Five year old child - Uke or Nuke? (the idea, that is)

Ham · August 2023

Do I get a uke for my grandson's fifth birthday or not? He wants a guitar like mine, and understands that it has to be smaller. He doesn't have any particular musical leanings beyond enjoying making a noise, pretty much like me. I play nursery rhymes for him and if I honest I'm using them to help me learn to read and understand music as part of my current aim to learn a bit. I've not ever played a ukulele, but how hard can it be?

On the one hand I can't see the harm, on the other I'd hold off until he is more in a place to learn.

I'd be inclined just to buy a cheap thing under a tenner to start, this looks ideal

(Actually this looks better)

idiotwind · August 2023

I got one of these for my three year old - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089MBC37M

Well reviewed and actually usable. If you go too cheap it'll just be a toy. At 5 they have the capacity to learn. My eldest was having piano lessons then, and the middle one is currently 5 and having violin lessons (at his request I'll add).

viz · August 2023

If he’s a Duke or his name’s Luke, then definitely yes.

LastMantra · August 2023

My son is 6 and I have a small but adult type seagull acoustic that I've given to him. He can't play it properly though his fingers are still way too small.

@idiotwind mentions something cheap being a toy, which is very true, but at that age it's going to be used as
a toy really anyway.
Unless you've got some child prodigy there!
He'll probably enjoy something that looks like your guitar that makes a sound as much as something that looks different but is more musicaly proper, if you get me.
My son likes putting stickers on his as much as playing it, and it's got a few bumps and scrapes already.

I tune it to an interesting open tuning and he is picking the strings to make a wee tune but lies it flat on the floor and can't fret anything yet.

Ham · August 2023

I've no illusions, as you say it will be a toy, in an open tune he could possibly fret it by just grabbing the neck? But does that lead to bad habits that would be hard to shake if he wanted to learn ? The kit I linked to looks to be fun to make with him, too (I foresee a space rocket or robot landing on the front

)

LastMantra · August 2023

I'm not worried about bad habits or anything like that. Just happy he seems to have fun with it at the moment, and hopefully he'll stay interested as he gets older.

I'm actually pretty chuffed he can produce something fairly musical already. He certainly seems to know what sounds "right" notes and timing wise. Obviously makes lots of mistakes but he's getting there

Ddigger · August 2023

I bought a Mahalo ukulele from a guitar shop for my son when he has 3. It is still in one piece and I started showing him stuff when he was 5. I think children that age all have a good "ear" as they have just taught themselves to speak. The boy is 9, takes lessons and has a Squier Mustang.

I would have a look on Gumtree, there may be a ukulele for sale local for a tenner or so.

robgilmo · August 2023

I got my wee man a Ibeneze Gio 3/4 , got him into lessons at school, he was 6 , he loves it, its a great wee guitar. He knows its not a toy and treats it well , he has even played in front of his school year, I dont think there is any harm in buying a decent instrument for a kid if they want to go that way, I think buying a cheap toy instrument might have a negative effect on what could be a genuine interest that needs supporting and nurturing , each kid is different though and only you know what path to take.

Octavio · August 2023

Anyone had any experience with Loog? They have more options in their US store, but bit on the pricier side.

Was shopping for my daughter and they've been following me around the internet.

https://eu.loogguitars.com/

Roland · August 2023

Get a Low G Uke. Same tuning, and hence fingering, as the top four strings of a guitar barred at the 5th fret. Anything he learns is quickly transferable to the guitar if that’s the way he progresses.

Whistler · August 2023

Ham said:

Do I get a uke for my grandson's fifth birthday or not? He wants a guitar like mine, and understands that it has to be smaller.

If this was my grandson I would prefer to get him a 1/8 or 1/4 size guitar (eg. this 1/8 or this 1/4) as they are actually guitars and have 6 strings, like yours only smaller.

Ham said:
I'd be inclined just to buy a cheap thing under a tenner to start, this looks ideal
(Actually this looks better)

A plastic uke really is a toy and probably less likely to inspire your grandson to feel like he has a guitar like you as it is a much higher pitch, only has 4 strings and it looks like a toy. The wooden kit is better if you want the challenge of constructing it.

I hope your choice works out well for you and your grandson, Ham.

Ham · August 2023

I didn't know 1/8ths existed, tbh, thanks.

His superpower - if he has any - is definitely not patience, so I can see him easier as Mark Cavendish than Mark Knopfler but then I'm cautious of imposing my ideas on him. I cherish the relationship we have, more than I can say, it is so different to being a parent. Building something with him is actually an end in itself, so the kit has appeal in that respect. AND we could paint a rocket on it

Ddigger · August 2023

Octavio said:

Anyone had any experience with Loog? They have more options in their US store, but bit on the pricier side.

Was shopping for my daughter and they've been following me around the internet.

https://eu.loogguitars.com/

I did look at these originally, but decided that this (below) made more sense...

Roland said:

Get a Low G Uke. Same tuning, and hence fingering, as the top four strings of a guitar barred at the 5th fret. Anything he learns is quickly transferable to the guitar if that’s the way he progresses.

A "D" shape is a "D" shape on both instruments.

robgilmo said:

I got my wee man a Ibeneze Gio 3/4 , got him into lessons at school, he was 6 , he loves it, its a great wee guitar. He knows its not a toy and treats it well , he has even played in front of his school year, I dont think there is any harm in buying a decent instrument for a kid if they want to go that way, I think buying a cheap toy instrument might have a negative effect on what could be a genuine interest that needs supporting and nurturing , each kid is different though and only you know what path to take.

Agree with this 100%.

I would go with a £10 uke off Gumtree for starters. My loon thrashed around on it tunelessly at first and then progressed to jumping off the bed in rock star poses, to playing chords on the uke and then guitar.

He still doesn't practice enough, but he took his guitar and amp in for the last week of school before the holidays and did Day Tripper and Sunshine of your Love. The other children had no idea about the tunes, but were dead impressed. He is doing the RGT grades and grade one was three tunes, each of 2.5min or so. Day Tripper is a test of stamina at that age.

fretmeister · August 2023

A mate of mine runs a couple of Uke Orchestras via the local music and performing arts trust.

The younger group is for ages 4 and above.

They have a great time and manage to play stuff together.

Go for it!

sev112 · August 2023

I'd seen some 3 string guitars for this reasons somewhere
The idea of giving him 6 strings at that age seems too hard to me

fretmeister · August 2023

sev112 said:

I'd seen some 3 string guitars for this reasons somewhere
The idea of giving him 6 strings at that age seems too hard to me

Yeah, I’ve never seen a 4 year old on a piano either….

Whistler · August 2023

fretmeister said:
Yeah, I’ve never seen a 4 year old on a piano either….

I have, many times but my wife is a piano teacher so it shouldn't be a surprise.

On a piano you don't normally accidentally strum all 88 notes whereas a youngster (or anyone) has to consciously only strum 3 strings and not 6 on a guitar. Different instruments require different approaches.

JohnS37 · August 2023

viz said:

If he’s a Duke or his name’s Luke, then definitely yes.

And when you hear him playing you’ll probably puke

BillDL · August 2023

Ddigger said:

..... My loon thrashed around on it tunelessly at first and then progressed to jumping off the bed in rock star poses ...

"Fit like Ddigger?". Easy to see where you are from with that pretty localised expression

I work with a guy from up there, so I hear all his expressions. For those unaccustomed to the expression "loon", it means "boy" and "quine" means "girl" where Ddigger hails from.

Ddigger · August 2023

Aye Bill, foo ya dein the day? It's a sair fecht!

Onybody fa wants tae ken fit a loon looks like, aire is a photo o him here
Childs electric guitar - Guitar Discussions on theFretBoard

He is definitely nae a quine.

Online Doric translator here
Doric Phrases | Scottish Aberdonian Dialect Words Translation English to Scots Language

BillDL · August 2023

I remember seeing that photo of your wee loon playing the Squier Bullet Mustang, and I thought he was the cutest looking little guy with that guitar strapped to him

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/7d90548b4d3673633f40c2b2805a62f76bfc21fedd2be4a050

sev112 · August 2023

fretmeister said:

sev112 said:

I'd seen some 3 string guitars for this reasons somewhere
The idea of giving him 6 strings at that age seems too hard to me

Yeah, I’ve never seen a 4 year old on a piano either….

Noted.

I guess the small child doesn’t play the black keys to start with. On a 6 string guitar with lots of indistinguishable frets, to me that’s infinitely harder

just coming from experience, my daughter never ever ever got on or liked the half size classical guitar I got for her. But a couple of years later she started “borrowing” my Uke, and taught herself mainly from YouTube, and then accelerated really quickly then onto my steel string acoustics.

Ham · September 2023

Part building the kit before giving it on his birthday, I have a plastic fretboard to stick to wood - any thoughts for most appropriate glue?

Incidentally, looking for a hook to wall hang it next to mine, I'm amused that it appears buying readymade would cost as much as the uke, I'm going to have to make one.

Ham · September 2023

Super glue worked well. I'll follow up with a description of the kit.

Anyhow, he absolutely loves it, gave it to him yesterday evening. This morning (he stays with us one night) he comes up to me "Grandad, can I sing you a song? It's called 'I woke up this morning'"

"My!" Thinks I, "do I have a child blues prodigy on my hands?"

<strums><sings> I woke up this morning

That's nice I say, carry on.

That's it, grandad, it's a short song.

He's going to be a music critic!

Ham · September 2023

So the kit - £11 including postage - you know what it is going to be at best, the question is, how bad is it, at worst? And, how did it build up?

The answer to the first part is, not nearly as bad as i thought, I've ended up with a playable thing, the very worst thing are the strings, I shall change those at some stage. After that? it all works.

Bear in mind when writing this, I'm not a luthier, not much of a musician, but I'm good at woodworking etc. There are no instructions with it, honestly, that's not needed. Or to put it another way, if you need instructions this kit may not be for you.

The uke comes in two main assembled bits, the body and the neck. The body is wooden, some sort of ply, with light reinforcement for the bridge and more (not much more) substantial for the neck. There was one bit of the body that needed some TLC to fix a couple of cm of loose joint, and weak spot in the sidewall, PVA did the heavy lifting there, no problem.

Some time with a bit of sandpaper helped, it was clear that manufacturing tolerances were good but not perfect, I decided that I was going to work with what I had, without doing additional work on the neck joint which meant that after fixing the neck square there would be some joint gap. The plastic fretboard stuck on easily, the slot bridge needed careful measurement as the pre drilled holes were wrong. The one thing I should have done but have not yet was the plastic machine head nuts need their bush drilled into the head and then gluing, they simply don't fit at the moment.

If you wanted a nice finish you would have to spend some time with filler and sandpaper for the edges of the ply.

Anyhow, it all went together, the geometry is good, the action looks ok to me and it is playable. Is it any better than ready made ones for £20? Probably not, but it's a bunch of fun anyhow. Did I mention the strings are sh1te? They really, really are.

Ham · September 2023

Look, I just HAPPENED to be passing Denmark Street with him, OK? At least I've got me a set of decent Uke strings now. Hanks was the only one open when we went by, I said he could choose any he liked and I would try to paint it. He's chose the look of the £25,000 Eddie Van Halen ......

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Five year old child - Uke or Nuke? (the idea, that is)

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