Low G, more and more

How often do you play low G?

  • low G all the time

    Votes: 20 18.9%
  • low G 80% re-entrant 20%

    Votes: 22 20.8%
  • low G 60% re-entrant 40 %

    Votes: 5 4.7%
  • 50%-50%

    Votes: 9 8.5%
  • low G 40% re-entrant 60%

    Votes: 6 5.7%
  • low G 20% re-entrant 80%

    Votes: 14 13.2%
  • re-entrant all the time

    Votes: 29 27.4%
  • can't stand low G

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • Total voters
    106

dkcrown

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I am finding that I am playing my ukes that are tuned low G more and more, for both fingerpicking and strummimg. The low G tuning also seems to be a better fit for my singing voice.(As lousy as that is)

So my question for those of you have both a uke tuned re-entrant and one low G, what percentage of time do you spend playing both tunings? I play 80% low G, 20% re-entrant.
 
Hi dk

I confess to having all my ukes tuned re-entrant. When I hear someone play pieces in Low G they sure seem to have that extra ingredient that High G doesn't. I hope I'll feel bold enough to branch out with some Low G playing at some time in the future.
 
I am finding that I am playing my ukes tuned low G more and more, both for fingerpicking and strumming. The low G tuning also seems to fit my singing voice better.(As lousy as that is)

My question for those of you with at least one uke tuned low G and one tuned re-entrant is this. What percentage of time do you spend playing each? I play low G about 80%, and re-entrant about 20%.
 
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As a guitarist who picked up the 'uke this spring, I started off with low G tuning.... just tried a high G a few weeks ago when I restrung.... It's interesting and I like some things about it, but I'm switching back, probably this weekend. Wish I had two ukes so I could have one of each, but with the style of music I play - mostly bluegrass, country, rock, a little jazz - I just prefer having a little more bottom end. I'm sure it has a lot to do with my comfort level as a guitarist, as well, but I really do prefer the sound - just can't hear what I want to hear out of the instrumennt with the re-entrant tuning.....
 
Mods, I'm not sure how this ended up being two threads. Can you eliminate this one or combine it into the poll thread?

Thanks
 
I like low G for certain songs. It gives the song an entirely different feel. Most of my time is spent in high G though.

I play an 8 string alot, so I guess I should really say I spend equal times in both...
 
I tend to string my Tenor and my Baritone LOW G and
all of my Sopranos re-entrant.But I play mostly the same
songs on either! Some 'work' better than others but really
they all sound fine anyway providing you hit the right chords!
 
I've got my MP tuned to low G and everything else tuned re-entrant. As I mostly play chord/melody style, there are only a couple of songs I've learned that work for low G. I would say I play re-entrant about 90% of the time and low G 10%.
 
Mods, I'm not sure how this ended up being two threads. Can you eliminate this one or combine it into the poll thread?

Thanks

Hey there, threads now merged.

As to your question, I started off with only high g, and I was one of the reentrant snobs, who felt since that was traditional, that is what I should play. At the time, I asked a lot of Hawaiian folks and it seemed like the low g was gaining a lot of popularity among people so all of a sudden it didn't seem so foreign as I heard it played a lot.
I began listening to a lot of low g music like Brittni Paiva and Herb Ohta Jr., and really liked the depth it gave.

I ended up stringing one of my ukes low g so I could learn to play a particular song (the Paiva and Ohta versions of "Europa" and quickly found how much I liked low g chords for jazz, blues and rock music. I then began to play the low g more consistently and finally reached the point where now I play it 99 percent of the time. I still like high g on the occasional song "Five Foot Two" stuff, but I've now gone completely over to the dark side and am low g all the time.
 
I'm at about an even split, as both seem to have benefits and drawbacks to them. I like the rich and fuller sound of the linear tuning, but there is something more playful and lively with re-entrant.

Since I only have one uke I tend to alternate which I play based on what strings I have. I've been playing linear for about three months now, but I just restrung with a set of standard Ko'olau Alohis, so I'm back on the re-entrant phase for a bit, I suppose.
 
I like low G for certain songs. It gives the song an entirely different feel. Most of my time is spent in high G though.

Yes. This.

The songs that I play with my low G uke were all arranged specifically for low G. When I play just about anything else on it, I'm not really all that happy with the sound.
 
For me, the low g tenor uke I play almost requires a mindset change, after playing reentrant for a while. It's not just that certain songs sound better with those lower notes, but the approach and feel for those kinds of songs needs to be different. I think I breathe differently when I do low G. : )
 
100% re-entrant so far; that bright sound is one thing I love about ukulele. Lately, though, I've been getting more and more low G curious; I just need to remember to pick up a low G string next time I'm at the shop.
 
I just cant't seem to find a low G string that I like... I wish that I could, but I have very particular tastes regarding string tension and gauge.
 
For me, the low g tenor uke I play almost requires a mindset change, after playing reentrant for a while. It's not just that certain songs sound better with those lower notes, but the approach and feel for those kinds of songs needs to be different. I think I breathe differently when I do low G. : )

Now that I think about it, I breathe differently on low G too! I think the mindset change is automatic with me, as I never really noticed it until I thought about it.

I just cant't seem to find a low G string that I like... I wish that I could, but I have very particular tastes regarding string tension and gauge.

That was my original issue with low G. I couldn't find a string I liked. Still haven't found one I'm completely comfortable with, but I've found wound ones to be more acceptable then plain ones. Now I found a baritone I love, and may change that out to strings made for GCEA...we'll see.
 
Coming from guitar I really enjoy the low G, but I do not think I will ever abandon high G. I am currently using an aquila low g set on my kala thinline tenor. I am on the hunt for a more balance low g that so the g is not so over powering. I hear Ko'olau makes such a set. But I do love the warmth of low g for strumming.

good lord I just said low g a lot lol.
 
I just cant't seem to find a low G string that I like... I wish that I could, but I have very particular tastes regarding string tension and gauge.

Ditto. The only (unwound) one that I've tried is the Worth Clear low-G and it sounds flat and dull compared to the other strings.

Another complaint I have is that the nut slot isn't cut wide enough in most of my ukes to accept a fatter low-G string. I wish uke makers would cut the nut slot to allow for this option. KoAloha and Nalu do.
 
I said 50 -50. It used to be almost 100 % re entrant, but now I have my guitalele strung re entrant AND with a low G also, plus a low D. I had to ditch the low A in order to have the two G strings. So, I can play either way on the same Uke. I wanted the range of notes of the Guitalele, but after a short while, I missed the re entrant sound. This set up is my compromise.
 
Ditto. The only (unwound) one that I've tried is the Worth Clear low-G and it sounds flat and dull compared to the other strings.

Another complaint I have is that the nut slot isn't cut wide enough in most of my ukes to accept a fatter low-G string. I wish uke makers would cut the nut slot to allow for this option. KoAloha and Nalu do.

I'm curious, which Worth clear low g set did you try? Was it the CTLG because I didn't like those at all. I do like the Worth CHLGHD set though as it is much more balanced. It is my understanding that KoAloha recommends that set. Or if you decide to experiment again with low g in the future, you may want to try the Fremont Blackline set.
 
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