High G and low G

Orton Pearson

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I write this from a standpoint of complete ignorance.

It seems that the default string arrangement on new Soprano / Concert / Tenor ukuleles is high G.

Whereas from a logical point of view most other instruments would have the notes arranged in the 'logical flow' sequence and thus you would think that low G would be the case for ukulele.

The Beloff 365 & 366 song books are known to be low G based.

What is the case for either high or low G, especially for a beginner? Are music and tabs for ukulele decisively for high or low G? Or is it a 52%/48% ratio? We know what trouble that causes.

If you change the default high G string on your ukulele for a low G string you may have to file down beneath the nut to accommodate the thicker string. Does this mean that once it has been done you cannot go back to a high G because of such filing down?
 
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I write this from a standpoint of complete ignorance.

If you change the default high G for a low G you may have to file down beneath the nut to accommodate the thicker string. Does this mean that once it has been done you cannot go back to a high G because of such filing down?

Nope ... it just means you have to fill the slot and cut a new one ... just takes a minute or two!
 
Have you ever heard of a 5-string banjo? Same principle - high string on top. If you are interested in the campanella style of ukulele, then a high G is required - if you're just strumming and you want more bass tone, then a low G. If you are a guitar player dabbling in uke, you want a low G cause it's what you're used to (actually, you want a bari because it really what you're used to).

Most "ukulele" music is high G. I play a high D bari so I can play uke instrumental campanella music on a bari - I prefer the lower, mellower tones of the bari.

Your mileage may vary.
Dennis
 
From my position of total ignorance a low G would seem to be more logical, yet the default for new Sopranos / Concerts / Tenors is clearly high G. Is most music written / transposed for ukulele done for a high G set up?
 
Most music that you will find online for uke, is actually for chords to play whilst singing, that is what most people use a ukulele for - I'm definately not your 'normal' uke player, as I like to pick melodies. :)

If this is your first uke, consider what you want to do with it, if you want to sing & play, then either linear or re entrant will suit, if you are mainly concerned with playing tunes, I'd still suggest you start with a re entrant, & just change the high G for a low G string later.

I've never had to open up the slot of the nut to accommodate a low G string, wound or fluorocarbon, & you can normally just change between high & low as & when you feel like it. If you really aren't sure which, tie a bead on the end of the strings so that you can change them over easier. :)
 
I am more partial to Aston Villa and I pick with my finger tips with the nails very well trimmed. I don't like the feel of nails catching on strings. Obviously there is a tonal difference between nails and flesh. There may also be a limitation in how fast you can pluck. I wouldn't personally know since I don't move much faster than 16th notes. However, I notice that most of the ukulele gurus have nails.

Regarding the low and high G: I hedge my bets by having a ukulele devoted to each. I treat them the same. I do some strumming but mostly finger pick. For me, linear is better because you can play scales from the G string or the C string. However, the re-entrant has its benefits as well. Its higher pitch sounds better in some circumstances and it is really nice having the G and A strings a tone apart for arranging sounds or for doubling a tone you want.
 
I've never had to open up the slot of the nut to accommodate a low G string, wound or fluorocarbon, & you can normally just change between high & low as & when you feel like it. If you really aren't sure which, tie a bead on the end of the strings so that you can change them over easier. :)

I've never had to open up the slot to change to low G either. I change back and forth, depending on my whims, and simply change the string.

Depending on the style of the bridge, it might really be a non-issue. There are slot bridges, tie bridges, and string through bridges, (and maybe something I'm forgetting about? You never know.)
 
I am more partial to Aston Villa and I pick with my finger tips with the nails very well trimmed.

I don't know who/what Aston Villa is, but I do agree with you about picking with finger tips, though.
Since I'm just playing for myself, that's what works best for me, and I'm content with the sound.

I keep a high g ukulele and a low g ukulele, so I can easily switch back and forth, but I have altered which ukulele is low g vs. high g, with no problem. Simply changed strings.
 
Aston Villa is a soccer club temporarily playing in the second tier of the English league structure. Fundamentally the club is a first tier entity which will get its act together and return to its rightful status.
 
There are some folk on the internet who suggest that the particular category of ukulele (Soprano / Concert / Tenor) is generally suitable to be set up as definitively high or low G.

Or is it definitely to do with the individual taste of the player and the type of music to be played such that a high / low G version of each category of ukulele is ideal?
 
I’ve got one of each on my 2 tenors. When I had a soprano, I even had a low G on it for most of the time. Did I say I like to play a nice bass line?
I think it depends on the song. I’m paraphrasing Manitoba Hal, but he said when he wants to play melody in his show, its handy having a low G. He also said the high G sounds better when strummed. I agree with him completely. I think low Gs sound better on a tenor, than the smaller instruments if you intend to strum.


Bottom line, is what songs (and style) do you want to play? Just get one of each, like many of us do.
 
There are no absolutes in ukulele. Some like it high. Some like it low.

It's your ukulele. Do what you want with it.
 
I have both Low & high g tenors. I prefer the Low-G sound.

That being said, many ukulele tabs (the tabular notation for playing individual notes) are written for one or the other. With, in my experience, re-entrant (often called "standard") tuning the more prevalent.

As I have been playing for just over a year, I have only now starting learning to play Tabs. At first, I couldn't figure out why the example songs didn't sound right. Even the simple nursery rhymes. Finally, I realized that they were written for high-g. I switched to my Pono mango tenor with high-g Worth Browns and voila! That octave difference just doesn't work when playing note tabs.

I say "note tabs" because it has become very common for music that has lyrics with only chord notations to be called "Tabs" as well.

Confusing. But I confuse easily.
 
There are no absolutes in ukulele. Some like it high. Some like it low.

It's your ukulele. Do what you want with it.

+1. Play with it, have fun, & decide what you enjoy. You can always change your mind tomorrow if you want. Strings don't cost a lot.
 
Yes, I have both low G and High G ukuleles. As they are the same note, for strumming it really just comes down to which sound you prefer. For picking it may get a little weird if you are counting on a particular melody but even then no biggie.
Pretty easy to change, I only have one ukulele - a concert - that the low G is a little too fat for the slot, but that may also be the strings (Aquila Reds) which are notoriously large gauge.
Out of my 10 ukuleles, I have two that are pretty much always Low G, and I also have a six-string that is sometimes Low G, sometimes not depending what strings I feel like getting for it.

My most recent ukulele purchase finally ended the controversy for me.
I bought a 5-String - it has both Low G and High G at the same time in a doubled course! :D

Just play, enjoy yourself, there is no right answer to this question, just what YOU like!
 
When you pick melodies do you do so with a pick or do you use a finger-nail? I am a Carlisle United supporter and thus have no finger-nails.

I mainly use my thumb, (sometimes a couple of fingers, if I'm doing chord picking), rarely use actual nails, (but try to, if making a recording for the Seasons on here, as it gives a louder sound).
 
I write this from a standpoint of complete ignorance.

It seems that the default string arrangement on new Soprano / Concert / Tenor ukuleles is high G.

Whereas from a logical point of view most other instruments would have the notes arranged in the 'logical flow' sequence and thus you would think that low G would be the case for ukulele.

The Beloff 365 & 366 song books are known to be low G based.

What is the case for either high or low G, especially for a beginner? Are music and tabs for ukulele decisively for high or low G? Or is it a 52%/48% ratio? We know what trouble that causes.

If you change the default high G string on your ukulele for a low G string you may have to file down beneath the nut to accommodate the thicker string. Does this mean that once it has been done you cannot go back to a high G because of such filing down?

Trying to look at and answer your several points in turn:

It’s true, the default setting for new Ukes is high g. Additionally the vast bulk of club players that I know of retain that default setting.

You might think it logical to have an alternative flow of pitches (a low g instead of a high g) but when the Uke was originally developed there will have been logical reasons for using a high g. My instinct is that wound low g strings just weren’t available so they went with what they had and what worked.

I don’t know any people who use the Beloff books as the basis of their playing or to any extent at all really. I sold my copy and see little in the way of people using them. Their use of low g doesn’t mean that there is an overwhelming case for it, they just used what worked for them (Edit. As pointed out below by Babaluke the written music primarily refers to the sung line. As I recall chords are provided for you to strum whilst singing but more expert players could fingerpick instead.) No disrespect intended to music sources that some here find helpful, but those here are both not typical players and normally USA based so their experiences might differ from what you’re most likely to find here in either a U.K. club or learning group.

As a beginner stick with high g, it’s what virtually everyone else will be using and what your music will be supplied as. The tab playing that I have done has all assumed high g, low g is for the more expert and advanced player.

It is the slot width not its depth that you would need to change, wider strings need wider slots. I’d have thought that a slot wide enough for a wound low g would be fine for a high g string (the difference in diameters isn’t vast), but a slot wide enough for an unwound low g might well give problems with a high g string.

I’ve been playing for several years now and am only now approaching a use for a low g, to me and at this stage of my playing they fall into the ‘more trouble than they’re worth’ category - I suggest that that tells you all you really need to know.
 
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Hi ukeless

re your statement 'The Beloff 365 & 366 song books are known to be low G based.' I don't know where this is coming from and could be true, but looking at some of the songs in the books.. I think the music notation is there for the sung melody not especially for the played melody.

- one section of the book states: 'keep in mind that the lowest note on a GCEA uke is middle C as a result when the note is below middle C then the note shown is actually an octave above, play that note and sing an octave below'

I think the main intention of these books is for ukulele to be the accompaniment to the sung song. ie strumming the chords.. when you get more experienced you can try adding a few solo notes as well as in chord/melody playing. Its at this point you may want to try a low G setup..

more advanced players, playing finger-style (less strumming, more notes or chords) will use either, there is music written for both..

cheers..
 
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