Concert to Bari?

Chopped Liver

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
Messages
7,649
Reaction score
9
So, I stumbled upon some Baritone tabs and tried it on my concert. The only difference was that I needed a low G instead of a high G. Now, I know it might not sound right if I played with someone else, but even when I played the chords listed, it sounded right. I play solo for my own enjoyment.

I loved that I was playing the song and it was a lower range (the way it was written, it used the low G string a lot, vs the higher strings when written for a concert). So, instead of getting a baritone (which is pretty big for me) I was thinking of getting a concert with a low G string. I guess I could also tune it to Baritone tuning, huh? Will it actually be playing as low as a bari?

What do you think?
 
The problem you will run into if you tune your concert to DGBE is really low string tension and sound quality because of that. Even at the 20-1/2" scale length of a normal baritone instrument the tension is still on the low side. Which stands to reason as a guitar is about 25" scale length. The sound of a CONCERT tuned down to a baritone would be very dull and muddy, just not enough string tension to drive the top properly

What you are doing with using baritone fingering on your concert is transposing 5 steps down and that can be fun and gives a whole different sound
 
The problem you will run into if you tune your concert to DGBE is really low string tension and sound quality because of that. Even at the 20-1/2" scale length of a normal baritone instrument the tension is still on the low side. Which stands to reason as a guitar is about 25" scale length. The sound of a CONCERT tuned down to a baritone would be very dull and muddy, just not enough string tension to drive the top properly

What you are doing with using baritone fingering on your concert is transposing 5 steps down and that can be fun and gives a whole different sound

But I am not using bari fingering. I am using soprano/concert fingering and it sounds fine (fingerpicking) except that the G needs to be a low G. So, if I just play it as if it is a concert, the tabs are still written lower than the song written for soprano/concert.

OK, so if I get a low G string, I can play it like it is written for bari but use concert tuning?
 
But I am not using bari fingering. I am using soprano/concert fingering and it sounds fine (fingerpicking) except that the G needs to be a low G. So, if I just play it as if it is a concert, the tabs are still written lower than the song written for soprano/concert.

OK, so if I get a low G string, I can play it like it is written for bari but use concert tuning?

I am sorry I misunderstood, so you are playing your concert using concert fingering with baritone tabs. Then yes just replacing the G string from high to low G will give you linear tuning and sound more "correct"
 
I am sorry I misunderstood, so you are playing your concert using concert fingering with baritone tabs. Then yes just replacing the G string from high to low G will give you linear tuning and sound more "correct"

OK, thanks! Now to find a low G string . . . Or maybe another concert so I can keep the high G on this one.

Would the tension of a low G string damage a concert?
 
I use low G tuning on nearly all my ukes, from long neck soprano to tenor. :)

(And I use concert low G string sets.)

OK, thanks! I will look for somewhere to order low G strings sets for my concert. Any suggestions?

Still, I may buy an inexpensive concert from Mim or Mike at Uke Republic so I can leave this uke as it is. It is a lanikai concert - first one I bought. Not fancy, but it has a really nice sound and I love it.
 
You could try JustStrings if your local music store does not carry them. It may be possible to buy the low G only.
 
No need to get a whole set. Strings By Mail sells individual low g strings. A Fremont Soloist, which is smooth wound works nicely on a concert.
 
No need to get a whole set. Strings By Mail sells individual low g strings. A Fremont Soloist, which is smooth wound works nicely on a concert.

Is that going to work with the Aquillas on it, or do I need to get something else?
 
Fremont soloist is an excellent option. Or, Pepe Romero non wound low g is awesome too.
 
Is that going to work with the Aquillas on it, or do I need to get something else?

If I was to follow the low G route then the wound Fremont has a lot of supporters on UU. They are available from Lucy’s Ukuleles via eBay and Reverb.

Aquila do a 9U string which is a match for their Nygluts, not expensive but I believe less liked than the Freeemont. Whatever, the costs are low.

Good luck with the finger picking - love tab myself - I really aught to follow your example and string one of my Ukes with a low g.

Be aware that your nut might need some work on it to take the different string.

If you end up buying a new Uke from Mim then I suggest you get her to do the set-up work and to fit the low g for you.

Edit. If you have a spare Soprano then why not fit a low g to that first? No need, perhaps, to rush out and buy and extra instrument.
 
Last edited:
If I was to follow the low G route then the wound Fremont has a lot of supporters on UU. They are available from Lucy’s Ukuleles via eBay and Reverb.

Aquila do a 9U string which is a match for their Nygluts, not expensive but I believe less liked than the Freeemont. Whatever, the costs are low.

Good luck with the finger picking - love tab myself - I really aught to follow your example and string one of my Ukes with a low g.

Be aware that your nut might need some work on it to take the different string.

If you end up buying a new Uke from Mim then I suggest you get her to do the set-up work and to fit the low g for you.

Edit. If you have a spare Soprano then why not fit a low g to that first? No need, perhaps, to rush out and buy and extra instrument.

Ugh! Thanks for reminding me the nut might need some work!

Well, I do have a spare soprano. I am not crazy about the size as it feels harder to hold. Maybe I should put it up for a trade.

And those Freemont Soloist are hard to find! I found them at HMS and Elderly. I'll check out Lucy's, too.
 
Ugh! Thanks for reminding me the nut might need some work!

Well, I do have a spare soprano. I am not crazy about the size as it feels harder to hold. Maybe I should put it up for a trade.

And those Freemont Soloist are hard to find! I found them at HMS and Elderly. I'll check out Lucy's, too.
Hard to find? You just found 3 places that have it in stock. How many do you need? ;)

Usually going from unwound high g to wound low g does not require nut work. More likely going to unwound low G, but for temporary, you can have the string sitting on top of the nut slot. Not ideal of course as that affects the action and intonation but it can tell you if you like the tension and tone of the string enough to mess with the nut.
 
Hard to find? You just found 3 places that have it in stock. How many do you need? ;)

Usually going from unwound high g to wound low g does not require nut work. More likely going to unwound low G, but for temporary, you can have the string sitting on top of the nut slot. Not ideal of course as that affects the action and intonation but it can tell you if you like the tension and tone of the string enough to mess with the nut.

You are such a comedian! :p I only need one place, but the two places others mentioned didn't list them. I will check the difference in shipping from Elderly or HMS.

Wait. Messing with the nut?! Do you know how long it took me before I worked up the courage to change the strings?!? :rolleyes:

Might have to break down and order a pineapple uke from Mim and let her deal with it. I've been wanting a pineapple for a long time anyway . . .
 
You don't have to change anything.
The Bickford Method is a method book which was sold with Ditson ukuleles in the 1920s. The method ignored whether you use high or low G, you just play the low notes on the G (GCEA) or D (DGBE) or A (ADF#B) string depending on the tuning. You have to get used to the way it sounds of course, but there is no real reason that you must use a low G string if you don't want to. This is just an example to show that for almost 100 years, people have been playing ukuleles differently to guitars in that the "low" string is in a higher octave on the ukulele.
Once you start to get used to playing the baritone, you can start to look at the "real" chord names. The shapes will be familiar, but the chords will have a different name. So instead of playing a C chord using a GCEA chord shape on the Baritone, you can use an F shape on the Baritone and you will be playing a "real" C chord. Over time you will get used to both the DGBE and GCEA tunings just by playing tunes you like to play and with a little bit of work finding out how to identify the root note for a chord on your fretboard.
I have re-entrant GCEA ukes and linear DGBE, sopranos and baritones. Once you get used to both, and gain a little bit of knowledge about the fretboards, you can pick almost any piece of music and play it in the first five frets of one of the tunings. If I need to play a tune with low notes because thats what is in the music, I just find the notes on the DGBE fretboard.
The combination of Soprano/Concert and Baritone is a good way to go if you want to learn a lot more about fretboards and music. I suggest leaving the strings alone and spending the time and any money on learning about the musical aspects and the fretboards.

Thanks for the info. I actually don't have a baritone. I just played some baritone music on my concert. I like the lower sound, but the baritone is probably too big for me.
 
You are such a comedian! :p I only need one place, but the two places others mentioned didn't list them. I will check the difference in shipping from Elderly or HMS.

Wait. Messing with the nut?! Do you know how long it took me before I worked up the courage to change the strings?!? :rolleyes:

Might have to break down and order a pineapple uke from Mim and let her deal with it. I've been wanting a pineapple for a long time anyway . . .

The third was Uke Republic
I can't imagine shipping would be much for a string or two from any of them.

I was trying to say you shouldn't have to mess with the nut with a wound string. If you hated the wound string and wanted to try an unwound, you might need to adjust the nut but you could try the string(s) first.

Of course, if you want to get a new uke dedicated to low G, I'm not gonna try to talk you out of it. ;)
 
The third was Uke Republic
I can't imagine shipping would be much for a string or two from any of them.

I was trying to say you shouldn't have to mess with the nut with a wound string. If you hated the wound string and wanted to try an unwound, you might need to adjust the nut but you could try the string(s) first.

Of course, if you want to get a new uke dedicated to low G, I'm not gonna try to talk you out of it. ;)

OK, thanks for the clarification. Now I get it. Unwound might need nut change. But I could try it before the nut change to see if I like it.

Hm . . . I think the nut in this case might be me . . . :D
 
Sorry I got it mixed up. The suggestion is still mostly the same.
You are playing the baritone shapes on a concert. You still don't need a low G string, you can just get used to the way the re-entrant tuning sounds and the low notes will sound an octave higher.
And once you get used to it you can still do a little bit of work on finding the root notes for the chords on a GCEA fretboard. So if you are playing the G shape for DGBE, you can work out that its the same as the C shape for a GCEA.
When you play the music arranged for DGBE on a GCEA fretboard you are effectively transposing up a fifth or down a fourth, which sounds nasty but is not a big deal. It is a good skill to learn.
If you want to accompany other players, you will play using the DGBE arrangement in the keys shown below (sorry it wont line up well). This is called using your uke as a transposing instrument. Effectively if you write out the A chromatic scale next to the D chromatic scale and line them up you will get this table:
DGBE GCEA
A D
Bb Eb
B E
C F
C# F#
D G
Eb Ab
E A
F Bb
F# B
G C
Ab C#

So if your GCEA friend is playing a tune in the key of C, you find DGBE music written in the key of G for the same tune and when you play it on your GCEA concert or soprano, it will be in the key of C, just like your GCEA friend is playing. If you use an app like MuseScore you can get the computer to do your transposing.
If you learn the GCEA and DGBE fretboards, which is effectively what you are doing, you will be able to fit almost any music you can find into the first 5-7 frets of your ukulele.

Thanks for the info!
 
I recently purchased a Fremont Soloist Low G string. Based on my research, I found that Elderly and Lucy had the lowest shipping fees. (The string itself only costs $4.00.). Mine arrived from Elderly in a couple of days. It fit in the nut slot on my concert ukulele perfectly with no modifications, and the sound balances well with the other three strings. I'm a happy camper, and highly recommend you give it the Soloist a try, on either your existing uke or a potential new one.
Jan D
 
Top Bottom