Another ukulele beginners tip video and advice guide - looking at how ukulele nut widths vary, and how they affect space on the fingerboard.
I did this because I regularly see people advising beginners that they should definitely buy a concert or a tenor over a soprano as they are 'easier' to play. I personally find nut width has far more impact and this is a myth that keeps getting trotted out..
Things to bear in mind here
1. Not all ukes are equal. Most cheap tenors will have nuts that are the same width as cheap sopranos. People think they are getting more finger space because the neck is longer (true) - but they are not getting more space where it counts for large fingers - ACROSS the neck - that is governed by nut width. If anything, for a beginner a large scale length is MORE of a stretch in other ways.
2. I know many sopranos with more space than most concerts and tenors. That's a simple fact.
3. In short - if you have big hands, there is no reason whatsoever for a soprano to be considered 'too small' for you. I genuinely believe it's just a get out clause parrotted by people who are confusing the fact that they are still learning with scale size. A bad workman always blames his tools...
A WIDE nut on a ukulele is one that is about 1.5" max. Whilst you will see those on some tenors you won't see them on all of them. More importantly you will also see them on some sopranos. Brands like Koaloha, Kiwaya, Kanile'a, Kamaka and Flea will give you large nuts on all scales. A more standard 'Chinese import' nut width will be as narrow as 1.375" - and you will find those on sopranos, concerts or tenors. In other words, the scale is irrelevant!
I am a beginner uke player, and having practiced on several different instruments, I firmly believe that the nut width is the most important part when starting out. Smaller ukes are also easier to hold, which was an issue for me when changing chords.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure we are on the same page here are we? I prefer wider nuts!
ReplyDeleteI’m with you. I bought a Lanikai tenor with a 37 mm nut. I then purchased a Cordoba with a full 38mm. You wouldn’t think 1 mm would make a difference but there are chords I just can’t play well at 37mm. I have arthritis, play finger style and I’m an intermediate to advanced player. If I’m struggling with a chord on my Lanikai I switch to the Cordoba an I can play the chord. So even 1 mm makes a difference. I will never buy anything under 38mm again.
DeleteAlso important is string separation at the bridge, for fingerpicking.
ReplyDeleteYes true - but less so for the impact that has on space on the fingerboard
ReplyDeleteI find it really hard to find a Ukulele with a narrow fretboard, I do have really small fingers and have trouble stretching them as i have trouble with my wrist, i do not really understand the widths that are given to be honest? i just want someone to tell me who makes the smallest nut width instead of me taking a couple of weeks trying to look online. it can be really frustrating. I have a soprano i used at the beginning but went on to the Concert which i like. But a lot of Concerts i have tried have wider nut widths. So cannot find one at all.!
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem. I have a concert with the nut size of 1 and 3/8. It's a Cynthia Lynn Ohana concert uke. It even came with brown Aquila strings. Sounds mellow. But I'm looking at the Chinese "Snail" brand. It's supposed to be narrower for smaller Asian hands.
DeleteI have hands like shovels. I have nerve and tendon damage in my L hand. I took up the Uke partly as a way to improve the function in that hand. There is no doubt whatsoever about the observations Baz cites in respect of narrow nuts and scale lengths.
ReplyDeleteI struggled for ages with a narrow nutted tenor. I bought one with a wider spacing and...bingo!
Perversely, now that I can string a few chords etc together, I choose (sometimes) to play a narrow nutted soprano to improve ability to cram fingers into limited space.
Well, that's one of my excuses for the number of instruments owned.
Barry, could you please tell me did you notice any difference in sound between wider and narrower nuts? Because i have, and sound wise, i prefer the narrower ones because the strings being tighter together create more jangly, funky flare when strummed. I would like to know your oppinion on that, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI haven't, and can't think of any reason why there would be. Also, impossible to objectively test because the two you will be comparing are different ukuleles. I've played two ukes in the SAME model and they've sounded different!
DeleteGood point on the last bit. I was thinking for an example the difference i heard between a Baton Rouge V2 SW and the S model.... the wider nut model sounded a bit more dark and serious. Another example would be squaring an all solid Ohana against a Martin.... I can hear a slight difference in the brightness.
DeleteThank you for the reply, and keep up the good work Barry!
I did notice it when comparin the baton rouge sopranos with or without wide neck: https://www.thomann.de/gb/baton_rouge_v2_s_sun.htm
Deletehttps://www.thomann.de/gb/baton_rouge_v2_sw.htm
Or a solid mahagony Ohana to a Martin (with same strings....)
Thank you for your kind reply by the way
Thanks for this video, Barry, which I've only just found. I'm just starting out, and I'm struggling with fat and clumsy fingers at the moment. The ukuleles you've identified as having a wider nut all look lovely but they seem to start at the £200 mark. Is there a budget option with a 38mm+ nut width?
ReplyDeleteI have a problem with arthritis in the baby finger of my left hand that causes issues with string clearance. When I’m playing on the 4th string of my tenor I end up muting the third string because of the way the knuckle bends. I currently have a Flight Fireball that I believe has a 38mm nut. Would going with a slightly narrower nut and/or narrower string spacing help? Or is my thinking flawed and this is a technique problem? I don’t live near a store to check out other brands.
ReplyDelete