# Sizes & setup

Same chord names in GCEA — different body sizes and high G vs low G.

| Size | Scale (approx.) | Feel |
|------|-----------------|------|
| **Soprano** | ~13″ | Classic bright voice; chords & strums |
| **Concert** | ~15″ | More finger room; still portable |
| **Tenor** | ~17″ | Fuller tone; fingerpicking / low-G |
| **Baritone** | ~19″ | Often DGBE — different chord names |

This room assumes soprano / concert / tenor in **GCEA**.

## Which one to buy

Scale length changes three things at once: fret spacing, string tension, and how plinky or full it
sounds. Longer = more finger room, firmer strings, fuller voice.

- Adult hands, first ukulele → **concert**
- The classic bright sound → **soprano**
- Mostly fingerpicking, or you want low G → **tenor** (a low G needs the length and tension)
- Small child → **soprano**, but check it holds tune at all
- You already play guitar → a **baritone** feels familiar, but read the baritone note below first

Wood and brand matter far less at the start than setup and tuning stability.

## Setup: the part nobody tells beginners

- **Action** — if fretting at fret 1–2 is hard work, the string height is too high. A shop fixes it in
  minutes. Do not build strength against a badly set-up instrument.
- **Intonation** — an open string and the same string at fret 12 should be an octave apart. If not, the
  saddle is misplaced and chords will never sound right up the neck.
- **Tuning pegs** — a string that drifts within a minute (and isn't brand new) means slipping gears.
- Old strings sound dull; new strings are the cheapest repair there is.

## High G vs low G

**High G (reentrant)** — G above C; traditional sparkle.
**Low G (linear)** — G below C; better bass lines. Shapes stay the same.

## The baritone exception

A baritone is strung **D G B E** — a guitar's top four, at guitar pitch. Every shape in this room still
works but sounds a **fourth lower** than the diagram's name: the C shape is a G chord, the F shape a C.
Use the guitar room's chord names and read these diagrams as fingerings only.

Next: [Foundations](foundations.md) · [Open chords](chords.md) · [Strumming](strumming.md)