My concert Uke sounds really low.

Hosh

Hosh

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I bought an Oscar Schmidt concert Ukelele off eBay a little less than a month ago, I also bought some Aquilas and a digital tuner. I'm no stranger to music, but I'm dumb about stringed instruments. When tuning my tuner says everything is right on, but to my ear the instrument sounds low when compared to other concerts I hear online. Or compared to those last night listening to the UU Stickam meetup.

I could be tone deaf though :D

Sorry if this has been discussed, I tried searching for things like "low concert", "low tune" and so on. Not much in this regard.

Thanks!
 
"Low" as in playing flat? I'd check to see if your digital tuner has somehow been bumped off it's A440 setting.
 
It could also be, and I must relay some caution here, that the uke is being tuned an octave lower than "normal" or "regular" tuning.

If it doesn't sound at all like any of the ukes you've heard, you might try tightening the strings to get a higher pitch. However, that being said, you don't want to over-tighten the strings. Try tuning to A-D-F#- B, the older standard tuning. If it still sounds really LOW, then perhaps getting a higher pitch might work.

Please get a 2nd or 3rd opinion BEFORE overtightening your uke. You don't want to tear the bridge off with excessive string tension.

Is the Oscar Schmidt the Koa model? They do look beautiful and pretty functional for the price.
 
The open C string (forth string) should be tuned to middle C, I believe. If you have a keyboard or Piano, middle C is usually in the center of the keyboard, the white key on the left of the 2 black keys.

Hope that helps.

–Lori
 
Maybe it's not tuned reentrantly? The G string should be up an octave from what would be typical
 
Maybe it's not tuned at all? I met a woman at our Uke club who played just fine until she got with the rest of the group. Turned out she was nowhere close to standard Uke tuning. What notes are you tuning to?
 
I turn to gCEA. I'll have to find a keyboard. Is it possible to be an octave lower and still be playable? I would think that if I went up higher every turn of the peg would have me reciting a Scotty to Kirk monologue.
 
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It might be kind of a pain, but if all else fails you can make a recording of yourself playing your open strings one at a time and upload it somewhere, someone here would be able to tell what (if anything) is wrong right away.
 
Hosh said:
Going to try this when I get home.

EDIT: to say, I watched the video and that *seems* like my problem. However now I want to know why my tuner would say that I'm gCEA?
Click to expand...

it is entirely possible to tune your uke one octave too low so that the tuner shows as gCEA. go up one octave and you'll be fine. good luck!
 
You're a full octave low.

ETA: Don't get freaked out about putting some tension on the strings; just do it gradually. Bring all four up three steps, have a wang at it and then bring it up three more steps. Repeat 'til you've done your octave.

--Mark
 
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Blrfl said:
You're a full octave low.

ETA: Don't get freaked out about putting some tension on the strings; just do it gradually. Bring all four up three steps, have a wang at it and then bring it up three more steps. Repeat 'til you've done your octave.

--Mark
Click to expand...

Don't be a noob like me kids! Tune it up tight!!!
 
lol, that said - I think someone really ought to manufacture a uke designed to have gCEA a full octave lower.

It will be a nice, low pitched accompanying instrument without being a guitar, or tuned like a guitar.
 
I'm glad you found the cause of the concern.

Now with a properly tuned uke, ... you'll have other concerns!

Keep the faith, and keep uke'in',
 
I had a similar problem when I first got my sopranino. I read it somewhere that it's better to tune it higher than GCEA tuning. I felt like it was going to snap out either the strings or the bridge when I started to tighten it past standard so I just did it at increments. When I get to a point that I was getting uncomfortable with the tension, I stopped right there and let it alone for a couple of minutes then came back to add a little more. I guess it allowed the strings to stretch everytime I did it.
 
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