High G or low G for fingerpicking?

deadpool

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As a guitar finger picker, it seems more logical to go with low G, but curious as to popular opinion....
 
I will start by saying that I vastly prefer low G for any and every thing. However, it all depends on what you're fingerpicking. Some arrangements, like Daniel Ward's arpeggio studies, are written with high G in mind. And then there's anything arranged in campanella style. I have a few instructional books that teach traditional patterns and they swing both ways.

When I am just playing from the heart, the high G string becomes dead to me. With high G I play scales and modes and such using only the first three strings. With low G I use all four strings. For example if I'm going to improv with E Phrygian, I do with the E on the 4th fret with high G and with the E on the 9th in low G. So I just play what I play and adapt to whichever tuning I have hanging around my neck.

If I had to pick only one tuning it would be low G because with low G I can play the first three strings as if it were a high G as well as play with all four strings.
 
I've bought several collections of arrangements for high-G fingerstyle so that defines that reason ... I sometimes wonder why I bother with low-G arrangements on a ukulele when I can do the same on a capo'd guitar ... but somehow it's not quite the same ;)

There's certainly a place for all three instruments (and several others) on my wall ;)

:music:
 
If you need a weak and feeble excuse for buying another Uke fingerpicking is that excuse.

Two Ukes are mandatory, one high g one low G.

Tongue now out of cheek.

Let us know what you buy ;-)
 
Both, if there's room in your budget and life for two ukes. If not, I'd go with reentrant/high for the sake of variety over the linear tuning of guitar.

I agree with you. Also agree what ripock told, I can't really play melodies in high G when improvising. But high G normal stringed uke is a variety from guitar.
 
I've just started learning ukulele...unfortunately I have no time to practice it more than twice a week as I have lots of things to do for university but maybe this is the one you need ? If it's not sorry for taking your time body ! Good luck.
 
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Whose arrangements do you want to play?

Each tuning has possibilities the other does not. In the surviving literature for Renaissance guitar (a 4-course instruments tuned gcea...) there are pieces written for Low G, High G, and with the fourth course tuned as a gg’ octave...

So clearly this is a discussion that’s been going on since at least 1546, and probably won’t end any time soon.

I have and enjoy both about equally.
 
I would definitely tell people to try both tunings. If you like low G then, if possible have two instruments.
It makes more sense, I think, to try jazzy stuff or bossa nova with low G. But I also watch tutorials on YouTube and some arrangements making use of the high G are also very nice to try and learn.
 
The late Mike Lynch told me to look at the music and if an important note is open G string, play it on the E string for the same sound. Of course having a 2nd uke in a high G seems like a really good solution.
 
While people are probably very divided on whether they prefer high or low for strumming, and whether they prefer high or low G overall, I think that there will be _almost_ consensus that low G gives more possibilities for fingerpicking.
A lot of nice fingerpicking can be done with high G, and there are lots of arrangements out there. But sometimes it is just easier when you have those extra notes. And the reentrant sound is more an asset for strumming than fingerpicking.

I mostly play reentrant, and overall prefer that, but when playing melody lines I often pick up that one low G uke I keep.
 
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I am also a thumb picker for the bass notes so i prefer a low G. Otherwise i find i am playing a 3 string instrument.

I currently am strung reentrant so when i want a low G I pluck both the G and the C together; it fools my ear into thinking i am hearing the low G. My ear may be more gullible than other people's :) :) :)
 
Low-G for picking, high g for strumming, especially on a tenor. Low G works well for me on the tenor as well, for picking that is.
 
For finger-picking, I used to think Low G was best, but lately I've been doing a lot of finger-style on the re-enrant uke. Try this one, Pete Seeger's Living In The Country on a high G. This arrangement just doesn't work on a low G uke.


living in the.jpg
 
I'm sure that it could, but I figured it out on a re-entrant uke.

Pete played it on a 12-string guitar. I had 1/3 as many strings, so I modified it a bit. I wrote out this for one of my students and she did a wonderful job playing it at a recital.
 
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