The short answer
Start with whichever one you're most excited about. That's not a dodge — it's the truth. No instrument is objectively "better" or "easier" than another, and there's no rule that says you have to learn guitar before bass, or master one before touching another. The only thing that actually predicts success is whether you like the instrument enough to pick it up and play it regularly. So the real question isn't, "Which is best?" It's, "Which one do you keep daydreaming about?"
The one exception: if you're a parent who just wants to give your child a general musical foundation and they haven't fallen for a specific instrument yet, beginner keyboard is a great neutral starting point. Otherwise, follow the excitement.
I'm Nick Pantano. I own and teach at Sound Space, a music studio at The Goat Farm Arts Center in West Midtown Atlanta, where my co-teacher David Pritchard and I teach guitar, bass, ukulele and beginner keyboard. I'm a guitarist first and foremost — I have a Gibson Explorer tattooed on my arm — but I play and teach all of these, and I've played bass on stages and recordings, too, including for the musician/composer Jeffrey Butzer. Here's the honest breakdown to help you choose for yourself.
First, let's kill the "difficulty" question
Most people start here: which one is easiest? It's the wrong question for two reasons.
Difficulty is adjustable. Worried bass strings are too thick and stiff? We put lighter strings on. We adjust the neck (every quality instrument has a truss rod running through it) and set the string height at the bridge so the action is easy to play. I've picked up basses that felt like you needed to be a bodybuilder to fret a single note, and others so easy it was almost too easy. The same goes for size. Guitars and ukuleles both come in multiple sizes, so we can fit the instrument to your body and your hands.
No instrument is actually easy. Short of a tambourine or a triangle, there is no instrument in the world that's easy to learn. "It's easy!" is one of the biggest lies in the business of music lessons. The honest truth — and the one we'd rather you start with — is that learning any instrument takes patience and long-term focus. Months and years, not days and weeks. Set that expectation now and everything else gets easier.
So if difficulty isn't the deciding factor, what is? The role each instrument plays.
What makes each instrument different
Guitar and ukulele can accompany themselves
Both are chord-friendly instruments built for one person to play and sing at the same time. If your dream is to strum chords and sing — or back up other people singing — guitar or ukulele is your lane. (Fun bit of history: when the small "parlor" guitar took off in the late 1800s, it was marketed as a cheaper, more portable alternative to the piano, which many households had but nobody could exactly carry to a campfire.)
Bass plays a genuinely different role
Bass is the real outlier, and it's worth understanding before you choose. In a band, the bass is part of the rhythm section — the glue between the drums and the guitar. It also quietly runs the show. The bass controls the harmony. Whatever note the bassist plays determines the chord the whole band sounds like. If a guitarist plays a chord and the bassist picks a "wrong" note underneath it, the entire band sounds off. (There's a long-running musician joke that bassists secretly control the harmony on stage, while drummers are the conductor. When you get lost in a song, you look back at the drummer like, "Where are we?")
Bass can absolutely be a lead, virtuosic, shred-it-to-pieces instrument — think Victor Wooten, Cliff Burton, Matt Freeman of Rancid, or Scott Shiflett of Face to Face. But in the beginning, the key is understanding that its magic is being the foundation.
Three myths worth busting
"Bass is just easy-mode guitar." There's a sliver of truth at the very start — you play one note at a time and don't have to wrestle with chords out of the gate. But pursue bass for any real length of time and you'll find endless difficulty and technicality. It is not easy, and it is not easier than anything else.
"The ukulele is basically a toy." Not even close, and frankly it's insulting to a real instrument. People probably think this because they picture the smallest size, but there are about four sizes of ukulele. Here's the actual difference between a toy and an instrument: a toy requires no practice, patience or upkeep. An instrument requires patience, time, effort and maintenance — strings wear out, you learn to care for it. The ukulele is every bit an instrument.
"You should learn guitar first, then switch." No. Play the one you're most excited about, period. And if you do want to become a multi-instrumentalist someday, here's the secret: when you take lessons, the instrument is really just the medium for learning music. Once you understand how music works — especially a little music theory — picking up any instrument gets dramatically easier. I live this. I'd never touched a keyboard before I needed to play synth parts in my band, Sorry No Ferrari, and I can do the job purely because I understand the theory. The jump from guitar to bass is smooth for the same reason. The four strings on a standard bass are the four lowest strings on a guitar. It all feeds into itself.
Anyone telling you there's a "correct" order has an agenda. We just want you to play music and have fun.
The honest pitch for each one
You'll know which one is yours when one of these makes you lean in. Here's what I genuinely love about each.
Guitar — the shapeshifter
The guitar's superpower is versatility. It can sit back as a subtle, low-key rhythm instrument, or step forward as a loud, ego-blazing, spotlight-stealing lead. It fits into nearly every genre ever made, bends to any personality and is wildly expressive. It's my first love and my forever love, and I think it's the most magical instrument in the world — but I'm biased, and that's exactly the point. You should feel that pull, not borrow mine.
Ukulele — the joy machine
The ukulele makes me feel joyful the instant I see one. There's no angry, aggressive version of a ukulele — it's beaches, lakes, campfires and porches. Break one out, strum a few chords and everyone around you starts smiling and singing. Because the cultural expectation is simply "play something fun," even being a little good means you're already creating joy with the people around you. Want to get seriously good? That's hard work, like anything. But the vibe is pure fun the whole way.
Bass — the quiet cool
I saved bass for last even though guitar is my number one, because bass surprised me. I'm a guitarist who enjoys the spotlight, but the first time I played bass on a stage, I found this deep comfort in realizing I was an equal, essential part of the music while not being the one everyone was staring at. I was the one steering the harmony. It felt like a secret club membership. The band knows we're a single unit, everyone valuable, all in it together. It's a different kind of cool — a quiet cool. I grew up in a house full of disco, Motown and soul (my mom is a drummer), so I've got a deep love of groove, and bass was my first real taste of being part of the rhythm section. The more you pay attention to what bass actually does in a band, the cooler it gets.
"But what if I pick wrong?"
You can't, really — and at Sound Space we make sure of it.
There are no contracts, no commitments and no fees — no signup fees, no cancellation fees, no hidden anything. Nothing locks you into an instrument. Both David and I are multi-instrumentalists, so you can literally bring your guitar one week and your bass the next. Since billing is monthly, the smoothest way to switch is at the start of a new month, but we'll work with whatever you need. Started on ukulele and falling for bass? Great — we'll switch you over.
One honest expectation: you do need to own the instrument you're learning. Not because we're upselling you (we don't sell instruments at all — more on that in a second), but because real progress comes from daily reinforcement at home. Even five or ten minutes a day beats only ever playing at your lesson. I'll say it plainly, and I welcome any musician to argue with me: if the only time you touch the instrument is your weekly 30-minute lesson, you'll tread water forever. Any lesson provider who tells you otherwise isn't being straight with you.
The good news is owning an instrument is more affordable now than at any point in history. There are more instrument makers than ever, which means more quality budget options than ever — especially used. A used instrument is like a used car: tons of great-sounding, great-playing options for a fraction of the price. (Bonus: a few existing dings means you won't be precious about it.) And because we're a lesson studio, not a retailer, we can give you 100% honest gear advice with zero incentive to upsell. If the instrument you're eyeing is junk, we'll tell you. If you want a deeper guide, see our post on what guitar a beginner should buy.
Still overthinking it? Here's the nudge.
If it's not a real strain on your budget, what do you have to lose? Your first lesson with us is a free trial — come meet us, feel out the vibe, make sure you like the idea of coming to the Goat Farm each week, with no trap and no commitment. If you decide to keep going and it turns out not to be for you, you email me and say "I'm done." No reason required. I would rather change careers than build a business by trapping people into lessons they don't want.
That's not just a feel-good line, it's the kind of business David and I believe in, both of us coming out of the punk rock community. One of my heroes on this front is Mike Burkett — Fat Mike of NOFX — who built his independent label Fat Wreck Chords over decades with a reputation as one of the most honest people in the music business. It's proof you can succeed without ever lying to the people you serve, and it's exactly how we want to run Sound Space.
Here's the thing you can't know until you start: the first time I picked up a guitar, I couldn't play a single thing and I was already obsessed — just strumming and listening felt like a rocket ship of joy. And that was the tip of the iceberg. It only got more fun the longer I stuck with it. None of us do this because it's hard and miserable; we do it because it's challenging, rewarding and fun. It's the best puzzle in the world, and unlike a video game you love that eventually ends, this one never does. There's always something new to learn.
So pick the one you're most excited about, and come play.
Book a free trial lesson at Sound Space →
Frequently asked questions
Should I learn guitar, bass or ukulele first? Start with whichever instrument excites you most. No instrument is objectively easier or better, and you don't need to learn one before another. The biggest predictor of success is genuine enthusiasm, because that's what gets you to practice regularly. If a child has no preference and a parent just wants a musical foundation, beginner keyboard is a great neutral start.
Is bass easier than guitar? Not really. Bass can feel simpler at the very beginning because you play one note at a time instead of chords, but it becomes just as deep and technical as you pursue it. No instrument is genuinely "easy" — they all take patience and consistent practice over months and years.
Is the ukulele a real instrument or just a toy? The ukulele is a real instrument that comes in about four sizes. The difference between a toy and an instrument is that an instrument rewards practice and requires basic maintenance, like replacing worn strings. The ukulele's friendly reputation just means it's quick to start having fun with.
Do I need to learn guitar before bass or ukulele? No. Play whichever you're most excited about. Skills transfer between all three — the four strings of a standard bass are the four lowest strings of a guitar — and understanding music theory makes picking up any new instrument much easier.
What if I start on one instrument and want to switch? At Sound Space there are no contracts or fees, so you can switch instruments anytime — easiest at the start of a new month. Both teachers play multiple instruments, so you can even alternate week to week while you figure out what you love.
Do I need to own an instrument before my first lesson? You don't need one for a free trial lesson, but you'll want to own the instrument you're learning so you can reinforce lessons at home — even 5–10 minutes a day makes a big difference. Quality used instruments are very affordable, and because we don't sell gear, we're happy to give honest buying advice.