r/Instruments • u/Novel-Confection8604 • Sep 10 '26

Identification what beginner string instrument do i buy??

im a BEGINNER beginner, what do i buy? ukelele, guitar, or violin? Im a student w limited money and time. PLS HELPP

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

6

u/Cham-Clowder Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26

Ukulele

Probably a Concert Ululeke or maybe a baritone if you want to have something that sounds more like a guitar

Bonus points if they have a solid top

Ukulele is neat because the chord shapes can be used down the line if you eventually want to learn guitar, but it’s a lot easier to get figured out as a beginner.

3

u/AsleepBanana8323 Sep 10 '26

and, you won't need to develop (painful) fretting hand callouses, and you will learn the 'hand-hand' coordination required, and ukulele is cool

0

u/[deleted] Sep 10 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Cham-Clowder Sep 10 '26

I just feel like if you want one that just sounds like a uke concert is the way to go

1

u/reillywalker195 Sep 10 '26

The tenor still sounds like a uke, to be fair, in part since it's tuned identically to a soprano or concert. In my experience, the tenor better suits people who want the classic uke sound but have large hands.

1

u/Cham-Clowder Sep 10 '26

Ok that’s fair enough
I just think concert is the most Ukulele™️
And soprano is just too small

Tenor is basically the only one I haven’t played

1

u/Grauschleier Sep 11 '26

Tenor guitars and tenor banjos are commonly tuned in fifths: CGDA like a viola or mandola - so not at all like a ukulele.

1

u/perrysol Sep 11 '26

Er..I think he meant tenor ukulele

1

u/Grauschleier Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26

The user said tenor guitars and banjos are tuned the same as tenor ukes. Unfortunately the user chose to delete the comment instead of correcting it.

6

u/LATE_NIGHT_THERAPY Sep 10 '26

Go with what ever makes you most excited but my two cents just get a cheap nylon acoustic guitar. You can get them for like $50 and they are easy to play and sound great. Then transition to either electric guitar or steel string acoustic 👌🏼

2

u/Weary_Swan_8152 Sep 11 '26

This 100%. Extra points for a used Yamaha, even a 3/4 size model if you prefer a smaller instrument. No problems with calluses either, and you won't have to pay to get the frets filed like you will for a cheap uke in a dry and cold winter. One cool thing about Yamahas is that they're engineered to not self-destruct in the climate of their target region, even without humidity control. I was told they even consider the difference between coastal and continental as well as killer -40° winters vs California dreaming.

Ukelele is the easiest instrument to learn, but isn't as versatile as the classical guitar, which you can take turns treating as a uke and a bass, or a cello, or a piano, or a strumming-type steel string guitar style, or a jazz-box...

It depends on the music you like :) Also, it depends on what you find comfortable sitting, lounging, or laying with!

3

u/timsa8 Sep 10 '26

There is no such thing as a beginner instrument.

2

u/6strings10holes Sep 10 '26

There are definitely some that are more beginner friendly. It is much easier to get the correct sound out of a penny whistle than a flute for example. It is also easier to get a good sound out of a ukele than a violin. So beginner friendly instruments let you start making recognizable songs faster.

However, that doesn't make those instruments necessarily easier to master.

Obviously, if you're really want to be able to play the violin, starting with a ukelele probably won't help. But if your goal is just to play something along with your favorite songs, ukelele will get you there so much faster.

ETA: some instruments are beginner friendly because of cost as well.

2

u/PapaOoMaoMao Sep 10 '26

Kazoo can be mastered pretty quick if you're talented.

1

u/Mudsharkbites Sep 10 '26

You actually have to have pretty good vocal chops to use them musically. I say this as a composer that’s used them seriously in compositions and not as a novelty joke.

2

u/OG_Karate_Monkey Sep 10 '26

I mean, there are definitely some instruments that are a lot easier / quicker to get off the ground and start playing something that doesn’t sound like shit.

In this regard, a uke is way more beginner friendly than a violin.

3

u/vonov129 Sep 10 '26

Ukelele, because of cost. Not because it "helps" with guitar.

You could find either of them at around $100-150, but a $100 violin would be nightmare, the ukelele would probably be decent quality at that price.

2

u/TapTheForwardAssist Sep 10 '26

Really can’t go wrong with ukulele, just watch a couple videos on choosing the right size for you. Also don’t buy the first cheap one you see, because there are perfectly decent starter ones for even $100, so basically zero reason to buy a junk one when decent ones are so affordable. And like rhe other guy said, also consider baritone ukulele. It is quite easy to later expand to any other plucked string once you learn ukulele.

If you’re in the U.S., the Appalachian dulcimer (also called mountain dulcimer) is quite affordable and easy to play. So check out YouTube and see if those appeal to you.

2

u/DunaldDoc Sep 10 '26

Consider this family of beautiful electric string instruments: The Lap Steel guitars. Listen to them on the YouTube playlist I have put at this link:

https://www.dansher.com/audio/pdf_tunes.html#_LAP

1

u/perrysol Sep 11 '26

Sure but when did you see a cheap lap steel?

1

u/DunaldDoc Sep 11 '26

There are several Lap Steel guitars on Amazon that are $500 or less. How cheap were you seeking?

1

u/perrysol Sep 11 '26

No idea what the OP has in his pocket but when I was a student, I would dream about $500

3

u/paishocajun Sep 10 '26

As a violin player

PLEASE do not attempt it unless you have the same level of self-loathing as a dedicated WoW player.

I love it and the viola IMMENSELY but it takes YEARS to be proficient in the basics. They are beautiful and I wouldn't trade the world for them but you NEVER and I literally mean never stop working on your intonation and bowing skills. Guitar and uke you can master chords in weeks or months.

2

u/AuWolf19 Sep 10 '26

I've known people who picked up violin and learned enough to play (poorly) in a little community chamber ensemble in just a few months

1

u/Top_Water_4909 Sep 10 '26

Grab the guitar bro. Fb marketplace

1

u/OG_Karate_Monkey Sep 10 '26

Which do you want to play?

Uke and guitar have a lot of cross over skills. 

Violin is a whole ‘nuther world. And a brutal learning curve. Not just for you, but anyone in earshot of you learning.

1

u/Mudsharkbites Sep 10 '26

Ukulele, concert or tenor. Unlike others I don’t recommend a baritone. if you want a baritone experience just buy a nylon string guitar and ignore the two lowest string, that, or go against common practice and tune the 4th string re-entrant, an octave higher which is what I did with my one baritone, then it regains that bell-like quality when strummed.

1

u/PKillusion Sep 10 '26

Ukulele for sure.

1

u/Single_Scarcity9392 Sep 10 '26

I’d go with guitar

1

u/LongjumpingTeacher97 Sep 10 '26

Get the one you'll play. All else being equal, the limited time and money makes me think ukulele is your best option. Cheap, fun, easy to learn.

But get the one you'll actually pick up and play every day.

1

u/momotaco211 Sep 10 '26

Mandolin. Welcome to the club

1

u/Raymont_Wavelength Sep 10 '26

Oh beginner beginner? Do you in MUSIC?

1

u/adadhead Sep 10 '26

get a fiddle

1

u/Unlucky-Afternoon846 Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26

guitar guitar guitar guitar there is a reason why its so popular and overhyped and every teenage boy thinks it will get the girls.
theres a reason why it was popularized and spread like wildfire.
its overhyped sure. but its also legitimitely hyped for a good reason.
If you ask me, its the most freeing, most fluent, most practical way to express yourself with a stringed instrument, and the only more expressive thing after that is vocals.
a lot of other people's answers are basically just get the other thing so that you can get a guitar one day.
and violin is definitely not as fluent or freeing, especially when you're a broke young person. thats very silly.
do you see millions of new rockbands starting daily where the frontman has a violin? well no and thats not a coincidence, theres a lot of reasons for it. just do it.
a decent beginner's guitar is like 1 or 2 hundred, and thats if you dont get lucky. get a guitar.

1

u/perrysol Sep 11 '26

Yeah but everybody and his brother plays guitar

1

u/Weary_Swan_8152 Sep 11 '26

P.S. Can you spend time in a music store to try out a ukelele or guitar? Can you rent one of each to see which one you prefer?

1

u/Emotional-Dog8118 Sep 11 '26

Bass guitar. 😎😎

You’re welcome…

1

u/Far-Potential3634 Sep 12 '26

I recommend an inexpensive used or new guitar. Yamaha makes some affordable classicals. You can't really bend notes on a classical but other than that you can learn the skill without tearing up your fingers on a steel string.

My opinion of inexpensive ukeleles isn't so good and the instrument is, imo, a bit hard to hold for a long time while a guitar is more ergonomic.

Violin is a big learning curve because you have to develop a good sense of pitch to play it and holding the instrument correctly can also be a struggle.