Soprano jazz tuning?

[espermatozoilo]

Hi forum members! I recently started to play jazz on my soprano and have a question, since I saw some play the old tunes in aDf#b tuning. What would you recommend, this D6 tuning or just the standard C?

 

[SailingUke]

In my opinion, D tuning will give you a brighter sound.
C tuning should be a bit mellower. My preference would be C tuning, but it all is subjective.

 

[ripock]

Here's what I do. i play the A6 tuning. I do it because I like the feel of the strings at that reduced tension. However, I have to mention that I do not play sopranos and therefore I do not know how one would sound at that tension. As SailingUke mentioned, it is all subjective. There is no right or wrong. So play whichever tuning appeals to your ears.

 

[Lifestion]

In my opinion, D tuning will give you a brighter sound.
C tuning should be a bit mellower. My preference would be C tuning, but it all is subjective.

I agree with this, I've tried other tunings but it just doesn't sound the same.

 

[Mivo]

I really like D tuning on some sopranos, especially vintage ones that were built when that tuning was common. However, I never had much luck with using regular C tuning strings. That always made the tension high and caused the ukes to sound strangled. I like the Aquila 33U set for D tuning, which they are intended for (they have about as much tension as C tuning strings in C tuning). My 1920s Lyon&Healy only sounds great in D tuning and kind of dull in C tuning.

 

[Dohle]

I have a vintage Martin soprano and a vintage Gibson banjo uke and both are tuned in D tuning. I don't know what it is about vintage ukes but I really like D tuning on them. The Martin sounds excellent with regular C tuning as well but I like the thought of playing and tuning it like it was originally.

I use the D'Addario EJ65S clear nylon set for the D tuning and I think they sound fantastic. Since it has a higher pitch by default the sound the nylon strings make isn't too warm but it isn't overly bright either. I'd highly recommend anyone to try D tuning on their soprano with these strings in particular. GHS makes a decent set as well but their strings are a bit too thin for my taste.

 

[kypfer]

I have an old (cheap) soprano ukulele that I bought as a wall hanger. It sounds very "boxy" in in the now standard "C" tuning, but take it up a step and it really comes alive
I'll not suggest that it was "built that way" … it's little more than a 50-year-old mass-produced "toy", so I'm even surprised that it plays in tune, but just goes to show it's often worth-while trying these things.
You, too, may be surprised
Inevitably - YMMV :music:

 

[wherahiko]

However, I never had much luck with using regular C tuning strings. That always made the tension high and caused the ukes to sound strangled.

Quick tip: you can use any regular concert set to get D tuning on a soprano. The tension will be similar to C tuning on a concert. That opens up a wide array of string choices!

 

[DuckyI]

It kind of depends on what you hope to do in terms of playing jazz. In this forum, when people say they play jazz, they mostly mean playing solo arrangements of the heads of songbook standards. For this, it doesn't really matter what tuning you use.

If you want to play improvised solos and play with other instrumentalists (i.e. actually play jazz), I would highly recommend you play in C because you will end up playing in lots of flat keys (F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) and very few sharp keys. C tuning gives you more options in terms of voicings with open strings here. More generally, it is important to commit to one type of tuning so you can learn the notes of the fretboard thoroughly, which will absolutely help you to improvise fluently.

 

[dancephoto]

FBbDG is another possibility, along the lines of what @DuckyI wrote about playing in flat keys.

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[merlin666]

For me Jazz is all about chords that add at least one more note to the usual major and minor triads. I think that the vast majority of chord charts for these are based on C6 tuning. But apps like SmartChord can display any chord for any custom tuning so there can be flexibility.