zztush
Well-known member
This time I want to talk about D and Bb tuning.
Jake Shimabukuro plays tenor and Ohta-san plays soprano. Of course their tuning is C in usual. It is C instrument (instrument which key is C). Imagine they gave their ukuleles to your friend. And your friend wanted to tune it in Bb and D. How do you explain them to stay C? I think I would explain that Jake and Ohta-san plays C, C must be good tuning for these ukulele. This is a case with Jake and Ohta-san.
If your friend told you that they wanted to change their tuning into D or Bb, can you explain why it wrong is? This time their ukuleles are their own ukulele, not the presents from Jake or Ohta-san. Actually it is bit hard. Because if they wanted such tuning, their knowledge and experience may be very low. We need to explain it with very basic knowledge. It is like explaining to primary school student. Ok, I try it.
how do i print screen
Even a primary school student knows harmonica. I use harmonica for this explanation this time. I play blues harp. There are 12 harps by 12 keys. We use C harp for key of C song (this is only 1st position, I don't talk 2nd and 3rd positions here). It is very easy to play key of C song on key of C harp. But it is hard to play it on key of D or Bb. I play blues harp, but I can not play C major scale on D or Bb (see the figure above). And even a best players play C song better on C than D or Bb. Playability links to better sound. Same things happens on ukulele.
pic host
They may ask me this. But D tuning sounds better than C tuning. But this time, they should check C chord on D tuning and C chord on C tuning. They should not just compare D on D and C on C.
Jake Shimabukuro plays tenor and Ohta-san plays soprano. Of course their tuning is C in usual. It is C instrument (instrument which key is C). Imagine they gave their ukuleles to your friend. And your friend wanted to tune it in Bb and D. How do you explain them to stay C? I think I would explain that Jake and Ohta-san plays C, C must be good tuning for these ukulele. This is a case with Jake and Ohta-san.
If your friend told you that they wanted to change their tuning into D or Bb, can you explain why it wrong is? This time their ukuleles are their own ukulele, not the presents from Jake or Ohta-san. Actually it is bit hard. Because if they wanted such tuning, their knowledge and experience may be very low. We need to explain it with very basic knowledge. It is like explaining to primary school student. Ok, I try it.
how do i print screen
Even a primary school student knows harmonica. I use harmonica for this explanation this time. I play blues harp. There are 12 harps by 12 keys. We use C harp for key of C song (this is only 1st position, I don't talk 2nd and 3rd positions here). It is very easy to play key of C song on key of C harp. But it is hard to play it on key of D or Bb. I play blues harp, but I can not play C major scale on D or Bb (see the figure above). And even a best players play C song better on C than D or Bb. Playability links to better sound. Same things happens on ukulele.
pic host
They may ask me this. But D tuning sounds better than C tuning. But this time, they should check C chord on D tuning and C chord on C tuning. They should not just compare D on D and C on C.