Guitaleles

Guitarlele - half guitar, half ukulele

A guitarlele is a blend between a guitar and a tenor ukulele. It has the size of a ukulele and the six strings of a guitar. The guitarlele is often perceived as a travel guitar or a children's guitar

It is a relatively new instrument developed by Yamaha. The first guitarlele is Yamaha's GL1 and it hit the market in January 1997.

The fretboard is usually 49 millimeters wide at the first fret, which is actually wider than a Fender Stratocaster. However, it is still narrower than a traditional Spanish guitar. Normally, the guitarlele has between 16 and 18 frets, and the instrument uses regular guitar nylon strings - just a bit shorter.

Construction of the Guitarlele

Due to its size, the guitarlele is constructed in a special way. For example, the instrument's standard tuning differs from that of a guitar. A guitarlele is tuned as follows: ADGCEA.

As you may have noticed, the GCEA strings are therefore tuned in the same way as a ukulele. If you only use the guitarlele's fire light strings, you can essentially play the same as on a ukulele.

You can also transfer guitar chords directly over to a guitarlele without changes. You just need to be aware that it will sound a fourth interval higher.

The Guitarlele - perfect for children and beginners

Similar to the electric ukulele, the guitarlele is perceived in established circles of the music industry as an inferior instrument. Sales were slow when it was first launched, but since then the demand for the guitarlele has grown and more models have come to market. It took some time to realize that it works perfectly as a children's guitar, travel guitar, and for people who have never played an instrument before but have always been curious to learn. If your child wants to learn to play guitar, it is a good instrument to start with. Over time, the child can switch to a guitar. The same applies to a beginner. The instrument doesn't take up much space, so it is also a great travel guitar.