Ukuleles come in four main sizes — soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. They all play the same way, but they sound and feel quite different, and picking the right one makes learning a lot more fun. The good news: three of the four share the same tuning, so the chords and songs you learn carry straight across them. Here’s the whole picture, and a plain guide to which one to buy.
Sizes are measured by the instrument’s total length. As they get bigger they get a little deeper and louder, with more room between the frets:
| Size | Length | Tuning | Sound | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soprano | ~21″ (53 cm) | g–C–E–A | Bright, jangly, classic | Tradition, travel, kids, small hands |
| Concert | ~23″ (58 cm) | g–C–E–A | Fuller and a touch louder | Most adult beginners — the all-rounder |
| Tenor | ~26″ (66 cm) | g–C–E–A | Rich, resonant, more sustain | Bigger hands, fingerpicking, performing |
| Baritone | ~30″ (76 cm) | D–G–B–E | Deep, warm, guitar-like | Guitarists, a mellow low voice |
The one thing to remember: soprano, concert and tenor are all tuned g–C–E–A, so every chord shape and song is identical between them — you can switch freely. Only the baritone is tuned differently (D–G–B–E), so its chord shapes don’t match the others.
The soprano is the smallest and most traditional ukulele — the size most people picture when they hear the word. It has the brightest, most characterful “ukulele” tone: light, jangly and cheerful. Because it’s short, the frets sit close together, which is lovely for small hands and children but can feel cramped if your fingers are large. It’s the lightest to hold and the easiest to pack for travel.
The concert is a little bigger than a soprano in every way — slightly longer body, a bit more space between the frets, and a fuller, marginally louder sound that still keeps the bright ukulele character. For most adult beginners this is the sweet spot: comfortable to fret, easy to hold, and forgiving for hands that aren’t tiny. If you’re not sure which to get, a concert is the safe, happy default.
The tenor is bigger again, with a longer scale, wider fret spacing and more frets to reach. That extra body gives it a richer, louder, more resonant sound with noticeably more sustain — it’s the size many performers and fingerpickers choose. The roomy neck suits larger hands. It’s often strung with a low G instead of the usual high one, which adds an extra low note and a more guitar-like range (you can hear both options in the tuning guide).
The baritone is the largest ukulele and the one that breaks the pattern. Instead of g–C–E–A it’s tuned D–G–B–E — exactly the top four strings of a guitar. The result is a deep, warm, mellow voice that sounds halfway to a small guitar. Because the tuning is different, the chord shapes you learn on a soprano, concert or tenor won’t give the same chords here. The flip side: if you already play guitar, the shapes for those top four strings will feel instantly familiar.
There’s no single “best” ukulele — just the right one for your hands and the sound you’re after. A quick way to decide:
Whichever of the first three you choose, everything you learn moves with you — so don’t agonise. Pick the size that feels good in your hands and start playing.
Got your ukulele? Tune it first. A new instrument won’t hold pitch until the strings settle, so it pays to check often at the start. The lele app has a built-in tuner — tap a string, match the pitch by ear, and you’re ready to play.
The concert is the most popular all-round size and a great first ukulele for most adults. It keeps the classic bright ukulele sound but is a little bigger and louder than a soprano, with more room between the frets. The soprano remains the traditional, most compact size — excellent for travel, children and that jangly old-school tone.
For most adult beginners a concert is the sweet spot — comfortable fret spacing and a full sound without being big. Small hands or buying for a child? A soprano is lighter and shorter. Large hands or want a deeper sound? A tenor suits you well. All three share standard g–C–E–A tuning, so the chords and songs you learn carry across them.
Yes. Soprano, concert and tenor are all tuned to standard g–C–E–A, so every chord shape, scale and song is identical across the three. Only the baritone is different — it’s tuned D–G–B–E, like the top four strings of a guitar, so the same finger shape gives a different chord.
A tenor is bigger than a concert — roughly 26 inches versus 23 — with a longer scale, wider fret spacing, more frets, and a deeper, louder, more resonant sound with more sustain. Both use standard g–C–E–A tuning, so anything you learn on one works on the other. Choose a concert for compact comfort, a tenor for bigger hands and a fuller voice.
Yes, but it’s the odd one out. The baritone is the largest size and is tuned D–G–B–E — the same as the top four strings of a guitar — rather than g–C–E–A. It has a deep, warm, guitar-like sound. Because of the different tuning, baritone chord shapes don’t match the other ukuleles — though if you play guitar, they’ll feel instantly familiar.
Ready to play? Whatever size you picked, get it in tune, learn a few chord shapes, find the island strum, and try an easy song — or just open the practice app and start.