New guy with Low G vs. High G questions

I am a newbie here (actually this is my first post ). Anyway, about 3 weeks ago my friend decided that he wanted to purchase a guitar and thinking it would be fun to help him pick one out, I decided I'll go with him to the local Sam Ash store. While he was searching the guitars, I saw an area of ukuleles with about 20 different kinds. I thought they were so cute and started picking them up and strumming them (having no clue what i was doing..haha). A store employee came over and picked one up and began playing it for me and I was hooked. After 30 minutes of trying to convince my friend to get a new uke instead of a guitar, i was unsuccessful. He picked out his guitar and we left. All night I couldn't get the ukulele out of my mind and decided to go back the next morning to buy one for me...which I did. I ended up getting the Kala Travel Tenor ukulele (KA-SSTU-T). At the time I thought all ukuleles were the same so I didn't really put any research into buying one, just got the one that the store employee suggested for me. Now, I know better However, I must say that I am really happy with mine (although I am already looking for my next but I told myself I would wait 6 months before upgrading).

Anyway my question is that I have been teaching myself using Hal Leonard's Ukulele Method Book 1 and I've found this to be incredibly useful. I've already learned Ode to Joy, Twinkle-Twinkle, Oh Suzanna! and Frere Jacques..LOL. :drool:

The other night I began playing a song by ear and realized that my ukulele is strung High G so I am unable to hit some of the lower toned notes. I am now contemplating having it restrung in low G so that I can hit some of the lower registers. Being that I am not a singer and I am not a real fan of accompanianment, my ultimate goal is to play melodies with ukulele (I believe this is called finger plucking or something).

If I replace my string with a low G string, will this complicate my learning of the ukulele? In other words, will I still be reading the music the same or do I have to convert everything? My ultimate question is, what difficulties is there with a new guy starting out learning with low G and are music instruction books geared for this?

Thanks !!!

A high G uke cannot make tones below middle C. You may need to transpose some sheet music to get it up to the octave that works.

I don't use instruction books, so I can't comment on that bit. I can't imagine it would make much of difference if the material is written for high G.

That said, many (if not most) of the melodic instrumental players playing professionally today do use a high G (our own Aldrine included)... so it's not so much about limiting as it is being able to adapt.

I personally keep some of my ukes in low G and some in high G - and pick the one I want for the song at hand. Ukes are not terribly expensive as far as instruments go, and I like having both tools on hand.

Congratulations on buying a Kala Travel Uke. They are really special, a lot of sound and bright in tone. I play a tenor ukulele and always favour a low G. I like the playing scales right into the base notes. It's a personal choice low G or high G, both have merit.
I use a wound d' addario D string for a clasical guitar tuned to G but you can buy and Aguila low G and Worth do a fluro carbon low G (not my first choice). If you travel anywhere with your uke remember that you can post pictuers at the Kala travel Ukulele group on this forum.
Cheers

Low G vs high G doesn't have much effect on learning chords just single note picking of melodies. I had the Hal L book and I thought it a little funny that I couldn't play some of the low notes. You can play them up a octave and they sound ok but they are high when the melody is low so it's a little off.
High G vs low G affects the sound but not so much the learning.

"although I am already looking for my next but I told myself I would wait 6 months"

Oh, you are a newbie if you think you're going to hold yourself to this statement. He he he he! Welcome to UU.

In no time at all you will own several ukes of various sizes, shapes and tunings, don't sweat the high G low G quandary.

You may want to do a little research on UAS. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nvmfcFI-78

You did pretty well by getting the uke you got. I haven't played one myself, but I know the Travel Ukes have gotten good reviews. Most local music stores have a pretty poor selection, so you lucked out.

You'll find both positives and negatives about low G tuning. I've only played high G myself. I had thought about changing to low G a few months back, but after doing some reading, decided not to.

There were negative comments about strumming, generally that the low G can be overpowering. It does have the advantage of giving you those notes below the C string.

However, remember too that having a high G gives you the advantage of being one step below the A string. This can make some melody runs easier, and can give you some flexibility when you want some melody notes to ring (campanella-style). Watch some John King or Brian Hefferan videos to see what I mean. There are more examples, but these two come to mind.

Jason

Yeppirs as long as you are tuned GCEA the G can be low or high and trhe chord shapes stay the same! I was worried about that, too when I started changing some of my ukes to low G...it does make some songs sound a little off when you first hear them, but some sound better! As far as UAS goes...give in to the dark side...( we have cookies! ):uhoh:

You've gotten good replies already. Low G doesn't change your chord shapes. Low G offers some extra low notes. Low G sounds great with some songs, maybe not as much with others.

Here's some more information you might not have yet. Low G requies a different G string, and possibly alteration of the groove in the nut. Some low G strings are wound, and some aren't Low G affords you the use of five (yes, only 5) extra notes that you don't have with high G. UAS is progressive and dangerous.

I'd suggest you buy a second uke for low G and have both. Next you're going to be curious about D tuning or going a step lower for some songs. Welcome to UU and the wonderful world of ukes!

I have a Kala Tenor, the KA-TG. Its sort of your uke's slightly bigger brother with a laminated mahogany top, instead of the spruce the travel one has. When I got it, it was strung with a high G. After I got into smaller ukes, such as my Ohana soprano and my Flea concert, I seldom played my Kala, since I was more into that high soprano type sound with a high G.

Earlier this week, I put a low G Aquila string on it. I had put high G Aquilas on it soon after I bought it. I had tried a low G once before, but it wasn't a string actually made for that, and I didn't like it. I too like playing chord solos, which is where you pick the melody in between strumming chords at the appropriate places. I am really enjoying the low G now on the tenor.

As others have already told you, you can always transpose songs, but that is sometimes a lot of work and sometimes they don't sound as good. You can also just start higher on the fretboard. In other words if the first note is a C, you play it on the 3rd fret of the A string, rather than the C string open. Unfortunately, you rapidly run out of fretboard real estate when you do that. There are a lot of songs I play that seem to just fit me when I start on the C string, but many of them also need just a few lower notes. The low G gives me that. I personally think country and western ballads and songs like them sound better when you can strum a low G.

Its is also true that many virtuoso soloists play with high G strings on a tenor. Most of them spend a lot of time dazzling us with their above the 12th fret work, but that is still foreign territory to me for the most part.

So.. bottom line is that it probably depends on what sound you like. You can buy just one string instead of a whole set if you like. My Sam Ash doesn't seem to have Aquilas in singles, but I am lucky and live near UkeRepublic who does. You can always order them online.

I'll keep my sopranos and concerts plunky but for when I want low and mellow...

Good luck with your new tenor.

Thanks for all the information! This forum is a great place to ask questions and learn a lot. I'm so glad I stumbled upon it.

I decided I will keep my Kala strung in high G but I am already researching my next Uke which I hope to order next week. I'm considering the Ko'aloha tenor. :drool:

Yeah, i think once i have bought another tenor (hopefully with a pickup), i'm going to string one of my tenors with the low g. this has definitely been an informative thread.

UkeDan77 said:

Thanks for all the information! This forum is a great place to ask questions and learn a lot. I'm so glad I stumbled upon it.

I decided I will keep my Kala strung in high G but I am already researching my next Uke which I hope to order next week. I'm considering the Ko'aloha tenor. :drool:

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But you didn't stumble upon this this forum. You were coaxed in by a higher power. You are now hopelessly ensnared. LOL