How many different tunings do you have ?

Doc_J

Doc_J

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Messages
4,708
Reaction score
356
Location
McDonough, GA
While trying to rationalize how many uke I own, I looked at what tuning I have. Seems I have 5 tunings on my ukes. I try to keep a uke tuned in what key it sounds best to me.

  1. reentrant c
  2. reentrant b
  3. linear c
  4. linear b
  5. linear b-flat


And I don't even have a baritone. But I do have baritone tuning [dgbe] strings for a tenor scale, just haven't found the right uke to put them on.

Now mix that with size, wood, strings and you can see that a person could easily justify a serious number of ukes. :D
 
Last edited:
... mix that with size, wood, strings and you can see that a person could easily justify a serious number ukes.
Click to expand...

Oh yes !!

Linear C (low-G) on a concert and a soprano pineapple - (had the strings, so bought an instrument to put them on!!)

Re-entrant C (high-G) on soprano, tenor and banjolele.

Re-entrant D on a soprano that just sounded "flat" (as in unresponsive) in C tuning.

5th's, GDAE, but an octave, apart on soprano pineapple and baritone.

That's most bases covered for me. I've got 4 guitars, including jumbo steel-string, 3/4-size nylon string and jumbo 12-string that can fill in any gaps in the above, then variously banjo/balalaika/mandolin/mandola/travel guitar (and a dulcimer in the post) for when I need a change ... then there's always the woodwind ... easily justify a serious number of instruments ;)
 
My current array of 'uke-like objects breaks down like this:

g-C-E-a --------- Varsity banjo-uke, Harmonia concert, Alvarez tenor
a-D-F#-A -------- Kohala soprano
g-cC-E-Aa ------- Kala 6-string tenor
fF-a#A#-DD-gg --- O.Schmidt 8-string tenor
gG-cCc-eEe-aa --- Martin timple
GGG-CCC-EEE-aaa - Paracho cuatro-menor
G-D-a-e --------- Kohala soprano (linear 5ths)
a#-F-C-g -------- Ohana soprano (flipped strings, recumbent 5ths)
C-G-B-D --------- Harmonia baritone (plectrum banjo tuning)

I know I need more 'ukes -- concert & tenor in 5ths, concert & tenor resonators, a 3-string in CEA, something in GCEa and GcEa and aDF#b, etc. I need to add a room to the house.
 
Last edited:
C-G-D-A in some fashion on all.

The sopranos and concerts are C4-G3-D4-A4
The banjo ukes are C3-G3-D4-A4
The six-string is C3-G3-G4-D4-A4-A3
The eight-string is C3-C3-G3-G3-D4-D4-A4-A4
The baritone is C3-G3-D4-A4
 
I play reentrant, linear and open tunings from D - A, depending on the piece and/or the vocal line.

I don't own a baritone at the moment, but when I do, I tune that with the same principles in mind.
 
In and out of...
 
BigMamaJ40 said:
In and out of...
Click to expand...
A recent thread at Mandolin Cafe asked about members using alternate tunings. One moderator responded that we ALL play alternate tunings because only three mandos in the world are actually in tune and Dave 'Dawg' Grisman owns two of them. It's probably the same with 'ukes, and The Jake holds the key. ;)
 
Interesting....I never knew you guys were so fickle....LOL, JK!
I only have re-entrant C6 for now. I do have one tuned to linear C6, but I rarely play it....well, pretty much never. It makes no sense to me....yet.
I tried D on a soprano I had and really had fun, but I sold the soprano.
 
one, high G...
 
Bill1 said:
Maybe an easier way to understand is to talk about two common tunings, so called linear and re-entrant. They are different because the intervals between the strings are different. Once you have set up the intervals, you can use a capo or tune down to get maybe 6 or 7 useful variations of the tuning.
Click to expand...
I was gonna be a smart aleck and say two, but Bill1 said it more tactfully. :)

Having said that I have ukes strung in reentrant C (Coco SC#1), Bb(Ohana and Iriguchi), and G(Goldtone) and linear C(KPK SLN), A(Brueko), and G(Bluestar). The Ohana is the only redundant one so it is for sale. :p
 
Jim Hanks said:
The Ohana is the only redundant one so it is for sale. :p
Click to expand...
So string it in 5ths. The Aquila 31U set is cheap. For fun (and economy), string it in crazy re-entrant 5ths, fast and easy -- merely reverse the strings and tune the bottom two up a half-step, a#FCg. Or give it a balalaika or dulcimer tuning. Or try GcEa / GcEg for a new re-entrant experience. Or GceA for a Venezuelan cuatro flavor. Or if you have a bunch of extra high-g strings lying about uselessly, apply four of those and go bagpipes. How can any 'uke be redundant? :confused:
 
All of my ukuleles, three of them now, are all tuned high G re-entrant C6 tuning. Maybe when I master that tuning, I might change, but I still have a lot of ground to explore before then. One of the reasons that I chose the ukulele was the re-entrant tuning, and all the challenges that go with it. I'm still being challenged. I don't see myself going to linear tuning ever. If that is what I wanted to play, I would play a guitar.
 
Last edited:
All my tenors are high G (GCEA) C6, with the baritone uke in a Bb (flat) tuning.
 
So far just C re-entrant and D re-entrant tunings. Relearning uke in D as I know a guy who plays cuatro in the same tuning,and his teacher isn't teaching him anything but songs. So I'm going to be teaching him how to read TAB,moveable chord forms,and then music.
 
I'm having fun experimenting with fifths tuning, CDGA using the Aquila 31U concert strings on my tenor. All new chord shapes and a very warm and rich sound.

My other ukes are tuned:

soprano - reentrant C
two tenors - linear C
baritone - linear Bb
 
baritone uke strung linear DGBE, everything else (including sopranino with worth CH's) strung reentrant GCEA. So I'm boring :p
 
Bill1 said:
The main reason to look at only two common tunings is not to be a smarty pants. The main reason is so that you realise that you only need to learn two tunings, which is a lot easier than thinking you need to learn 10 tunings.
Click to expand...
I don't see it as *needing* to learn 10 tunings but as having fun with different tunings. Maybe I'm prejudiced; I've played with dulcimer-guitar-banjo-dobro-mando tunings for a half-century. A few more tunings are merely more games for me.

No, a newcomer to guitar-type instruments (including 'ukuleles) should stick to one tuning (standard high-g reentrant on most 'ukes) until they're comfortable with the fingerings. That might take some time. Then spread your wings and try something new.

One trick is to associate certain songs and tunings. On guitar, some songs sound best with the low E dropped to D, and I only play those that way. Some Hawai'ian songs are best with a uke's top string slacked down to gCEg; only play those suchly. I find some songs / arrangements are best on a 4-string re-entrant 'uke in gCEa or brightened to aDF#b or in open aC#Ea and I don't play those on other instruments because they just don't ring right.

No need to rush into a maze of tunings. Slow and easy; step by step; do it till it's internalized, then move along. No hih-hu.
 
k0k0peli said:
I know I need more 'ukes -- concert & tenor in 5ths...
Click to expand...

HA HA- for me I'll be doing tenor and bari in 5ths tunings, and dont forget you need both GDAE and CGDA, and with the right strings I might explore BEAD as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
  • Poll
How many ukes have you got? (expanded poll)
2
Replies
21
Views
523
dr_mitch
dr_mitch
S
  • Poll
How many ukuleles do you have?
2
Replies
33
Views
998
MattyNaylor
MattyNaylor
mlolya
How many ukuleles are too many ukuleles?
2 3
Replies
42
Views
1K
Ukecaster
Ukecaster
Melodytchi
Playing again after many years!
Replies
9
Views
170
PTRarch.
PTRarch.
TBB
How many pieces of music / songs can you keep in your head, and how do you make sure they stay there?
2
Replies
34
Views
1K
Joyful Uke
J
Top Bottom