Advice, please!

Trust you didn't put your back out doing that vocal test, Robin ... sounds dangerous! "Ubu", I am getting more and more confused by the depth and breadth of your knowledge ... and still haven't done the test myself yet.

I hurt it on Sunday. It flared up in the middle of this morning. Not sure why. Don't think it has anything to do with singing.

I'm also constantly amazed by ubulele's knowledge. I admit that I only understand a small portion of what he writes, but I try to learn from it.
 
Done all that on other ukes, Mr. "Choirguy" - sorry, I don't know your name! This uke is a special shape ... to enhance the CFAD tuning, I assume. (It looks more like a bouzouki, for which, I think, the normal tuning IS CFAD - but with the bouzouki you would have 8 strings.) And, yes, Keith, for multiple reasons too complicated to explain, I am feeling depressed at the moment ... so I NEED another uke!

Some folks tune their bouzouki GDAE, an octave below a mandolin. Some tune it GDAD, which gives a dronier sound like DADGAD guitar. I have never seen a bouzouki tuned CFAD, but perhaps Greek bouzoukis are tuned this way; I'm more familiar with Irish bouzoukis with the flat backs. Greek bouzoukis have bowl backs and 3 or 4 double courses.
 
First, the ranges in that video are significantly wider than most people have without using falsetto or "head voice" (don't include those notes); the video's voice range limits go both lower and higher than usual classifications, which is misleading about expectations for each range.

G3? That's only the G below middle C (C4, the lowest note in reentrant C tuning). Surely you mean G2 (G below low C), which would be fairly typical for a baritone; you sing down to A2 in the "One Angry Dwarf" video. Your top note in full voice is more likely to be between C4 (middle C) and G4. It's easy to sing an octave off instead of in unison, because we do that sort of harmonizing all the time to fit melody lines into our personal ranges.

In the morning, my voice range typically drops: I was able to push out D2 this morning, and when I'm sick, I can sometimes hit below C2, but I'm definitely not a bass—not yet, at least. Coffee kills my low notes—today after a coffee I was struggling to get G2, which is usually reliable. Best to test in the middle of the day, and not after coffee or soft drinks.

I've downloaded an app to clear up confusion and it confirms what you are saying. It tells me that my range is approximately between G2 and F#4. I can't hit G4 without my voice cracking. That still seems like a pretty big range. I can't hit that high F# without absolutely belting it though. If I try to sing it softly, my voice cracks. (P.s. I hope to show off that exact note in this season's entry, which is one of the reasons I've been thinking about range. I have to BELT this song to make it work.)

Edit: Actually I can hit G4, which is good because that's the note I'm supposed to be singing for this week's song!
 
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I can reach A2 to F5. In HS I always sang alto in choir but as Ive gotten older my vocal range has dropped. That is typical. Funny think is I lead the music at church and I have to fake that Im singing most the time because I can't get any where near those soprano melody notes.

This has been a fun little thread. Thanks to Val for keeping us hanging on the edge of our seats to hear the new baritone. And its been quite helpful to have Ubulele here for the education and so willing to help.
 
Going to be a while before I get this bouzouki/baritone uki; still waiting to confirm details. This is what it looks like though ...shbs21054.jpg.
And I STILL haven't done the vocal range test yet, Linda ... been out most of the day. Not sure it'll work at the moment as I seem to have developed a cough ... perhaps I can find the vocal range for that?
 
I can reach A2 to F5. In HS I always sang alto in choir but as Ive gotten older my vocal range has dropped. That is typical. Funny think is I lead the music at church and I have to fake that Im singing most the time because I can't get any where near those soprano melody notes.

This has been a fun little thread. Thanks to Val for keeping us hanging on the edge of our seats to hear the new baritone. And its been quite helpful to have Ubulele here for the education and so willing to help.

We just tested Tiffany and while I've forgotten the exact notes, she fits somewhere between mezzo soprano and soprano. She said she always struggled in choir because she couldn't quite reach the high notes that sopranos needed to get to, but there was no way she could sing low enough for mezzo soprano parts.
 
I only joined choir at school to get me out of a maths lesson once a week........It didn't last long until the music teacher outed me as a 'growler' and slung me out !! :uhoh:
 
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AND HERE IT IS .... THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: MY AMAZING NEW "BOUZOUKI-UKI". 23519052_1613091165380192_4911145544050549992_n.jpg

(It doubles as a lethal weapon and a frying pan!) If you would like to hear what it sounds like - and who wouldn't after all that discussion? - I have posted a song in the "Misfits" department.
 
AND HERE IT IS .... THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: MY AMAZING NEW "BOUZOUKI-UKI". View attachment 104468

(It doubles as a lethal weapon and a frying pan!) If you would like to hear what it sounds like - and who wouldn't after all that discussion? - I have posted a song in the "Misfits" department.

Val, That is surprisingly big. I wasnt expecting that! Is it comfortable too play? Is that body wood? If you decide you have no use for it you could turn it into a clock ;-)
 
Val, That is surprisingly big. I wasnt expecting that! Is it comfortable too play? Is that body wood? If you decide you have no use for it you could turn it into a clock ;-)

Yes, it actually IS quite comfortable to play. I asked to have a strap button put on at the bottom because I thought that, having a round body, it would be quite difficult to keep hold of; but if I hold it at the right angle and sort of brace it with my knee it more or less stays in position without a strap. And, yes, it is wood ... I have no idea what sort; it might even be just plywood for the body (it's quite light to hold.)
 
AND HERE IT IS .... THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: MY AMAZING NEW "BOUZOUKI-UKI". View attachment 104468

(It doubles as a lethal weapon and a frying pan!) If you would like to hear what it sounds like - and who wouldn't after all that discussion? - I have posted a song in the "Misfits" department.

Congrats VAL!

It looks ginormous to me (like about 15-18" diameter body) but sounds wonderful in those 2 vids you posted with it.

Can you share the luthier or link to their web site?

I want to learn more about this great instrument :)
 
the size of that body (the bazouki uki's, not val's ;)) must be what gives that instrument SUCH a wonderfully full and deep tone. i like the small bodies of the cigar box instruments i have, they feel super easy to hold, but i think it's more than just the size of the body that influences that, it's also the weight and the balance - you can see from val playing that it's easy and comfortable to hold and play.
 
Congrats VAL!

It looks ginormous to me (like about 15-18" diameter body) but sounds wonderful in those 2 vids you posted with it.

Can you share the luthier or link to their web site?

I want to learn more about this great instrument :)

Hi Booli! There isn't really much more I can tell you about the luthier. I bought the bouzouki-uki from a shop in Bristol, U.K. called "Hobgoblin" (it's one of a chain). The luthier's name is Roger Terry and this is the second uke of his that I have bought - the first being a baritone, which tends to be my go-to uke as it is so comfortable to play. According the staff at the shop, Mr. Terry is a bit of a lone operator who truly DOES work from his shed. They have no contact information for him ... he just wanders into the shop every so often with an instrument he has made for them to sell. Apparently, his modus operandi is to build a uke, play it himself for a bit, then move on to pastures new, at which time he will take the "current" uke into "Hobgoblin". If you have a look on the Hobgoblin website under secondhand ukes, you will see that there are probably four or five of his instruments for sale at the Bristol shop at the moment. As to the dimensions, I am currently sitting in the dark in bed typing this (it's five in the morning here!), so I can't measure the body. I will get a tape measure out later to let you know the dimensions, though.
 
the size of that body (the bazouki uki's, not val's ;)) must be what gives that instrument SUCH a wonderfully full and deep tone. i like the small bodies of the cigar box instruments i have, they feel super easy to hold, but i think it's more than just the size of the body that influences that, it's also the weight and the balance - you can see from val playing that it's easy and comfortable to hold and play.

Yes, thank you, Lynda ... we will not go into the size of MY body! But you're right ... despite its rotund shape, the "B-U" is surprisingly comfortable to play.
 
And - especially for Booli - the vital statistics of the bouzouki-uki are IN!!!! Diameter of body fourteen inches, and handle (sorry, neck!) from the top of the body seventeen-and-a-half inches.
 
if you search roger terry over on hobgoblin, you can see quite a few of his instruments, not all have thumbnail pics but there is a VERY nice looking round 4 string guitar and a lovely looking bari

https://www.hobgoblin.com/local/productlist.php?Search=roger+terry

my flat is full of instruments, many now made by my friend completely from scractch, i can imagine if you like to make instruments, there comes a point where you just can't fit them all in your house and you have to let them go, it looks like roger makes some reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally nice stuff
 
...I bought the bouzouki-uki from a shop in Bristol, U.K. called "Hobgoblin" (it's one of a chain). The luthier's name is Roger Terry
...According the staff at the shop, Mr. Terry is a bit of a lone operator who truly DOES work from his shed. They have no contact information for him
... he just wanders into the shop every so often with an instrument he has made for them to sell.
...so I can't measure the body. I will get a tape measure out later to let you know the dimensions, though.

A real true ascetic, a HERMIT luthier! A hero LOL. I approve of this message. The rarity makes that instrument truly special. The provenance is perfect, and to be owned by such a wonderful person as you! I am so happy for you. :) Thanks for the info.

And - especially for Booli - the vital statistics of the bouzouki-uki are IN!!!! Diameter of body fourteen inches, and handle (sorry, neck!) from the top of the body seventeen-and-a-half inches.

14" dia body, check
17" neck from body, check

This info is mighty helpful and clues me in on a possible project I have in mind...

I have an old snare drum (14" dia and 3.5" deep) and a strat-style guitar neck (25" scale) that I might try and hack together as a 'Cello Banjo' (Gold Tone makes them, but they are at least $650) and string it up in fifths GDAE style with some classical guitar strings...

The wheels in my brain are turning now...

Thanks for the helpful replies Val!

I really love the sound of your playing this instrument in those videos - such a deep and resonant tone - it seems that the body really projects forward a great complimentary support to your singing voice.

:music:
 
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