Re-Entrant Tuning Vs Linear Tuning.
TWO TYPES OF TUNING Ukuleles are for the most part played in either of two* different tuning; Re-Entrant Tuning Vs Linear Tuning. For those of you familiar with 5 String Banjo you would already be aware of a Re-entrant tuned instrument. For those with a Guitar background your ears will be attuned to its Linear tuning.I'm going to generalise that if you have had previous experience playing guitar you will find the Ukulele Low G Linear tuning feels more natural. If you come to ukulele from a Banjo background you will feel more at home with the standard Ukulele Re-entrant tuning.
* (If you include 'Open' tuning there are 3 types of tuning, but that is a whole other kettle of fish for another day.)
WHY USE DIFFERENT TUNING?
Each type of tuning adds its own sonic stamp to pieces of music. Some songs suit that old school High G Re-entrant tuning. For example Dixie, Ragtime, Banjo tunes, old time music from the 1920's through to 1940's. If you play more modern JAZZ, ROCK, POP, BLUES or METAL try out Low G tuning. Songs from these genres were in most cases written and played on guitar or piano. As such these songs suit Linear Low G tuning.
 |
| Ukulele Re-entrant Tuning Vs linear Tuning |
Refer to the Diagram to the Left and imagine you are sitting at a piano keyboard, low notes to the left, and higher notes to the right.
The C string on your ukulele is the same pitch as Middle C key on a piano. Your High G note on the open G string is pitched above middle C, on the keyboard the High G note is to the right or the C note.
When plucking the notes of the open strings from the bottom of your ukulele to the top i.e. A E C G. Listen as each note gets lower in pitch, the A is your starting note, the E is lower, the C lower again. Then when you play the G string you can hear that it has a higher pitched note than your C string. We say it RE-ENTERED the octave above the pitch of the middle C.
The Re-entrant tuning is why the ukulele sounds so jingly jangly and happy. When you strum down you hit a high note G and when you strum up you hit a high note A. Your two thicker low pitched strings, the C and E, are in the middle.
LOW G TUNING EXPLAINED
Refer to the diagram above and imagine you are sitting at a piano keyboard, with middle C key right in front of you. Remember that the middle C key is the same pitch as your ukulele C string. A Low G string is pitched BELOW middle C, i.e. to the left of the middle C note. An open G string low G note is LOWER than your C String by 5 Semitones (frets). That means you now have EXTRA note range on your ukulele. High G Re-entrant tuned ukuleles have a 13 note range, Vs Low G tuning with a 16 note range. You also now have 2 Bass strings, more on that in a bit.
SUMMARY A Low G string is lower in pitch than your C string. A High G string is higher in pitch then your C string.
CAN I FIT A LOW G STRING TO MY UKULELE MYSELF?
Yes of course you can. DIY fitting a Low G String is is quite a straight forward and easy to do. Simply remove your High G string and replace it with a Low G String. When you change your High G string over to a Low G you will see that the string is thicker. Some Low G strings are wound strings, some are non wound. Most Ukulele nuts can accommodate either a low or high G string in the nut string slot.
In the rare event that the Low G string will not fit the existing G string slot you can take your ukulele to a guitar shop and they will use a small thin Nut Slot File to widen the slot. Or if you are feeling handy take a bit of wet and dry sandpaper and fold it over in half and use that as a makeshift Nut Slot file to widen the slot a smidgen.
TUNING UP
If you try to tune a Low G string up to High G the result is usually .... PING ... strings snapping. The most common problem I see is people try and tune their new low G string up to the same pitch as their High G. You need to tune your Low G string 1 octave below the regular High G note. Don't worry you wont need a piano to tune it, your Chromatic ukulele Tuner will be able to do it.
After fitting the String, start winding up the slack, turning the tuning machine and increasing string tension. As you do occasionally pluck the open G string and your Chromatic tuner will keep showing you the notes increasing. It will for example scroll through A A# B C C# D D# etc until you hit a G note. Pluck this G and Compare it to your C string.
You will be able to hear if you are getting it right. When plucking the notes of the open strings from the bottom of your ukulele to the top i.e. A E C G. Listen and hear that each note gets lower in pitch, the A is your starting note, the E is lower, the C lower again, and the G string even lower again. When you play the Low G string you can hear that it has a lower pitched note than your C string. Congratulations you have now put your ukulele in LINEAR Tuning.
MUSIC THEORY ASIDE WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE
The C string on your ukulele is the same pitch as Middle C key on a piano. Your High G note on the open G string is pitched above middle C, on the keyboard the High G note is to the right or the C note.
When plucking the notes of the open strings from the bottom of your ukulele to the top i.e. A E C G. Listen as each note gets lower in pitch, the A is your starting note, the E is lower, the C lower again. Then when you play the G string you can hear that it has a higher pitched note than your C string. We say it RE-ENTERED the octave above the pitch of the middle C.
The Re-entrant tuning is why the ukulele sounds so jingly jangly and happy. When you strum down you hit a high note G and when you strum up you hit a high note A. Your two thicker low pitched strings, the C and E, are in the middle.
LOW G TUNING EXPLAINED
Refer to the diagram above and imagine you are sitting at a piano keyboard, with middle C key right in front of you. Remember that the middle C key is the same pitch as your ukulele C string. A Low G string is pitched BELOW middle C, i.e. to the left of the middle C note. An open G string low G note is LOWER than your C String by 5 Semitones (frets). That means you now have EXTRA note range on your ukulele. High G Re-entrant tuned ukuleles have a 13 note range, Vs Low G tuning with a 16 note range. You also now have 2 Bass strings, more on that in a bit.
SUMMARY A Low G string is lower in pitch than your C string. A High G string is higher in pitch then your C string.
Yes of course you can. DIY fitting a Low G String is is quite a straight forward and easy to do. Simply remove your High G string and replace it with a Low G String. When you change your High G string over to a Low G you will see that the string is thicker. Some Low G strings are wound strings, some are non wound. Most Ukulele nuts can accommodate either a low or high G string in the nut string slot.
In the rare event that the Low G string will not fit the existing G string slot you can take your ukulele to a guitar shop and they will use a small thin Nut Slot File to widen the slot. Or if you are feeling handy take a bit of wet and dry sandpaper and fold it over in half and use that as a makeshift Nut Slot file to widen the slot a smidgen.
TUNING UP
If you try to tune a Low G string up to High G the result is usually .... PING ... strings snapping. The most common problem I see is people try and tune their new low G string up to the same pitch as their High G. You need to tune your Low G string 1 octave below the regular High G note. Don't worry you wont need a piano to tune it, your Chromatic ukulele Tuner will be able to do it.
After fitting the String, start winding up the slack, turning the tuning machine and increasing string tension. As you do occasionally pluck the open G string and your Chromatic tuner will keep showing you the notes increasing. It will for example scroll through A A# B C C# D D# etc until you hit a G note. Pluck this G and Compare it to your C string.
You will be able to hear if you are getting it right. When plucking the notes of the open strings from the bottom of your ukulele to the top i.e. A E C G. Listen and hear that each note gets lower in pitch, the A is your starting note, the E is lower, the C lower again, and the G string even lower again. When you play the Low G string you can hear that it has a lower pitched note than your C string. Congratulations you have now put your ukulele in LINEAR Tuning.
MUSIC THEORY ASIDE WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE
With a Low G you effectively have 2 BASS Strings, the regular C string and now a Low G string. Soprano Concert and Tenor ukuleles can be Tuned Low G with out you having to learn anything new. All your existing skills and knowledge is transferable.
CHORDS All the Chord shapes you know and love stay the same, there are no new fingerings to learn. But your chords will sound much fuller, your chords will have that BIG Bass sound.
SCALES Normally in Re-entrant tuning you only use the C E and A strings to play scales. Now you can use your Low G string playing scales. Your lowest note used to be the C note on the open C string. Now the lowest note your ukulele can play is the G note of the open G string. Those are the extra notes I mentioned earlier. You have increased the range of your ukulele. ALL the strings are now available to you.
RIFFS Rock Riffs now sound "Proper". All of those kick Arse Rock Riffs now sound authentic. AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN would totally approve.
CLICK HERE to Buy Low G Tuned Ukulele Strings
CHORDS All the Chord shapes you know and love stay the same, there are no new fingerings to learn. But your chords will sound much fuller, your chords will have that BIG Bass sound.
SCALES Normally in Re-entrant tuning you only use the C E and A strings to play scales. Now you can use your Low G string playing scales. Your lowest note used to be the C note on the open C string. Now the lowest note your ukulele can play is the G note of the open G string. Those are the extra notes I mentioned earlier. You have increased the range of your ukulele. ALL the strings are now available to you.
 |
| AC/DC Back In Black Ukulele Riff |
RIFFS Rock Riffs now sound "Proper". All of those kick Arse Rock Riffs now sound authentic. AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN would totally approve.
CLICK HERE to Buy Low G Tuned Ukulele Strings