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Magdog
Aloha
7 Posts |
 Posted - 09/23/2005 : 2:17:34 PM
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Aloha-
I've posted this on another forum and received some great responses. In the interest of further research thought I'd throw it against the wall and see if it sticks, Thanks to those who have already weighed in, Look forward to more.
My (not really all that) Sad story-
Hey all- I've been happily plunking away on a soprano uke tuned GCEA. Everything I know about tuning has been gleaned from forums and web sites...
Yesterday I 'accidently' went to Gryphon and they wouldn't let me leave without a new Bushman Jenny cutaway tenor. When it jumped off the wall at me it was nicely tuned (to my minimally trained ear), sounded great, Sold.
So I take her home, pour a scotch and settle in for a pleasant evening. After a couple hours of bliss I decide it's time to tune...pull out my trusty Korg and start twisting pegs. I just assumed it was GCEA...(this is the part where rookie loudly quotes Homer Simpson, "DOH!").
I tune GCEA and well, this is odd, The strings seem tighter and jenny's voice is Higher...still sounds sweet but not the way she sounded earlier.
Another scotch fails to clear up the confusion and an internet tour compounds it.
I try tuning back down to the original tuning but alas no luck and rising panic. What happened? How was it tuned and how do I get back there from here?
Research yields the discovery that there are multiple tunings. My guess is that since all the chords and picking I knew from the soprano sounded good she was tuned low G and I've retuned to High G.
So, in a nutshell... can one (or more) of you kind souls enlighten me or refer me to a site or source that can, about the different tunings? My theory is about zero so it would be best if the info was presented in a "for dummies" format.
To boil it down my questions are:
Difference between low and high G?
Recomended tuning for tenor with Aquila Nylguts (1 fat one, currently C)?
What's up with lower case and Caps? i.e. gCEA etc. ?
Are the chord fingerings the same for all the tunings? Is the C chord I'm playing on my GCEA Soprano a C chord on the Bb (or whatever it was) Tenor?
Which tuning is best with a 15 year old single malt?
I know this is alot to ask but any info would be appreciated. Remember, type slowly and clearly. Thanks in advance.
DOH!
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http://www.Alohashirtrescue.com |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2005 : 3:29:43 PM
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You need to lay the uke down for a few minutes while the Glenlivet spreads on your tongue, then pick it up against as the warmth spreads to your fingertips!
Jesse Tinsley |
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Pops
Lokahi
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2005 : 03:20:44 AM
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| The lower case gCEA means that the g-string is tuned an octave lower than the traditional GCEA voicing. The upper case "G" means that you're in re-enterant tuning, which is the more traditional "my dog has fleas" voicing. There are devotees of low g and high G. It's a matter of taste. I'm not sure what kind of strings you're using but I'd hazard a quess that if you were in low g and you've tuned up to high g your string's under a lot of tension. I can't help as to the scotch. |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2005 : 05:34:19 AM
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Hi Doh!
I like both high and low-G tuning, which I just put on a couple of ukes. With low G, the sound is fuller and bassier without the high G string. My advice is that if you like to fingerpick, go low-G. If you like to strum, go high-G for a more traditional uke sound.
I just put Worth strings on some ukes and I really like them. They're a little expensive, but definitely a more mellow/full sound compared to Hawaiian-style black strings. If you get some, I recommend you get the set with the medium or extra hard G string, otherwise, it's pretty floppy.
Tuning: Almost every soprano, concert and tenor uke is tuned GCEA. Some soprano players tune up to ADF#B for a brighter sound or more string tension. Baritones are tuned like the bottom strings of a guitar with a few people using a octave-up fourth string. That's all there is to tuning a uke.
"Fingerings" are the same on every uke, but the chords rendered are different depending on the tuning. If you learn you fretboard in C tuning (GCEA) then you can use those same chord shapes in D tuning (ADF#B), but the chords will be one full step up from the C-tuned uke. If you are depending on me to explain anything musical, it's best to just stay with a GCEA tuning.
Have fun!
Jesse
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2005 : 09:01:46 AM
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I guess you could look at it this way.
If you start with a C on the piano and walked up the "C Major" scale in two octaves and decided to demarcate each octave into lower case letters and upper case letters you would have:
c d e f g a b C D E F G A B C
In a low G tuning the strings are tuned to the underlined notes as follows:
c d e f g a b C D E F G A B C
In a high G tuning the strings are tuned to the underlined notes as follows:
c d e f g a b C D E F G A B C
Advantages/Disadvantages:
The low G tuning is the same as if you put a Capo at the fifth fret of your standard tuning guitar and played only the highest four strings - very short learning curve involved here and scales go from one string to the next. Some melody progressions can be a finger stretch. You also have a much larger range of notes to be able to play from.
The high G tuning allows that "high" G in between the E and A to be played as the fourth string and gives the ukulele player more flexibility to play the melody notes in more comfortable positions. It also shortens the range of notes but allows to overall chord sound to be in a higher register.
The beauty is the chord forms are exactly the same for high or low G/g. The sound, however, is different. On most six string ukuleles you get to have both (ain't that cute)
Now, if you tune the ukulele to a Taro Patch tuning like gCEG you can have all sorts of fun! Drink more (water) and think less -- it will all work out.. maybe even get chicken skin
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E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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