Tenor tuning?

Rllink · Jan 23, 2016

I'm working my way through yet another book that reveals the secrets of movable chords and how they allow you to play any song with ease, and it keeps referring to Soprano tuning, and Tenor tuning. Aren't they the same? Anyway, it is a little distracting.

Futurethink · Jan 23, 2016

Your book is probably talking about linear tuning when it refers to Tenor tuning, and re-entrant when it refers to Soprano.

Rllink · Jan 23, 2016

Futurethink said:
Your book is probably talking about linear tuning when it refers to Tenor tuning, and re-entrant when it refers to Soprano.

I think you are right, but why, are Tenors usually tuned linear?

Futurethink · Jan 23, 2016

I don't know that I'd say "usually," but there is history behind this idea.

According to Dirk at Southcoast, the tenor was introduced with re-entrant DGBE.
http://www.southcoastukes.com/019-2.htm
and
http://www.southcoastukes.com/005.htm
The tuning evolved over time, evolved to GCEA, re-entrant for a time, then linear.

I suspect that the author of your book makes a linear association with tenors. Perhaps that's confirmed somewhere in your book?

mm stan · Jan 23, 2016

http://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/f...-to-choose-the-right-strings-for-your-ukulele

PhilUSAFRet · Jan 23, 2016

Have rarely seen a new tenor sold with linear tuning without buyer request.

Piecomics · Jan 23, 2016

What book? I have a book which does the same but when referring to tenor it is actually referring to the DGBE Bari tuning.

Futurethink · Jan 23, 2016

Referring to U.S. sales today, you're probably right, Phil.

We were talking about the book Rilink is studying, and why the author distinguishes between soprano and tenor tuning. Historically, there is precedence for widespread linear tenor tuning. There is also precedence for DGBE tenor tuning, and if the book is even older, as PieComics suggests, the author might be referring to re-entrant DGBE. Without seeing the book, I can only offer suppositions based on what I've read in other places.

Some builders prefer linear tuning on a tenor. On David Hurd's Kawika site;
http://www.ukuleles.com/SetupnCare/TenorTune.html
…Hurd says, "Unlike the soprano (also called standard) and concert sized ukuleles, the G in the GCEA tuning for the tenor is lower than the C note."

UkieOkie · Jan 23, 2016

Piecomics said:
What book? I have a book which does the same but when referring to tenor it is actually referring to the DGBE Bari tuning.

You are probably referring to "Underdtanding Ukulele Chords". I am really enjoying the book. It just took a little bit to get used to. I think that GCEA has emerged as the common standard either re-entrant or linear. It seems, though, that there are still regionally prefered tunings. I have a tuner on my phone that calls ADF#B tuning as "soprano" and GCEA as "tenor".

Rllink · Jan 23, 2016

UkieOkie said:
You are probably referring to "Underdtanding Ukulele Chords". I am really enjoying the book. It just took a little bit to get used to. I think that GCEA has emerged as the common standard either re-entrant or linear. It seems, though, that there are still regionally prefered tunings. I have a tuner on my phone that calls ADF#B tuning as "soprano" and GCEA as "tenor".

That is the book that I'm talking about. I think that it is a pretty good book, but I've already been through most of the information that he is presenting in three or four other books that I have bought. When I bought this book, I thought that it might have something different, at least a different approach. Anyway, I'm working my way through it, for review if nothing else, and I kept wondering about the reference to "Tenor" tuning. I think that if he had said Baritone, it might have made more sense to me. But honestly, I should just ignore it, because ranting on about it really doesn't do anything.

Futurethink · Jan 23, 2016

I just bought that book after seeing it highly recommended here. It's by Robbert van Renesse.

On page 5 of "Understanding Ukulele Chords", the last paragraph says, "We will call "D-G-B-E" tenor tuning, while we will call "G-C-E-A" soprano tuning (they are also know as 'G" and "C" tuning, respectively)."

So, probably not linear tuning, but yes, DGBE = tenor (in this book).

Tootler · Jan 24, 2016

I have my tenors tuned DGBE reentrant. I believe that was originally the intended tuning for a tenor ukulele but it didn't take off because of the difficulty of obtaining suitable strings in the days or gut being the only strings available. Later, tuning tenors linear GCEA became a preferred choice of many.

Most ukulele players now think of DGBE as baritone tuning.

I like DGBE tuning for tenors and I get quite a lot of positive feedback on the tone of my tenors from non ukulele players.

Tenor tuning?

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