If you are thinking of buying a ukulele and taking lessons, then one of the first questions that will come to mind is how much it costs.
The answer to this question depends on what type of ukulele you are looking for and on the way you choose to learn to play the ukulele.
A beginner ukulele can range anywhere from $50 to $150 and you can start learning ukulele with some free youtube videos!
If you want to go for a high-end ukulele you’ll be paying $500 or more and private lessons can cost around $30 to $60 an hour.
In this article we’ll discuss the different ways you can go about learning to play the ukulele and how much it costs.
How Expensive Is It To Learn To Play The Ukulele?
This depends on the way you choose to learn the ukulele. You can make it as expensive as you like, when you’re just starting out you could start by watching some free tutorials.
But if you’re a very skilled ukulele player already, your playing might only need refining and very specific lessons through a private teacher.
Free Tutorials Online
You might not find the best quality videos to learn from, especially if you want to concentrate on certain techniques and styles.
Yet free videos and tutorials are a great way for beginners to start learning how to play the ukulele without having to spend any money at all.
Another downside to learning from free tutorials is that you won’t really have a structured approach to learning the ukulele.
Paid Courses Online
There are some great online courses online that you can start from only $10 per month. Like Fender Play, they have some great courses for learning the ukulele!
With these courses, you get high-quality videos and a very structured and organized way to learn the ukulele.
A downside about paid online courses is that when you have a very specific problem or question that you’re stuck on, you can’t really ask a teacher directly but you have to figure it out yourself.
Private Ukulele Lessons
If you live in a city or town, chances are there is a local ukulele teacher.
You can Google for ukulele teachers near your area and contact them to see how much it would cost and if they would give you a free trial lesson. Be careful because some private lessons charge by the hour and others by the block of lessons.
Private ukulele lessons can range from $30 to $60 an hour, depending on the teacher and where you live.
Private lessons are a great way to improve the skills you already have on the ukulele. Because you can get direct feedback and advice from your teacher and they can be tailored to your specific needs.
The downside about private lessons is that depending on where you live, they might cost a lot and you might have to go to a physical location to learn rather than have a zoom call lesson.
Find a Ukulele Group
There are lots of great ukulele groups in lots of big cities, you can find one near you by searching for “ukulele” in the search bar on Facebook.
If there are none near your area, another way to connect with other players is through online forums or Facebook groups and you can maybe set up a ukulele group yourself!
The great thing about these groups is that they’re free! It’s just a bunch of ukulele players wanting to have a good time. It’s really fun to play with other people and you might learn something from the more experienced players.
Are Ukuleles Expensive?
You can buy a cheap ukulele for $50 or less, but you get what you pay for. I would recommend that beginners start with around $75 to $150 because these are usually made of better quality wood and the sound will be richer than cheaper ones.
If you eventually find out that the ukulele is not for you then you only lost a hundred bucks!
The initial purchase of a ukulele does not cost much, which makes it a great first instrument to learn.
If you’re already very certain about learning the ukulele I would recommend you go with a ukulele that is between $200 to $500. Ukuleles from this price range tend to sound just a little better, last a bit longer, and don’t go out of tune so quickly!
If you’re playing a lot of gigs or you’re a collector you can go for the even more expensive ukuleles with special features like gold plated tuning knobs.
Can I Teach Myself The Ukulele For Free?
As we discussed earlier, it is possible to teach yourself to play ukulele through free youtube videos but this will only take you so far.
In my experience, the best way to go about learning a new instrument is to go with an online course like Fender Play. That way you can learn everything in the right order and it only costs $10 a month.
Once you’re very skilled you can start learning songs by yourself online or take some private lessons to refine your skills!
Is Learning Ukulele Expensive Compared To Learning Guitar?
The initial cost of buying the instrument will be a bit cheaper when buying a ukulele compared to a guitar. You quickly pay $300 for a beginner guitar compared to around $100 for a beginner ukulele.
The cost of learning to play the guitar will be around the same as learning the ukulele. There are a lot of free videos online for both instruments.
You can start learning both instruments with the Fender Play Course and private lesson costs are also roughly the same.
If you already play some guitar, it will be a lot easier to pick up ukulele. So, in that case, you might not have to take lessons.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can make learning the ukulele as expensive as you like. There are free options available but they’re only good to a certain point.
If you want the best way to learn the ukulele I would recommend starting with Fender Play for $10/month and then taking private lessons in your area when you feel like it’s time!
I hope this article was helpful!
Thanks for reading!