OK, so you’ve bought (or are about to buy) a new ukulele. As a possible beginner, what are the must-have ukulele accessories to help you get the most from your new uke?
Let’s take a look at some essentials:
Best Ukulele Accessories – Stands
You’ll want a stand for your uke, to keep it tidily stored away – and to show it off. You can go for a wall mounted option or a floor stand like those pictured.
Hang your uke on the wall…
…Or keep it on the floor
Tuning Instruments
Ukuleles, particularly when new, need a lot of regular tuning. As a beginner, you are unlikely to be able to do this by ear! If you can, lucky you! Otherwise you will need some form of tuning device. There are some online tuners and apps on smartphones etc. that can do this for you.
A good tuner is a must have for the beginner, in my opinion! And I prefer a portable unit rather than having to rely on something online! Snark make the best selling tuners. You can buy one for all instruments or this pictured is specifically for the uke:
The Snark tuner is one of the best selling uke accessories.
A favorite uke tuner of many is the clip-on Cherub tuner
The Cherub offers an alternative to Snark tuners
If you want to save a few dollars, you can get a pitch-pipe for tuning.
Capo
Best get yourself a half-decent capo at least. Some of the cheapest capos won’t last too long or will slip of the fretboard too easily when playing. This Kyler capo
This Kyler capo looks great and performs very well
Strings
Not so much an accessory, of course. You won’t get too far trying to play your new uke without strings. But I’ve included these here for two reasons:
- Many cheaper models will sound so much better if you by premium strings.
- It’s always good to have some spare strings ready should they be needed!
pictured are highly rated. A really cheap way up upgrading a budget uke! Make sure you get the correct size of strings for your model.
Transport
You will need some mode of carrying your uke about. Just as a new-born baby need a pram and a car-seat, your new uke will need protection when you’re on the move. The basic choice here is a gig-bag (soft and therefore not usually as protective) or a hard case (heavier but essential if you’ve got a more expensive model that you’ll be moving about a lot).
Note that some models come with a gig-bag (which should be adequate for some) or a hard-case if bought as part of a bundle. If you have neither, then you’ll probably need to get one.
A Lanikai gig bag
Hard case ideal for proper uke protection when travelling
Browse amazon for such cases, making sure you get the correct size for your instrument.
Summary
So there you have it. A run-through of some of the best ukulele accessories a beginner could need. Let us know if you have any extra suggestions for the list.
