before you buy your ukulele 

*_Watching this the moment after I buy my ukulele_*

Now if every parent watched this before buying their children souvenir ukuleles, we would save so many children from being disappointed! Lovely video :)

"I studied philosophy, that's why I'm teaching Ukulele" Man, I can relate to that, hahahaha. Congrats for the great video, it helped a lot.

The first two seconds: "Aloha and Howdy" this is too much information

"AloHa, DoN't Go AnYwHeRe" Me: R u n s a w a y

Man. People are really having issues with this video. Which is reasonable I guess because me too. My first ever ukulele was a kala brand soprano size. It was only $40 and it was super nice and stayed in tune very well.I don't think it was right to say that Sopranos are for children. It's mainly about what kind of tone you want to come out of the instrument. I would like to get a tenor hopefully at some point soon but I'm still very happy with my soprano that I only spent $40 on

*silence* aloha! me: *DIES LAUGHING*

Generally good advice, but saying soprano ukes are only played by small people is incorrect. Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (Brother Iz) is exactly the opposite of a small person (over 6 feet tall and close to 1000 pounds when he died) and he frequently played a soprano ukulele. If you like the sound of a soprano uke, then don't let the size of the instrument intimidate you.

This is probably the best RU-vid video I have ever seen! This guy is a natural born talent and the video is very helpful.

boy that 1300 dollar uke sounds absolutely beautiful !

You can actually get a really nice uke for around 60 dollars they are made out of nice wood and have an amazing sound if you want one like that i recommend the Kala brand but keep in note these are just beginners ukuleles!

why do i always watch these videos *after* I've ordered them

23-year acoustic guitar player here, looking to buy his first ukulele... Thanks so much for the awesome crash course purchasing guide! I'll be looking for a concert-size at minimum for myself!

OH THANK GOD FINALLY SOMEONE WHO SAYS IT RIGHT!

Those pricey ones sound so good 😁

As an introduction to ukuleles, this is a thoroughly informative and professionally-done video; thank you very much.

Thanks Jason for your intro in Uke world. I enjoyed chatting to you and your staff at the store during the week. I was the gent on the worship team in Boston. Looking at your video I definitely want to be able to fingerpick and of course I love that beautiful angelic harp sound the Koala. Yikes!! I'll be in touch. Thanks again. Paul

Love the presentation! Clear, honest, funny, human! If I wasn't in AZ, I'd stop on by!

Thank you! I have been playing Ukulele for a while now and figured it is time to get a new one with proper intuition. But with your video, I also noticed that I also need one that is grown-up already. All in all very informative and pleasant to watch.

Got that first Makala for $10 at a garage sale, case included. Im more of a guitar guy but that buy opened me up to the ukulele world and eventually did upgrade

So glad I watched this before my purchase! Size matters! I'll be going to my local music store in the next few days and now have a much better understanding of what size Ukelele to search for, not to mention the construction materials that fit my budget. Thanks for posting!

Thank you, I really enjoyed watching this. Loved the humour and practical advice. Just wish I'd watched it six months ago!

Dang, as if I needed any more reason to go back to Lahaina -- loved that town, love Maui in general. I've been thinking about learning `ukulele so this vid was extremely informative. Mahalo.

12:32 HERE COMES THE SUN

I can’t believe I missed you when I was on Maui last year! I really wanted to get a ukulele when I was there, but never saw any that weren’t toys. See you when I get back next year!

Wow! Great job. I never played but I understand and trust you already your knowledge is obviously seasoned

Great video! Very helpful. It really showed the differences between the price variations. Thank you!!

Oms... I absolutely _adore_ the sound of the one at 10:47, holy heck... I just stood there stunned for a moment the first time I heard it, I think I'm in love

Thank you so much! I now know what I am looking for in a ukulele. Again, thank you!

Im looking to buy a ukelele to teach myself/ watch videos to learn how to play it. this is really good advice thank you

For the longest time, I’ve had the uke at 3:00 until recently, my dad got me the exact same uke that he suggested buying straight after that.

Thank you for your video, I wish I knew that before I start Ukulele 6-7 month ago. I first bought a tenor and paid a guitar teacher that knew nothing about Ukulele. Long story short, I listen to your other video and throw all I knew and practice to the garbage. Now I have a concert and it fit perfectly and feel more natural. No more pain from the wrong holding of the intrument.

I just decided I wanted to get into uke one day. Went to my local music store (hour away) and they had the small $30 ones, than the sopranos were $150+ and then, at the very end I found a baritone for $90. That was all the money I had. Bought the baritone, and have been playing for 4 months now (having played guitar and bass in bands) and it’s definitely a gem. Not the best quality ever but has a lovely harmonic sound. I’d recommend baritone to most people who enjoy a deeper and smooth sound.

I am definitely a beginner and I appreciate all the information you provided in this video I now know what to look for quality wise.

Thank you for the video, it was most informative and has stopped me making an impulse buy. If your shop was in Melbourne i'd be happy to buy from you.

That helps a lot in my hunt for another ukulele, thanks! I am currently playing a Mahalo Soprano uke, and about 5 foot 8 (Still growing).

Very good guide, I'm getting closer to parting with decent money after this.

Excellent video with very useful information. Thank you.

This is the most helpful video I've seen!! thank you!!! x

Such an informative video! Thanks! Nice playing, too.

Thank you! This is an invaluable tutorial.

Had much fun listening to your review...much many a lot of thankss...great professional review..blessings to U and your wife

OMG! I just about passed out when I heard the tone of the KoAloha Ukulele. Just gorgeous!

Jason, you "meet & exceed all audience expectations" as Rush Limbaugh puts it. How? You elicit much input from a wide range of audience viewers who span from novices to those dedicated to the performance of various ukulele makes, models and quality of sound. It benefits me by knowing the various factors to consider in making an informed decision in purchasing a ukulele that is appropriate for me personally (arm length, as well as tone based on uke size are essential factors). Well done and thanks for sharing your expertise, Jason! Thanks to all those offering input based on discerning experience & insight. Very helpful!

Hahaha...thankss brother...a pleasure ! Lovv philosophy too...it fits music perfectly..heart and mind!

Brilliant explanations and advice, thanks.

Thanks, excellent advice for someone like me wanting to buy

I bought mine from Amazon for 60 it's a soprano I've been playing it for 5 months.....it was a good beginner uke

I bought a Fender and it is GREAT. Been playing guitar for 35 years though so I know what to get :-P The Fenders are amazingly nice.

Very informative. Thank you

this is explains why my favorite uke is my cheapest. It is perfect for sitting back and quietly practicing.

Thank you for this Great content, enjoyed watching it and love it

I'm 5'1 and I bought a Freeman uke for about 80$ in BOLIVIA! It has all metal parts, mahogany wood and it sounds pretty good. I might move up to a better one further on but I'm in love with my soprano ukulele. It fits my little fingers perfectly :)

I've recently purchased a couple (mid-range price) ukes lately. I'm a guitar guy, and wanted the " oh gee, a cute ukulele factor" when kitchen jamming. Because we all know ,ukulele's just make people smile. Your video is spot on. Not unlike the guitar world, parents spend $125 on the cheap guitar, and wind up with a useless dust collector with zero resale value. But then again, if they pay $400 (on a good guitar), the kid may have a much better chance at sticking with it and again, the resale may only be $275, so the parent loses $125 anyhow. Moral of the story... you often get what you pay for, so get something good , knowing the investment is likely to come with a loss regardless.

Informative + love your sense of humour!

i loooved that lil blues riff you did toward te end ! can you do more of that in a vid, blues and soul style uke tunes? id love to hear more of that bro !

Thanks to this video, I upgraded from a soprano to a Kala Cedar Cutaway, and I'm having much more fun playing a size that accommodates my frame and fingers! I can't thank you enough!!!

If you want to buy a cheap one that isn't bad, I would choose a Shelby brand. But you need to check if there is this brand in your country, because this is a Brazilian brand 🇧🇷 and if there is, buy one with Mahogany wood because it makes the sound better 👍🏼

I am a basic guitarist but would like to try the Uke. Thanks for the advice

Very very very good video. The explanations, the tips, the extra details, the way of talking and the contend. Thank you so much!

Thanks for the vid, love to hear ya play over there....

Excellent ukeleles overview. Thanks!

Finally! A video teaching people about ukulele’s and they say the word ukulele correct! Mahalo!!

A very nice presentation. keep up the good work!

My grandmother bought the one with turtles on it (2nd one) and I did lose interest in it. In fact, I lost interest in all stringed instruments until my 40's. Lately saw a young gal playing a bass Uke in a Bluegrass Band and it sounded GREAT! I have a mandolin now and having trouble with the steel strings because my fingers and a disagreement with a table saw. No feeling in the middle finger UNTIL I press a string. Great advise.

Great video for a parent looking into buying a ukelele. Thanks!

Bought it from a garage sale fixed it myself. Bought strings and put them on it learned on my own with a cord sheet and some tutorials for songs on RU-vid for the strumming pattern and order of chords then write it down. i have a Johnson uk-120 im 27 my mom comes to me and says i got this for a dollar can you do something with it i said yep. I play it daily. This was 2 to 3 weeks ago.

Great video! Thanks for your help.

Ha, great, RU-vid recommends this video one hour after I bought a 15 buck ukulele at Aldi. 😅 I only bought it for decoration purposes and as a toy for my kids, but although it's not too well crafted, the wood is dull and feels like plywood and I'm not sure if strings mean to be from *that* kind of plastic... it actually sounds surprisingly nice. 😮 I hadn't expected that, when I tuned it just for fun. But I then googled some ukulele chords, practiced for a few minutes, taught my daughter three chords, and we sang ring of fire and follow me and amazing grace. I hadn't expected it to be that easy to play, too. So it's good to know what to look for when we're going to buy a real ukulele next week. 😂

You saved me and my wallet!!! I´m here in Helsinki and here are many Music-Shops all around... and i haded the idea to buy an ukulele... but Heaven... i didn´t knew what you had to think about it... at the end 65 Euro saved... Thank you so mutch... i´ll buy a right one in germany... ;D

Hey thanks much for the informative video.

We bought a Baritone Uke in your store during our last vacation there in Maui. We got it for $187 including a case and it’s brand is Kala Uke. It’s sounds great!

"I studied philosophy, so that´s why I´m teaching the ukulele!" Haha! - Never heard that one before ;D

This is an awesome video🙏🙏❤ I wondered why holding my Makala felt unstable and awkward

I just bought my first ukelele a month ago but I have no any idea by that time which ukelele is the best for me until I watched your video now. Feb 2020

Thanks. I think you just saved me from buying crap. What I really want is an Uke that plays well but still comes in the fun rainbow colors. Like I don't appreciate the assumption that I grew up just because I got older.

thank you for the good video and info...the sound.. I could hear the differences in them...

4:25 well thats cool😂✨ talking while playing the uke.

I got my first ukulele for $60 ish dollars , it was a simple design but amazing, my most recent one , $120 ish sounds the same , just fancier, both are wood Michelle concerts, it's just the brand and quality, I've had a cheap $20 soprano that sounded amazing

my ukulele is a Luna Soprano ukulele, and I actually think it's amazing. Highly recommend.

Nice informative video, since I'm planning to buy one sometime soon. I think he's just pointing out that comfort is one of the keys to enjoy playing it especially for those starting out. If you're happy with the small size, go ahead. As long as you enjoy playing. 😄

Thank you! You have helped me to make a right decision:)

I got mine from “Long & McQuade” and mine is just fine

Thanks!! I really need this kind of Video.

Wish i saw this before i wasted my money. Now I know! Thank you!

I bought a uke in Hawaii and haven't been able to find a uke teacher. So frustrating! I'm always watching uke videos and tutorials but I need a real hands on teacher. Thanks for showing the different ukes. Mine is an Islander MC4 mahogany which cost about $120.00. I think it is a decent starting uke if I can only find a teacher.

THANKS for showing how the ukulele should sit based on height/arm length. When I'm in HI I'll come visit.

Very informative video! Thank you

nope i like the just under 1,000 ~ so lovely ~ thank you so much

hi and thanks for the video i want a Kala and all solid (like acacia -Mahogany) but i hesitate between a Kala cutaway concert eq too

One thing I found about the different sizes is chords like d, are hard for my hands to do on a soprano uke. Easier on a concert, and easy on a tenor. The first Uke I bought was so small I really couldn't get the d to sound correct. It was a small beginner Kala. I returned it for something much nicer. And larger. You get what you pay for.

Thank you very much for taking the time to make this video. Very helpful.

Thanks for the tutorial.

Thank you! That was perfect :)

Awesome video! Thank you for the great information.

What are the cords for the melody you play. It's so nice !

The size remarks hit some nerves. The advice seems good, and the tone difference is audible.

I’ve only played the ukulele a few times and I found out my mom ordered one recently and I am absolutely terrified but excited at the same time because I’ve fallen in love with them, but I don’t want to find a toy ukulele or a broken one lol

I play the harp but I would love to play the ukulele. but here in Louisiana I am not sure. but still I am looking for a ukulele say with low G string, your technique is all most like the lute which l love as well. I have been playing the harp for just over 20 years. I wanted to learn classical guitar but I don't like Spanish so that went out the door. but when I saw Elvis Presley in blue Hawaii play the ukulele I thought that would be perfect to go along with my beautiful harp.

Great explanation and tutorial.