converting from high g to low g

pulelehua said:

James Hill often uses low-G tuning (to most stunning effect on Billie Jean). Or even low-A. Iz used low-G a lot. Herb Ohta, Jr uses low-G a lot. The top players seem to be a pretty fair mix of each.

If you have adapted to re-entrant tuning to the point that you're using the G-string to do scale work, then it will take a rethink (which is my whole reasoning for avoiding low-G). If you play scales pretty much exclusively on the C, E & A strings, you should be fine.

Be aware that if you're converting tab meant for high-G, you're half defeating the point of low-G, because that tab will not be written to take advantage of the newly available low notes, and if you play notes as written in the tab, they will likely sound "wrong" (suddenly having notes an octave different than expected is odd - Stravinsky used it amongst others; it's called octave displacement).

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Ken Middleton said:

No, James almost never uses linear (low 4th) tuning. He carries one uke around with low A tuning, but only because everyone want to hear Billy Jean. Everything else he does on re-entrant tuned instruments. He plays on stage with re-entrant high A and tunes down to C tuning for jams and most workshops.

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pulelehua said:

From James Hill's website: "I grew up playing in D6 tuning (a, d, f#, b) with a low A string like all students of the Doane ukulele method. It wasn't until my late-teens that I started to fool around with other tunings. Nowadays I travel with four ukes: one with a high 4th string and another with a low 4th string, the Beltona slide which I tune either a, d, g, b or g, c, f, a depending on the song, and the beansprout banjo which I always have in high 4th tuning.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both low 4th string tuning (a.k.a. "linear" tuning) and high 4th string tuning (a.k.a. "re-entrant" tuning); otherwise I'd just travel with one ukulele and forget about it. Re-entrant tuning is great for vocal accompaniment, jazz chording, and campanella-style playing (à la John King). Linear tuning is better for ensemble melody picking, classroom instruction, lead picking and solo arrangements that involve moving bass lines. Different tools, same tool kit."

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Ken Middleton said:

I repeat, he almost never uses low G tune on stage today. I have seen him play so many times in the last few years. He favours re-entrant tuning.

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pulelehua said:

Keep your shirt on, Ken! Didn't mean to cause any offence. I was just quoting from the horse's mouth. Nothing in what he says contradicts you in any way. And I THINK, reading Ukulele Yes, that he DOES still use Low-A for teaching. There was an article about the benefits of Low-A/G for teaching not THAT long ago.

I was actually a bit downhearted when I tried out Billie Jean, because I am a true blue re-entrant devotee.

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pulelehua said:

And I THINK, reading Ukulele Yes, that he DOES still use Low-A for teaching. There was an article about the benefits of Low-A/G for teaching not THAT long ago.

I was actually a bit downhearted when I tried out Billie Jean, because I am a true blue re-entrant devotee.

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