purpose of alternative tunings on baritone or other ukes

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enzymerich

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hi folks,

I have read that some people have one baritone tuned DGBE and one GCEA or some other tuning in 4ths

is that GCEA tuning higher or lower than the DGBE tuning?

why would you use the GCEA tuning at all?

to match a singing voice?
to make it easier to play in some keys?
to make it easier by playing open chords rather than bar chords in some keys?
or to change the overall sound of the instrument?

do you know if it´s works on the baritone to tune it lower than DGBE?

.... more like the 4 lower strings of the guitar rather than the 4 higher strings?

thanks for any info!
rich
 
I run my baritones tuned GCEA because I think it sounds better than DGBE. GCEA tuning is 3 steps higher than DGBE tuning. A baritone could be tuned lower than DGBE if you had the right gauge strings. I would never do that myself but it could be done.

Hope this helps.
 
I know this doesn't answer any of your questions... but I don't consider GCEA for a bari to be an alternate tuning. Likewise, some people refer to tuning down or up a half step as alternate tuning, but the relationship from string to string remains the same, so its not really an alternate tuning. Sorry, had to interject there, carry on.
 
I would love to get a sound between a baritone(dgbe) and a tenor(gcea). Wish I could tune my Baritone an octive higher. Any suggestions
 
I'm going to tune my Baritone to GCEA just so that I don't need to take my expensive tenor out all the time.
 
I have really enjoyed tuning one of my tenors down one and half tones to EAC#F#. The reason I tuned it down so far was that this tenor (a BlueGrass Ukulele) has a very large body compared to most tenors, and I thought that the larger body might be well suited to lower tones. In fact, all BlueGrass Ukes are set up with a low G. I prefer a standard high-g string organization. I figured that I could get the same kind of note range but just re-arrange where the lowest strings is.
As an added bonus, the lower tuning better suites my bass/baritone voice.
and
If i'm ever playing in a group I get lots of practice in on-the-fly transposition!
 
I have DGBE set up and use alternate tunings..for my baritone...with the less tension it matches my voice better..slow down the tempo. and the string resonate and has better sustain better..
also with the less tension playability improves and comfort...they say higher tension improves tone..but it is a trade off for me to the prior things...I drop tune my baritone a half to full step.....hope it helps...yes drop tuning gives you a deeper richer sound while tuning up will give you a brighter louder tone..
 
Last edited:
dbphil said:
I would love to get a sound between a baritone(dgbe) and a tenor(gcea). Wish I could tune my Baritone an octive higher. Any suggestions
Click to expand...
I have one of my baritones strung with Southcoast Uke G650 flat wound linear strings tuned F Bb D G a whole step below GCEA and they sound good. I also have another baritone tuned DGBE and sometimes use capo.
 
enzymerich said:
Is that GCEA tuning higher or lower than the DGBE tuning? .... Do you know if it works on the baritone to tune it lower than DGBE?
Click to expand...

Typical GCEA tuning is like putting a capo on a baritone ukulele tuned DGBE at the fifth fret. Guadalupe Custom Strings makes a baritone string set that is tuned to GCEA, but an octave lower that typical GCEA tuning. You can read more about Guadalupe strings here.
 
Last edited:
JamieFromOntario said:
I have really enjoyed tuning one of my tenors down one and half tones to EAC#F#. The reason I tuned it down so far was that this tenor (a BlueGrass Ukulele) has a very large body compared to most tenors, and I thought that the larger body might be well suited to lower tones. In fact, all BlueGrass Ukes are set up with a low G. I prefer a standard high-g string organization. I figured that I could get the same kind of note range but just re-arrange where the lowest strings is.
As an added bonus, the lower tuning better suites my bass/baritone voice.
and
If i'm ever playing in a group I get lots of practice in on-the-fly transposition!
Click to expand...

I read somewhere (I believe) that tenors were commonly tuned a step down to Bb. (F,Bb,D,G).
It does add some tonal variety when playing with others.
 
dbphil said:
I would love to get a sound between a baritone(dgbe) and a tenor(gcea). Wish I could tune my Baritone an octive higher. Any suggestions
Click to expand...

if you tune a baritone dgbe one octave up, it would be even higher than normal gcea tuning. kala pocket ukes are tuned like that
 
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