Tuning Baritone Uke to GCEA

Ever since plucked and bowed musical instruments have been around folk have been tuning to all sorts of strange and wonderful tunings. Why stop now?
Scordatura has a history that goes back centuries. It's probably why you have re-entrant tuning, likely to be taken from the 5 course baroque guitar.
 
Down Up Dick said:
Ya know, of course people can buy any kind of Uke that they want, but I don't understand (I know, nobody cares) why people buy baritone Ukes and try to change them to "regular" Ukes. Seems really weird to me. Why don't they just buy tenors and move on?

I have a Kala baritone, and I love its deep tones. I have it tuned to DGBD, and I'm gonna use it for slide, someday. :eek:ld:
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Probably get in trouble responding to a senior member but why not just buy a National or Dobro and move on?
 
CharlieDog said:
Probably get in trouble responding to a senior member but why not just buy a National or Dobro and move on?
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A baritone is pitched very low because it's a baritone. A tenor is pitched higher than a baritone. Sooo, if one doesn't want a low pitched ukulele, perhaps he/she should buy a tenor.

A Dobro is not a ukulele. I don't know what a National is. And, now, I'm movin' on . . . :eek:ld:
 
Down Up Dick said:
Ya know, of course people can buy any kind of Uke that they want, but I don't understand (I know, nobody cares) why people buy baritone Ukes and try to change them to "regular" Ukes. Seems really weird to me. Why don't they just buy tenors and move on?
Click to expand...

I nearly mentioned this in my original post. So, I'm a bit surprised it took someone this long to mention it... Anyway, I bought the baritone because I wanted a baritone. I've been watching lots of Youtube videos lately with people playing baritones and I loved the sound. I just thought it would be easier to learn if the keys/chords match what I'm learning. I know the finger placements are the same and all that. But I still think it'd be easier if I'm watching a video and they play a C and then I play a C rather than a G. After I spent some time learning the basics, then I would switch back to the standard tuning.
 
lint said:
I nearly mentioned this in my original post. So, I'm a bit surprised it took someone this long to mention it... Anyway, I bought the baritone because I wanted a baritone. I've been watching lots of Youtube videos lately with people playing baritones and I loved the sound. I just thought it would be easier to learn if the keys/chords match what I'm learning. I know the finger placements are the same and all that. But I still think it'd be easier if I'm watching a video and they play a C and then I play a C rather than a G. After I spent some time learning the basics, then I would switch back to the standard tuning.
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Well, do it the easiest way for sure. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm completely out of step nowadays. :eek:ld:
 
Down Up Dick said:
Well, do it the easiest way for sure. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm completely out of step nowadays. :eek:ld:
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Well the easiest way probably would've been to buy a concert (i think the soprano is too small for my fat fingers) and a baritone... but I didn't want to spend all that on some hobby I'm just starting. And I don't know what's in or out of step for that matter, either.
 
lint said:
Well the easiest way probably would've been to buy a concert (i think the soprano is too small for my fat fingers) and a baritone... but I didn't want to spend all that on some hobby I'm just starting. And I don't know what's in or out of step for that matter, either.
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Well, you're doin' it normally. I'm outta this thread, :eek:ld:
 
lint said:
Well the easiest way probably would've been to buy a concert (i think the soprano is too small for my fat fingers) and a baritone... but I didn't want to spend all that on some hobby I'm just starting. And I don't know what's in or out of step for that matter, either.
Click to expand...

I can't say enough good things about Caramel Ukuleles...$36 for a concert shipped, and the most recent batch we received had addressed almost ALL of my prior concerns. One was even set at 2.65mm at the 12th fret. Go to their website for $36 price. About 1.5 weeks for shipping.

Meaning: you can get a really good learning uke, and save up for a pro level instrument at the same time.
 
Choirguy said:
I can't say enough good things about Caramel Ukuleles...$36 for a concert shipped, and the most recent batch we received had addressed almost ALL of my prior concerns. One was even set at 2.65mm at the 12th fret. Go to their website for $36 price. About 1.5 weeks for shipping.

Meaning: you can get a really good learning uke, and save up for a pro level instrument at the same time.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I actually had found/saw your videos on Youtube about them and thought it would be a great deal, unfortunately I had already bought the baritone. If I hadn't, I would've picked one up for sure. Maybe I'll hold off on getting new strings and a capo and wait for the next paycheck to get one... The difference is probably only around $15 after shipping and tax is included...

(Also, looks like the price has gone up to $37, not that that's a huge change or anything).
 
Down Up Dick said:
I don't understand (I know, nobody cares) why people buy baritone Ukes and try to change them to "regular" Ukes. Seems really weird to me. Why don't they just buy tenors and move on?
Click to expand...

Why not a soprano, though? Tenors and concerts aren't regular ukuleles by that definition. The answer is the same in all cases: because of the tone. A baritone tuned to GCEA sounds different than a tenor tuned to GCEA. It's not my cup, either, but the difference in sound texture is noticeable.
 
lint said:
Yeah, I actually had found/saw your videos on Youtube about them and thought it would be a great deal, unfortunately I had already bought the baritone. If I hadn't, I would've picked one up for sure. Maybe I'll hold off on getting new strings and a capo and wait for the next paycheck to get one... The difference is probably only around $15 after shipping and tax is included...

(Also, looks like the price has gone up to $37, not that that's a huge change or anything).
Click to expand...

I also recommend Caramel Ukes. Their CC-100 Zebrawood Concert is a good uke but costs ~$55 and it has a tuner and equalizer if you ever want to Amp it. A Laminate that has some punch and good tone and yet the frets are a lot easier to span than a Baritone would made my learning the left hand a lot easier. Their CT-100 Z-wood Tenor is only ~$65 and doesn't sound plinky-plunky like a soprano either.

They may need some minor work but not much to make a beginner or a old timer happy.

But play your Baritone for a few weeks and get a feel for the instrument. gCeA is over rated to my ears. Switch your low D string to a high D for a few weeks and see if you like re-entrant. It gives a Bari a more Ukulele sound rather than a guitar vibe.

Here is the review of my Caramel Big Zebra Baritone. Worth Brown DGBE stings. I have since switched to dGBE.
 
A bari can sound good tuned to C.

If I vary between whether I prefer a Bari or a Tenor in "Low G" (C-Linear) tuning.

If I had hte budget, I'd keep both . . .
 
cdkrugjr said:
A bari can sound good tuned to C.

If I vary between whether I prefer a Bari or a Tenor in "Low G" (C-Linear) tuning.

If I had hte budget, I'd keep both . . .
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Normally keep my bari on CGDA to match up with my tenor guitar. Those two instruments are more alike than the bari is with the other ukes. I've been treatng the bari as if it was a nylon-stringed tenor guitar and it has taken to that role. Interestingly, there is a "Tenor Guitar and Baritone Ukulele" group on Facebook due to the popularity.
 
Down Up Dick said:
A baritone is pitched very low because it's a baritone. A tenor is pitched higher than a baritone. Sooo, if one doesn't want a low pitched ukulele, perhaps he/she should buy a tenor....
Click to expand...

lint said:
I nearly mentioned this in my original post. So, I'm a bit surprised it took someone this long to mention it... Anyway, I bought the baritone because I wanted a baritone. I've been watching lots of Youtube videos lately with people playing baritones and I loved the sound. I just thought it would be easier to learn if the keys/chords match what I'm learning. I know the finger placements are the same and all that. But I still think it'd be easier if I'm watching a video and they play a C and then I play a C rather than a G. After I spent some time learning the basics, then I would switch back to the standard tuning.
Click to expand...

I already play both GCEA tenor and DGBE baritone, and although it took a while, I can now play baritone pretty effortlessly (i.e., without having to constantly remember to transpose from C to G in my head), so playing a baritone in a group isn't an issue for me anymore. Still, I am considering tuning one of my baritone ukuleles GCEA. Why? Because (a) I like and am comfortable with the scale length of a baritone, and (b) generally speaking, the longer the scale, the more sustain, which is one of the reasons a gCEA-tuned soprano sounds more "plinky" than a gCEA-tuned tenor. I have not had the opportunity to compare two of the same brand baritones tuned DGBE and GCEA, but I imagine there are at least subtle differences in sound.
 
Bb tuning on your baritone

hammer40 said:
I guess for the same reason people here experiment with their tenors, trying different tunings on them as well. One could ask them, why not leave it alone?

I tune my baritone to Bb, and currently have ordered strings to try D tuning on one of my tenors. It's all good, and doesn't seem "weird" to me.
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When you say you tuned your baritone to Bb can you tell me the string tunings from string 1 to string 4(lowest tone)? Due to resonance I have heard this is a good tuning. I just do not know that the string tuning would be. Thanks for any info.
 
Down Up Dick said:
Ya know, of course people can buy any kind of Uke that they want, but I don't understand (I know, nobody cares) why people buy baritone Ukes and try to change them to "regular" Ukes. Seems really weird to me. Why don't they just buy tenors and move on?
Click to expand...

Sayings that come to mind "try it you might like it" or "you never know until you try" :D

then again, "I know what I like and I like what I know". :D

cheers
 
Are you still around?

Down Up Dick said:
Ya know, of course people can buy any kind of Uke that they want, but I don't understand (I know, nobody cares) why people buy baritone Ukes and try to change them to "regular" Ukes. Seems really weird to me. Why don't they just buy tenors and move on?

I have a Kala baritone, and I love its deep tones. I have it tuned to DGBD, and I'm gonna use it for slide, someday. :eek:ld:
Click to expand...

Hello Dick,
Are you still around and participating in this forum? It looks like you have a lot of experience playing these ukuleles. If so I have a few questions for you. Let me know please.
 
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