.
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    Registered User bruce.b's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    I vote Ukulele for your needs. I ended up playing GDAE tenor guitar primarily. I personally like baritone uke the most, but tenor would fit your needs too.

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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    BTW, Kala makes great ukes for the money. The solid wood soundboard, laminated back and sides Kala ukes I've played were excellent. My brother has a Kala bari like this and it's great.

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    Middle-Aged Old-Timer Tobin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Agreed, the ukulele fits your stated description better. It's why all the kiddies these days chose the uke rather than the mandolin. It's less expensive, easier to learn, less stressful on the hands, more forgiving to a beginner, and has a wide following. The mandolin is more of a niche instrument for seriously dedicated players.

    The uke, however, won't take you as far as the mandolin in terms of volume or presence.

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    totally amateur k0k0peli's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Sloppy parallel: If you're familiar with peaches but not other fruit, do you think you'd rather eat an apple or an orange? (Hint: apples and peaches are closely related and oranges ain't.) Ukes and mandos are apples and oranges (and guitars are peaches). Okay, it's a lousy metaphor. But these small lutes are both similar and very different.

    I'm good at guitar after 50 years, not so good on mando after 20 (mostly noodling), and not bad at all on 'ukes after a few months. Yes, most guitar chord forms apply directly to ukes and yes, ukes are easier to strum and self-accompany. I have 5 uke-line axes (one is tuned as a mando) and five mando-type axes (one is tuned like a cittern). I'm a loner, so I work at mando tunes and tunings that are not just bits of ensemble pieces. If you want to play with others, mandos are great, and much louder than similar ukes. If you want to play by yourself, mandos aren't bad after you get used to the totally different techniques, but ukes are easier, more straightforward, and often cost less.

    Something you may or may not care for is the tonal range. In standard tunings, a soprano uke's range is 2 octaves (C4-C6) vs a mando's ~3 octaves (G3-F6) and a guitar's 2 2/3 octaves (E2-C5). Ranges are slightly greater with dropped strings and more frets, but those are good ballpark figures. My point is that mandos and soprano ukes are both squeakier than guitars, and ukes are squeakiest of all. (Except maybe a charango.)

    My two soprano ukes are identical except that one is tuned standard (high G) and one is restrung as a mando -- and the latter has much more depth to its sound. A tenor uke with an Aquila fifths string set might be the best of both worlds. No, do NOT restring a mando with uke tuning -- it's neck is too narrow for proper chording unless you have rather small hands.

    You say you want to accompany guitarists. My advice: Get a mandolin. Its voice will mix better.
    Mandos: Coleman & Soviet ovals; Kay & Rogue A5's; Harmonia F2 & mandola
    Ukuleles: 3 okay tenors; 3 cheap sopranos; Harmonia concert & baritone
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    Wanted: charango; balalaika; bowlback mando

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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Like good folks say, if you want to play easy chords and sing, and get a decent instrument for a lower price, one that is fun (less stressful!!) , it's the 'ukulele.

    The mandolin is capable of more melodically, but has double metal strings which are harder to play than single nylon strings.

    However it is possible to use a low G tuning on uke and play a wide variety of music as a melody instrument, not just as a chang-a-lang strumming instrument. Both fingers AND a pick can be used this way. pick is rarer, but I've seen it done.

  18. #14

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Get a uke right now until you can get to a place where you have access to better mandolins. Kala and Oscar Schmidt make very nice ukes that cost less than $150 and you don't need a pick.

    Ukes are fun, easy to transfer from guitar, easy to sing along with and extremly portable...and did I say fun. I love the mandolin but it's not always fun....

    Check out Ukulele Mike on YouTube and Ukulele Underground classifieds. Good luck and have fun.

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    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Quote Originally Posted by keithb View Post
    All the guitar chord shapes you know will transfer directly to uke - it's basically the high four strings of a guitar capoed at the 5th fret.
    I am not a fan of these sorts of similes. The one mandolinists get all the time is that mandolins are tuned like the bottom four strings of a guitar, in reverse, so mandolin chords look like guitar chords, in mirror image. These are odd coincidences, nothing more. I think they do more harm than good, as they add to the confusion. Instruments have their own characteristics, and they should be learned on their own merits, their own distinctive attributes.
    Saying that the DGBE strings capoed at the fifth fret produce the notes of the ukulele strings GCEA may be so, though not exactly - the G is an octave up, a whole step lower than the A - but make me think, "So what?" Both of these similes fail because they cannot reproduce complete guitars, being played on instruments with four tones, not six.

    You're asking on a mandolin site - deep down, you must really want to go with the mando!
    Well, yes, this is really more to the heart of the matter. And to tell the truth, I'm disappointed with my mandolin brethren and sestren, extolling the virtues of an instrument other than our beloved chosen one. I'm particularly dismayed by the assertion that double strings are somehow a deterrent to learning to play the mandolin. This is one of its chief attributes, and it was just this very nature that helped me when I was first introduced to it. The fact that it sounds pretty just strumming the open stings, those ringing tones produced by the simplest approach, that kept me interested in it long enough to learn what to do with it. Also, the regular spacing of string intervals made it a lot easier to learn than guitar, whose one inconsistent interval forced me to pause and think every time I went from the G string to the B string. ("Oh, this is that one, the different one. Darn!")

    I had picked up electric bass before mandolin, and that made sense to me. The mandolin made sense in much the same way, appealing to my mind; the ringing strings sounded pleasant right from the start, appealing to my heart. It was clear to me very soon that the mandolin is the greatest of all plucked instruments, and all I had to do was learn how to realize its potential. It took me a while to get far enough down the road to enlightenment to truly believe in my progress, but when I look back, I can see I've come a ways. And I know I'm ahead of the curve as far as the general public's acceptance of the painfully obvious fact of the mandolin's supremacy.

    So far it looks like ukuleles 10, mandolins 2. That's OK; I'm used to being in the minority. I play mandolin, after all.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

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    Middle-Aged Old-Timer Tobin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    I think it's safe to say that we are all mandolin fans here. I don't even own or play a ukulele. Don't much like them either, to be honest. But that doesn't mean our love for the mandolin should automatically mean we convince everyone to play it if it's not what they're looking for. A genuine question was posed, with parameters. I think the ukulele best fits. It doesn't mean that I don't think the OP shouldn't come to his senses and take up the mandolin instead.

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  23. #17

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Indeed - the world is probably more in need of greater pragmatism rather than more ideology..

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    I am not a fan of these sorts of similes. The one mandolinists get all the time is that mandolins are tuned like the bottom four strings of a guitar, in reverse, so mandolin chords look like guitar chords, in mirror image. These are odd coincidences, nothing more. I think they do more harm than good, as they add to the confusion. Instruments have their own characteristics, and they should be learned on their own merits, their own distinctive attributes.
    Saying that the DGBE strings capoed at the fifth fret produce the notes of the ukulele strings GCEA may be so, though not exactly - the G is an octave up, a whole step lower than the A - but make me think, "So what?" Both of these similes fail because they cannot reproduce complete guitars, being played on instruments with four tones, not six.



    Well, yes, this is really more to the heart of the matter. And to tell the truth, I'm disappointed with my mandolin brethren and sestren, extolling the virtues of an instrument other than our beloved chosen one. I'm particularly dismayed by the assertion that double strings are somehow a deterrent to learning to play the mandolin. This is one of its chief attributes, and it was just this very nature that helped me when I was first introduced to it. The fact that it sounds pretty just strumming the open stings, those ringing tones produced by the simplest approach, that kept me interested in it long enough to learn what to do with it. Also, the regular spacing of string intervals made it a lot easier to learn than guitar, whose one inconsistent interval forced me to pause and think every time I went from the G string to the B string. ("Oh, this is that one, the different one. Darn!")

    I had picked up electric bass before mandolin, and that made sense to me. The mandolin made sense in much the same way, appealing to my mind; the ringing strings sounded pleasant right from the start, appealing to my heart. It was clear to me very soon that the mandolin is the greatest of all plucked instruments, and all I had to do was learn how to realize its potential. It took me a while to get far enough down the road to enlightenment to truly believe in my progress, but when I look back, I can see I've come a ways. And I know I'm ahead of the curve as far as the general public's acceptance of the painfully obvious fact of the mandolin's supremacy.

    So far it looks like ukuleles 10, mandolins 2. That's OK; I'm used to being in the minority. I play mandolin, after all.
    In fact, standard uke tunings are identical (intervallic relationships) to the top-four courses of standard guitar - highly meaningful on a practical level. Same with plectrum banjo (as well as bunches of other instruments - if you tune them in such fashion) While conversely, the "upside-down" aspect of 5ths-tuned mandolin (to guitar) is sensible theoretically but however not so much in practicality (ime). Guitar practice and "theory" has direct applicability to uke - while not to mandolin in such a particular fashion.

    That the OP came seeking relevant information is laudable, as there are numbers of members here with actual experience and whom are able to offer (sound) practical advise.

    Yes, the mandolin has a lovely sound when you pluck its strings. So does plucking the strings of a harp - yet I would hesitate to recommend that a person undertake this if factors contraindicate..

  24. #18
    Registered User Steve Sorensen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Mandolin ! ! ! !

    Elegant, beautiful, tuned in fifths, welcomed in just about every genre of music.

    Adds sparkle that is sorely lacking in most pop music.

    Steve
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Quote Originally Posted by catmandu2 View Post
    That the OP came seeking relevant information is laudable, as there are numbers of members here with actual experience and whom are able to offer practical advise.
    Sure, and I just wanted to share my experience, observations, and ruminations concerning guitars, ukuleles, and mandolins (a little bass thrown in as well, along with a bit of soapbox speaking). These differ from others', as expected. I found mandolin much, much easier to learn that guitar, and I've been baffled by ukulele as well. The high G string on the bottom really throws me, as well as the irregular intervals. I get lots of questions about playing mandolin, such as, "Isn't it harder to play than a guitar?" My stock answer is "No, not for me. I can't play guitar - it has six strings, I have four fingers. I can't do the math." It's a joke, but it's true. And I really think it's easy to play, even though I've grown so accustomed to it my sensibilities have become skewed. Those regular intervals just make so much sense.

    But from a practical standpoint, ukulele may make more sense to play in Nairobi. It is more common worldwide, and strings should be more readily accessible. If I understand correctly, there are just two string gauges used, so I expect one may be able to substitute fishing line or something similar in a pinch.

    BTW, it's "who are able" - indicative case.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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    totally amateur k0k0peli's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Take another look at the OP's first line: I'm a very basic guitar player looking to learn a new unique instrument that will allow me to play with / accompany guitar players, and yet also be fun to sing along with on its own. I'll argue that, fun and easy as a uke is, it's not up to the "accompanying guitarists" role. An affordable soprano especially would be drowned out by any but a bare-fingers picker.

    Also, the top-strings guitar chord-forms transpose on uke. That C chord form I learned on guitar is still a C to me, but on soprano uke it's, let's see [/me looks at chord chart] a G chord. Oops, no, it's an F. Yeah, I'm still confused -- and I've been playing these suckers for years. So when a guitarist says, "Let's do a blues in E", I must remember that I have to play it like it's in B. [/me head spins] And I don't like playing in B.

    Mando chord forms aren't like guitar / uke chord forms. They're distinct enough to stay separate in my mind. If I'm playing a D chord, I don't confuse my two-finger guitar-top-strings form 0-2-3-2 with the mando form 2-0-0-2 -- they're very different beasts, a little triangle vs a nearly-open sweep. I pull out my mando chord chart, compare it with the uke chart, and NONE of the forms look the same. I won't mistake one for the other.

    Summary: A mandolin will fare better against guitars. And a beginning guitarist won't be as confused with a mando vs a uke. Go mando!
    Mandos: Coleman & Soviet ovals; Kay & Rogue A5's; Harmonia F2 & mandola
    Ukuleles: 3 okay tenors; 3 cheap sopranos; Harmonia concert & baritone
    Banjos: Gretsch banjolin; Varsity banjolele; Orlando 5-string; fretless & fretted Cümbüs o'uds
    Acoustic guitars: Martin Backpacker; Ibanez Performance; Art et Lutherie; Academy dobro; Ovation 12-string
    Others: Maffick & First Act dulcimers; Mexican cuatro-menor; Puerto Rican cuatro; Martin tiple; electrics
    Wanted: charango; balalaika; bowlback mando

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    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Yes, mandolins tend to be louder than ukuleles. Overlooked that. Also, it's possible to play a mandolin so it sounds like a ukulele, but not the other way around. AFAIK. And as to strings - they can be ordered online, which is probably how the instrument is going to be ordered. And guitar strings of the right gauges can be used as substitutes, in a pinch.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  29. #22

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Thanks to all of you for thought-provoking responses. Your ideas have helped quite a bit. I am leaning towards the ukulele, even though it's not known to cut through the broad tones of the guitar to be heard, because I get the impression that for the money I'm willing to spend (around the $200 mark), I would be happier with the quality of the instrument (and it's sound?) I'd get with an ukulele. Also, as I may need fewer accoutrements and these things are hard to come by where I am, it seems that for the next year or two I can plunk my way to learning on the uke with more satisfaction than the mandolin. Having said that, let me reassure you that my last few months of reading and researching and listening to the mandolin played well all over the net has affected me - to the point that I know I will get a mandolin at some point (the sound is just too pleasing not to), just maybe not at this point. In my mind, I wouldn't start with less than a KM 150 package ($325 at Elderly), and that is just too much to bite off at this point. So, if I spend $150 on a decent starter uk and start my journey, perhaps I'll be better off?

  30. #23
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Are you in Nairobi at present? And are you going to be staying there or traveling, away from civilization? In a city of over three million people there must be a lot of music stores, some of which will have a decent selections of instruments you can try out. Online prices are one thing, holding and playing and hearing an instrument is another. It's also possible there are ukulele clubs - there are a couple here, in a town with 1% of Nairobi's population - and players are an invaluable source of knowledge and networking.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  31. #24

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    journeybear, thanks for responding. Yes, I'm in Nairobi presently, and staying here for at least another 2 years...traveling this summer to South Africa, so I'm hoping to get to a music store there to hold a few mandolins (and play them?). Here in Nairobi, there are a few music stores (not as many as you would think), but the big market here is for keyboards...even for guitars, there are only a few stores that carry them, and they gouge on the price due to import costs. There is one music store that I know of that had one mandolin that was overpriced (when compared to those online - $850 for a $100 mando) but it's no longer in the store. I've asked about ukuleles there as well, but the staff is not knowledgeable about the instruments, or the uke community (if there is one). It's an interesting world over here, and not easy to get around the city at times, or even connect with those in the music community. Which, I guess, is why I'm turning to you guys

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  33. #25

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Deep down, I do want a mandolin! But, I'm trying to be practical, and I don't want to buy something that is just going to dissuade me from playing due to the poor quality. With my budget as it is, I'm wondering if it's worthwhile now to buy a mandolin or a ukulele - keeping in mind that in the future, I'll eventually (hopefully) be able to buy a decent mandolin to play.

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