Guitalele

[Jerryc41]

What's the deal with the guitalele? I know it's similar to a guitar but tuned like a uke. How do you play it? A uke player couldn't just pick one up and play it, right?

 

[Jimpro]

What's the deal with the guitalele? I know it's similar to a guitar but tuned like a uke. How do you play it? A uke player couldn't just pick one up and play it, right?

Hi. You would need to play guitar chord shapes and follow guitar tabs. It can be tuned to top string A (so A to A) or top string E (E to E) So like standard uke or baritone uke. So you may need to be transposing std guitar chords if you do A to A tuning.

 

[eyedoc]

Hi. You would need to play guitar chord shapes and follow guitar tabs. It can be tuned to top string A (so A to A) or top string E (E to E) So like standard uke or baritone uke. So you may need to be transposing std guitar chords if you do A to A tuning.

I own several, but also play classical guitar.
They can play either guitar or uke music, and I would recommend the baritone size one over the tenor size. I also have a few for sale as well,
Ron

 

[robinboyd]

Yes and no. I bought a guitalele after playing uke for a few years. If you only use the bottom 4 strings, you can play it straight away. Using the other 2 strings as well is essentially like learning to play the guitar and I bought a guitar soon after. It was a good transition instrument, though.

 

[clear]

Jerry; I remember your guitar thread. I think a parlor guitar (although I'd just get fullsized) would suit your needs better than a guitalele based on what I remember reading in UU from your posts. Guitar is more difficult to play, so one needs a much better sound (full and rich; the ease of naunced play; great sustain) to justify the extra effort. Getting something like a guitalele seems to be all hard-to-play and not-enought-reward.

 

[Voran]

I loathe the word guitalele. Sounds like toilet paper.

 

[Jerryc41]

I loathe the word guitalele. Sounds like toilet paper.

"Sounds like..." Do you mean the name or the sound of the instrument?

 

[Jerryc41]

Jerry; I remember your guitar thread. I think a parlor guitar (although I'd just get fullsized) would suit your needs better than a guitalele based on what I remember reading in UU from your posts. Guitar is more difficult to play, so one needs a much better sound (full and rich; the ease of naunced play; great sustain) to justify the extra effort. Getting something like a guitalele seems to be all hard-to-play and not-enought-reward.

Thanks. "...all hard-to-play and not-enough-reward" was what I was afraid of. I'll stick with the uke.

 

[Voran]

"Sounds like..." Do you mean the name or the sound of the instrument?

Hahaha! No the name. I say ukitar or just 6-stringed ukulele, although I realize that could mean a normal 4 course instrument with some strings doubled.

 

[ploverwing]

I just learned that the requinto guitar is strung just like a guitalele (or whatever you want to call it - there's a luthier here that calls it a soprano guitar). If you tune it E-E it's the same as a guitar; if you string it A-A the 1-4 strings are the same as a ukulele plus a lower D and A for the 5th and 6th strings, respectively. Since I'm interested in classical music finger picking more than just chords (although yes, I have to use chords in that, too), I'm looking forward to getting the opportunity to play some studies by Sor once I get our requinto restrung!

 

[Joyful Uke]

I loathe the word guitalele. Sounds like toilet paper.

It wasn't that long ago that toilet paper was a very treasured item, and we were calling family & friends to find out who had any to spare....

 

[clear]

It wasn't that long ago that toilet paper was a very treasured item, and we were calling family & friends to find out who had any to spare....

Somehow, I'm reminded of this ... something I watched a long time ago.... but this scene stuck. (It's a movie I don't recommend.)

 

[rlgph]

Jerry; I remember your guitar thread. I think a parlor guitar (although I'd just get fullsized) would suit your needs better than a guitalele based on what I remember reading in UU from your posts. Guitar is more difficult to play, so one needs a much better sound (full and rich; the ease of naunced play; great sustain) to justify the extra effort. Getting something like a guitalele seems to be all hard-to-play and not-enought-reward.

If you get a high quality instrument, it is not hard to play (in comparison to a guitar), and the tone can be outstanding. I bought a Romero Creations D Ho 6 and as a fingerstyle guitar player i have not been disappointed. Its tone is very nice -- as good as, though quite different from, my multi-thousand dollar steel strings.

BTW, i prefer the term guilele as indicating more or less equal parts guitar and ukulele.

 

[rustydusty]

Unless you have to have 6 strings, you could consider a "tenor guitar"...

 

[Jerryc41]

Somehow, I'm reminded of this ... something I watched a long time ago.... but this scene stuck. (It's a movie I don't recommend.)

Thanks, but the volume was way too low.