I don’t know what instrument to play. Should I start on guitar or ukulele?
Most of you will be instantly drawn to one or the other, but if you’re unsure you’d be welcome to come for an lesson and try out both ukulele and guitar to see which you prefer. In terms of starting on an instrument, ukulele is a lot more beginner friendly – it only has four strings so it’s easier to play the basic chords. It’s also easier to press down the strings and can be a lot of fun. Some of my students have started on uke then moved on to guitar as well after a year or so.
Guitar has a bit more of a learning curve, but if you love the sound then it’s worth it! It has more warmth than the ukulele due to the two extra strings, and is very versatile.
How regularly do students come for lessons?
Most of my students come for an hour lesson weekly. This helps keep students focused and gives them a regular structure, and also allows me to keep an eye that bad habits aren’t creeping in! That said, I understand that not everybody can make weekly lessons, so individual arrangements can be made. If you’re able to come on weekday mornings or early afternoon I’m usually able to be more flexible.
Where do you teach?
Lessons are taught from my home near Long Ashton, Bristol. I also teach from Southville on Tuesdays.
Do you teach workshops?
Yes, I’ve taught workshops on Beginner Ukulele and Strumming for Ukulele. Please get in touch if you have any specific requirements.
How much do you charge for lessons?
Lessons are £25 for an hour (recommended for adult students), £15 for 30 mins (recommended for young students). Let me know if you have any personal requirements – 45 minute lessons can also be arranged.
I don’t have an instrument – can I borrow one?
You are welcome to borrow my instruments for the first lesson or two, just to get a feel for it, but after that I would strongly recommend buying your own instrument. To progress and get the most enjoyment out of playing you really need an instrument to practice and play with between lessons. You can pick up a decent ukulele for £25 upward – just beware of the really cheap bright coloured ones! (See below for more info). Naturally, for a guitar you can expect to spend more, depending on size and type of guitar (you may find this article helpful).
Where is the best shop in Bristol to buy my first ukulele?
Unfortunately there’s not a music shop in Bristol that I know of that I can wholeheartedly claim has a varied and tasteful selection of ukuleles under £50. Please let me know if you hear of one! Most sell one brand or two if you’re lucky. One place that might be worth a look is Hobgoblin on Park Street – and while you’re there you could also check out Musicroom down the road. If you’re ever in London you could visit the infamous Duke of Uke, a shop devoted entirely to ukuleles.
So with a lack of uke choice in the local music shops, it’s seriously worth considering buying online. Southern Ukulele Store have an excellent range of ukuleles, and will setup your instrument for you at no extra cost. I have also heard good things about Highly Strung, who offer the same service. The disadvantage of buying online is that you can’t try before you buy, however check the return policy – most online shops offer at least 7 days to return an instrument if you’re not happy with it for whatever reason.
So which brand of Ukulele do you recommend?
For a first ukulele I’d recommend spending at least £25 – any less than that and you might get problems with tuning, intonation and unplayably high action that will put you off playing. I’ve heard good things about Kala (e.g. the KA-S), Makala, and Lanikai (particularly the LU-21 series). As you go up in price your options expand greatly – gotaukulele.com has a good overview of some of the ukes going upwards. As always in buying an instrument, as long as it surpasses a baseline quality, the bottom line is to go with what feels and sounds good to you (i.e. trust your gut!)
Do you have any recommended accessories?
Snark Tuner
Especially if you’re just starting out, you’ll want a tuner to help keep things sounding smooth. I’ve found Snark tuners to be some of the best – they are really accurate for the price, and work well for both ukulele and guitar (as well as many other instruments!).
Click here to buy on Amazon UK.
More Questions?
If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact me via my Contact page 