Baritone Tuning

roxhum

roxhum

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I just wanted everyone's thoughts/opinions on the standard Baritone tuning DGBE versus the GCEA tuning.
Thanks
 
DGBE is the standard Bari tuning. You'll be snapping strings or worse if you try to tune up without a string change.

Baritones excel at the low end, much moreso than standard smaller ukuleles. I'd play it the way it was intended to be played.
 
Hello Roxanne,
I had my Kent baritone tuned DGBE but then I put a set of Fremont Black line low G tenor on it and tuned it to low
GCEA and it is a completely different sound. The tenor set are long enough to fit the baritone with string to spare.
The gauges are,,,,,1st.....023. 2nd......027. ....3rd......031, 4th.....036, they are all black fluorocarbon strings from Fremont Musical Products in Seattle, Washington.
Regards
Jim
PS: DaveVisi above is correct. One has to be careful and get the correct gauge strings whenever you are increasing the tension on your new Ohana.
 
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I just put a set of southcoast flat linear strings tuned to low Bb. It sounds pretty good and it's only one step down from c tuning.
 
Yes the GCEA tuning is too bright and high tension for me...and my weak finga's....plus I prefer the rich tone of the DGBE isn't that what the baritone is for.. what's the purpose if you
change it to GCEA.. oh well that's just me.. I even drop tune mine for more richness... and suits my voice better and slows down the tempo...
I wouldn't think of even buying GCEA string to try it out..yes you gotta change
them to be safe... I did it, but don't recommend it...:)
 
Thanks for your replies. That was my thought too, that why get a baritone if you use the GCEA tuning but I have read of others doing that. I am lazy having to learn the different chord names when playing my music. I am going to leave the DGBE tuning, just wondering what others thought.
 
I play Southcoast linears (GCEA) on all my baritones. The low G adds some depth especially for Jazz standards. I do have one Baritone tuned gCEA (re-entrant) for certain applications.

Mike
 
roxhum said:
Thanks for your replies. That was my thought too, that why get a baritone if you use the GCEA tuning but I have read of others doing that. I am lazy having to learn the different chord names when playing my music. I am going to leave the DGBE tuning, just wondering what others thought.
Click to expand...

There are several excellent reasons to play a Baritone tuned GCEA (low G). First, the size affords many players who have larger hands to move around the fretboard and up and down the neck with much more freedom. Second, the greater depth of the instrument offers a very unique resonance and tone that is particularly excellent for Jazz standards. The wider string and fret spacing affords more flexibility with complex chord shapes and voicings. And finally, tuned GCEA it sounds absolutely nothing like a guitar. It has its own remarkable voice.
 
DGBE on my bari, high g on my soprano, low g on my tenor (on its way from HMS).
 
fernandogardinali said:
I had GCEA low G on my baritone. Sounded great (like a tenor on steroids) but the tension was way to high. I like the DGBE tuning, but I'm not as proficient on it as on the other ukes.

Maybe a high D DGBE will sound good, but I never tested it.
Click to expand...

The tension isn't too high if you use the correct string gauge.
The southcoast linear on my bari actually feel low tension tuned C.
 
I agree that regular GCEA strings on a baritone might sound too much like a tenor (I even tried using a capo at the fifth fret of my DGBE baritone to see what a GCEA baritone might sound like. However, I bought GCEA string sets for baritone that are an octave lower than GCEA strings for tenor from a place called Guadalupe Custom Strings in Los Angeles. I haven't tried these strings yet, but my goal in getting them was to be able to play a baritone ukulele in GCEA tuning without losing that low baritone sound. I'm not sure if these strings are still available -- I've been unable to connect with Guadalupe's website. (here's the link, just in case: http://www.guadalupecustomstrings.com/
 
Oh yeah, now I remember. I am having enough trouble learning the fretboard of my gCEA ukulele so I was thinking I could pick melodies on my Baritone without having to learn another fretboard if I tuned it GCEA but I also don't want to loose the Baritone sound that I love.
So my question isn't how do you change the tunings and strings but peoples opinions of how it "sounds"?
 
Baritone tuning key of A

didgeridoo2 said:
I just put a set of southcoast flat linear strings tuned to low Bb. It sounds pretty good and it's only one step down from c tuning.
Click to expand...

I have a baritone tuned with Southcoast strings in the key of A (E-A-C#-F#), so pretty close to this and like it. I do end up changing keys on songs once in a while, though-songs in the key of E and A are now easier to play than G and C, whereas the opposite used to be the case. I also use a capo, but don't like it much-the intonation is fine, but something always sounds just a little muted.

Being two steps up from the key of G (D-G-B-E), you lose a little bass, but the bottom end is less muddled too. Give a little, get a little. Overall I like it, I just have to think a little harder when I am playing with someone else.
 
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Baris in both high and low D. Tried C tuning and found the strings too tight, too inflexible, and the sound too shrill.
 
My Pono Mahogany Baritone is tuned GCEA with southcoast linear non-wound strings and it sounds BEAUTIFUL. Dramatically better than the DGBE strings that were originally on it. The DGBE strings sounded really muddy and flat at the low end whereas the southcoast GCEA set are bright and punchy but still have a golden warm low end which really set it apart from my smaller ukes. Highly recommended!

My Harmony baritone is currently strung with re-entrant dGBE southcoast strings which is the fourth set of strings i've tried on it. Originally had Guadalupe octave down GCEA and sounded WAY too low. Then I tried DGBE and it sounded quite good. Then I tried Aquila High gCEA which was interesting - same notes as a standard uke but with a more mellow sound - definitley worth a go. And now the southcoast set which I think might be the ones I keep on it because the re-entrant tuning cuts out the low D which was a bit too low for that particular uke but being in G tuning, it gives a different sound to both my standard tuned ukes and my low G Pono.

Basically, i reckon that every uke has it's sweet spot. You just gotta try a few different sets of strings out to find it!

Cheers!
 
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