Transposing song from Tenor uke to a Baritone Uke?

notalent31 · Jun 20, 2011

Just got a nice song book from my daughter yesterday, fathers day.
Problem is: all the songs are for uke tuned GCEA tenor, but my baritone uke is tuned to DGBE.

I think there's a harmonic tranpositional solution to this dilemma, but
I just don't know how to raise or drop the key in order to play the songs.

For instance: A song is in the key of D which has an F sharp and C sharp. So, in order to get to the correct key for my baritone DGBE, I've got to "raise or lower" the key?

Please help because my daughter expects me to play some of these songs for Christmas.

Thanks...

JT_Ukes · Jun 20, 2011

notalent31 said:
Just got a nice song book from my daughter yesterday, fathers day.
Problem is: all the songs are for uke tuned GCEA tenor, but my baritone uke is tuned to DGBE.

I think there's a harmonic tranpositional solution to this dilemma, but
I just don't know how to raise or drop the key in order to play the songs.

For instance: A song is in the key of D which has an F sharp and C sharp. So, in order to get to the correct key for my baritone DGBE, I've got to "raise or lower" the key?

Please help because my daughter expects me to play some of these songs for Christmas.

Thanks...

unless you want to change the Key (like if the song is to high or low for you to sing comfortably) , you don't need to transpose, a G on the Tenor is a G on a baratine is a G on an Tuba. the chords may be shaped differently, but a G is a G and a D is a D. etc.

TCK · Jun 20, 2011

Not sure if I get what you are after. If a song is in D for a standard uke tuning, you play it in D on the Baritone. The chords are the same, it is the chord diagrams you now ignore...
Unless you decide to play the tunes like they are diagrammed. Then you are playing the tune in a lower key.
For example- if you play the fingering as diagrammed for C chord in your book, you are actually playing a G chord. THe fingering for an F chord in your book is actually a C chord on your Baritone, a D as noted in standard is an A on your Baritone and so on...
Does that makes sense?
I got a little chord diagram stamp and went through my books and added Baritone chord diagrams as well...mostly to figure out the differences between the two- never really use them anymore but it was a decent exercise for transposing between the two.

mm stan · Jun 20, 2011

Just the fingerings or chord shape will be different..

southcoastukes · Jun 20, 2011

TCK said:
Not sure if I get what you are after. If a song is in D for a standard uke tuning, you play it in D on the Baritone. The chords are the same, it is the chord diagrams you now ignore...
Unless you decide to play the tunes like they are diagrammed. Then you are playing the tune in a lower key.
For example- if you play the fingering as diagrammed for C chord in your book, you are actually playing a G chord. THe fingering for an F chord in your book is actually a C chord on your Baritone, a D as noted in standard is an A on your Baritone and so on...
Does that makes sense?
I got a little chord diagram stamp and went through my books and added Baritone chord diagrams as well...mostly to figure out the differences between the two- never really use them anymore but it was a decent exercise for transposing between the two.

Well put - one question. How does your diagram stamp work? Hadn't heard about such things.

ichadwick · Jun 20, 2011

southcoastukes said:
Well put - one question. How does your diagram stamp work? Hadn't heard about such things.

Any office supply store or UPS Store can make (or send out for) custom stamps. Use a graphic program to create a blank chord box - 4 lines wide by 5 or 6 lines deep is sufficient, no more than 1/2" wide should be large enough, and a little taller than that. Print it and take it in or create a graphic file they can email to the manufacturer. I've made several.

sbarron · Jun 20, 2011

I posted a diagram I made in another thread comparing guitar chords/shapes to uke chords/shapes. Since a baritone is the same tuning as the bottom strings on a guitar it ought to be the same for going between DGBE and GCEA.

-Scott

southcoastukes · Jun 20, 2011

ichadwick said:
Any office supply store or UPS Store can make (or send out for) custom stamps. Use a graphic program to create a blank chord box - 4 lines wide by 5 or 6 lines deep is sufficient, no more than 1/2" wide should be large enough, and a little taller than that. Print it and take it in or create a graphic file they can email to the manufacturer. I've made several.

Thanks, Ian -

In other words, a blank string grid and you draw in the dots?

Huna · Jun 20, 2011

I got a stamp on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Mandolin-Banjo-Ukulele-Chord-Rubber/dp/B000G16GZ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1308598222&sr=8-2

southcoastukes · Jun 20, 2011

Huna said:
I got a stamp on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Mandolin-Banjo-Ukulele-Chord-Rubber/dp/B000G16GZ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1308598222&sr=8-2

Thanks to Huna as well!

janeray1940 · Jun 20, 2011

A great source for chord grid stamps: http://www.aeromark.net/selfinkers/fret_stamps.html

southcoastukes · Jun 20, 2011

janeray1940 said:
A great source for chord grid stamps: http://www.aeromark.net/selfinkers/fret_stamps.html

Indeed it is!

ADD · Jun 21, 2011

janeray1940 said:
A great source for chord grid stamps: http://www.aeromark.net/selfinkers/fret_stamps.html

Thanks, the one I have, not sure where I bought it, only has 4 frets and poor quality. Just ordered the deal: one small, one large and bottle of ink. Nice savings.

Transposing song from Tenor uke to a Baritone Uke?

notalent31

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JT_Ukes

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TCK

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mm stan

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ADD

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