ADGB tuning

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Gadesuttoboru

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Hi.
I can't find an answer for this, possibly stupid and possibly already answered, question.
I have an ukulele for a while, but I was too lazy to learn new fingerings for chords, but loved its sound, so I just tuned it like middle strings of ordinary guitar - ADGB.
But I can't find anywhere any mention that someone plays ukulele this way, so I think it's wrong.
The most similiar ukulele tuning is ADF#B. But why F# and not G? What does it change?
It certainly would be simplier for guitar players to use their usual fingerings, and it seems, almost every chord is possible this way.
Thanks.
 
Common ukulele tuning, gCEA, the first 4 strings of the guitar capoed at the 5th fret. Reentrant/C tuning on the uke makes string 4 an octave higher. ADF#B is reentrant/D tuning on the uke or the first 4 strings of the guitar capoed at the 7th fret.

Regards,
Ray
 
It's just how gCEA shakes out when you bump it up a step. The fingerings for chords stay the same, it's just up a full note higher on the scale. These being the traditional string intervals for the ukulele.

A lot of chord fingering do carry over from guitar, it's just that they're in a different key and slightly truncated without a couple of strings. But in the end they're different instruments and I'm afraid you're going to have to resign yourself to learning new chords and new names for them. But the essential concepts are the same.

There's a mental component to it as well. A guitar and an ukulele are two very different beasts and you kind of need to separate them in your mind in how you approach them and their particular strengths and how you play them.

There's also no hard and fast rule as to tuning any stringed instrument and if ADGB works for you, there's nothing to stop you from using it.
 
the reason its f# and not g is because it's a d major tuning (d chord is d f# a). if it were a g instead, it would be a g major tuning (g chord is g b d). with the d tuning, the chord shapes would be the same a c tuning. with the g tuning, your chord shapes will be completely different, fyi.
 
Thank you for your answers!
I'm afraid my problem is because I really treat ukulele like just small guitar, what is wrong. :cool:
I'll read more about it.

arashi_nero, I don't understand about chord shapes... These are different, yes, but I just wonder why no one uses usual guitar shapes on ukulele.
 
Gadesuttoboru said:
Thank you for your answers!
I'm afraid my problem is because I really treat ukulele like just small guitar, what is wrong. :cool:
I'll read more about it.

arashi_nero, I don't understand about chord shapes... These are different, yes, but I just wonder why no one uses usual guitar shapes on ukulele.
Click to expand...

We can't use guitar chord shapes on a ukukele because a guitar has 6 strings and a uke only has 4. We use the shapes you would use on the DGBE strings on a guitar instead of the ADGB strings you were trying to use.
 
Aloha Gadesuttoboru,
I play my ukes a half step down, at F#-30, B-20/-30, D#-40, G# -30/-40
It's a lower tension a really makes the strings resonate to their full potential.
Also playability improves too etc. Try it and let me know!! MM Stan..
 
I came from guitar as well and I can not recommend sticking with GCEA enough--At least while you are learning. I naively went with ADF#B because I liked the tension and on the strings and the ringing high sound. This was all well and good when playing by myself and even in bands, because I was still thinking guitar chords and transposing as necessary.

Then, just as I was beggining to learn the actual chords in ADF#B I started talking to other uke-ers and even went to a festival. It could not have been more confusing holding these conversations and taking classes at the festival. Within an hour I had tuned to GCEA, and was thinking both guitar and ADF#B and trying to learn new techniques with unfamiliar chords. I still sometimes go through nasty hassles trying to talk chords in my bands.

There is nothing wrong with ADGB per se, until you are trying to communicate with others.

Just my thoughts.

Yer Luvin',
--Troy
 
mm stan said:
Aloha Gadesuttoboru,
I play my ukes a half step down, at F#-30, B-20/-30, D#-40, G# -30/-40
It's a lower tension a really makes the strings resonate to their full potential.
Also playability improves too etc. Try it and let me know!! MM Stan..
Click to expand...

Stan, I've seen you post this info about your tuning preference many times....but I still don't understand it. What are the numbers for? Why not just say F#BD#G#?
 
Gadesuttoboru said:
Thank you for your answers!
I'm afraid my problem is because I really treat ukulele like just small guitar, what is wrong. :cool:
I'll read more about it.

arashi_nero, I don't understand about chord shapes... These are different, yes, but I just wonder why no one uses usual guitar shapes on ukulele.
Click to expand...

I believe you can (and do) use guitar chord shapes on a baritone uke. It's like a guitar without the top two strings....
 
brickerenator said:
$10 says that the numbers are the Hz he's going down
Click to expand...
Hey brickerenator,
I still can read you know....be nice.
everyone knows that...to be technical about it, 440Hz is dead center of a note
if you go above or below that it goes in incriments..ex..+10=441Hz, +20=442Hz etc. for sharpness
if you go down it's -10=439HZ, -20=438Hz etc.. makes the note more flat...
Every note is broken down in incriments of ten, plus five(441-445HZ) for sharper and
Minus five=439Hz-435Hz for flatter note.
It just a way to break it down, that's all..
Wanted to keep it simple, you know...
MM Stan...
Now where's my ten spot???
 
Last edited:
mm stan said:
Hey brickerenator,
I still can read you know....be nice.
everyone knows that...to be technical about it, 440Hz is dead center of a note
if you go above or below that it goes in incriments..ex..+10=441Hz, +20=442Hz etc. for sharpness
if you go down it's -10=439HZ, -20=438Hz etc.. makes the note more flat...
Every note is broken down in incriments of ten, plus five(441-445HZ) for sharper and
Minus five=439Hz-435Hz for flatter note.
It just a way to break it down, that's all..
Wanted to keep it simple, you know...
MM Stan...
Now where's my ten spot???
Click to expand...

440Hz is the commonly accepted frequency for middle A or "Concert A " Wiki link actually. not "dead center of a note"

And no.. Not "everyone knows"


Just sayin'
 
Last edited:
Aloha Jt,
My mistake, you're right it's the standard musical note A above middle "C"...440 vibrations per second,considered a standard for musical pitch..sorry guys!!!
thanks, mm stan...
 
Last edited:
Its stil interesting.

MOst tuners talk in cents.

I wonder if this is what mmstan is doing.

I'm going to try mmstan's tuning. My only question is: would i still play f chord as 2010? or do I move it appropriately up or down the fret?
 
Aloha SuzukHammer,
I play the same chord positions..
thinking about that, it actually made sense ...it was the pitch not the note because the note was already there..
what was I thinking...
 
Last edited:
SuzukHammer said:
Its stil interesting.

MOst tuners talk in cents.

I wonder if this is what mmstan is doing.

I'm going to try mmstan's tuning. My only question is: would i still play f chord as 2010? or do I move it appropriately up or down the fret?
Click to expand...

You can use the same shapes, they'll just be different chords. For example, in the new tuning, 2010 will be an E.
 
On the 440Hz thing...

It's not a universal standard to which everyone tunes. Different parts of the world have been known to tune differently. Over the years music has suffered "pitch creep" where the pitch (in Hz) to which we tune has slowly risen. I years past people tuned to A=430. It's still A, it's just A at a lower pitch.

Think of tuning to a certain Hz as tuning to a specific "pitch" rather than being sharp or flat. Then within that specified pitch you make sure your scale is not sharp or flat.
 
spots said:
On the 440Hz thing...

It's not a universal standard to which everyone tunes. Different parts of the world have been known to tune differently. Over the years music has suffered "pitch creep" where the pitch (in Hz) to which we tune has slowly risen. I years past people tuned to A=430. It's still A, it's just A at a lower pitch.

Think of tuning to a certain Hz as tuning to a specific "pitch" rather than being sharp or flat. Then within that specified pitch you make sure your scale is not sharp or flat.
Click to expand...

There is some really good info on the web about this. very very interesting. after all, it's all just Math! There was a thread here on UU a while back too.

I think A in the Baroque era was as low as 415 hz... and often depended on the conductor.

werd.
 
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