Radiused fretboard easier?

Strum

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Is it easier to do a bar chord on radiused fretboards? I've only been playing for 3 months but find getting a clean bar chord challenging. I'm playing a Kamoa super concert with flat fretboard.
 
The short answer is yes, but there are other factors that come into play such as action (particularly at the nut). What brand/model is your Uke, and has it been set up properly?


Scooter
 
Some find it easier, some find it not, and some (me) find it doesn't make much difference. The only way to know whether it works for you is to actually try one.
 
Is it easier to do a bar chord on radiused fretboards? I've only been playing for 3 months but find getting a clean bar chord challenging. I'm playing a Kamoa super concert with flat fretboard.

Some people prefer the radius, and some prefer flat. It doesn't matter to me.
 
I am a fan of radiused fretboards specifically because I am more successful at barre chords. I have a few of each and when using a flat one, it is always more difficult to not get a "thuddy" note. As I progress (finishing second year) I am using barre chords much more and so a radiused fretboard is almost a requirement when shopping for the next uke.
 
Makes no difference whatsoever in my experience. If I didn't know that the ukes I've had with a radiused fretboard had one then I would never have guessed.
 
Thanks for all the help everyone! Scooter, that old thread was very helpful. Will search out a radiused fretboard to compare.
 
It is important to remember that radiused fretboards on instruments also require a radiused saddle (or compensated) and a radiused nut (or compensated slot depths) that match the curve of the fingerboard. The fret wires are also curved to match.

It is no simple thing to make a radiused fretboard for an instrument.
 
I also think string tension comes into play. I find bar chords are easiest on my baritone primary because the strings are more flexible. Its difficult to state this objectively as my baritone also has a radius fretboard . . . but one of my tenors does as well; and the bari is by far the easiest to bar chords. The bari is also the easiest to bend notes, again because the length of the strings better lends itself to such actions.
 
Assuming the action and string tension are optimal, I can detect little or no different in barré difficult between my flat and radius ukulele fret boards. What makes the big difference is technique: finding the sweet spot off the side of my index finger and using gentle arm pressure rather than trying to muscle or choke the strings between thumb and index finger.

The sweet spot thing is different for everybody but basically you use the outside side of the index to barré and try to avoid aligning joints with strings. For me that means placing the barré nearer to the base of the finger with a lot of finger sticking up over the board. The thumb pad should oppose the index rather than stick over the top of the board. It also helps me to curve the index finger slightly (can control pressure on individual strings better). Why the side of the finger rather than the flat underside? The side of the finger is narrower and thus allows more pressure per square millimeter of digit and, more importantly, maintains a natural arm position (elbow tucked in towards torso).

Squeezing the barré tightly between index and thumb tends to localize the pressure on a small part of the finger, allowing muted strings. If you pull gently from the bicep with use only a small amount of pressure between thumb and index, you'll more evenly distribute pressure across the 4 strings. Of course, you'll need to counter the bicep pull with the right arm.
 
Is it easier to do a bar chord on radiused fretboards? I've only been playing for 3 months but find getting a clean bar chord challenging. I'm playing a Kamoa super concert with flat fretboard.

If you are new (based on your April 2020 join date), then my advice to you is to put in a bit more practice and you'll be able to do barre cords just fine on a flat fretboard. Remember to keep the finger straight and you don't have to squeeze the neck too hard (in fact, you don't want to squeeze it hard for any fretting).

This video might be useful to you


from this thread:
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?145579-The-ukulele-beginner-s-check-list

However, to answer your main question: yes, I believe it'll be easier to play on a radiused fretboard based on my guitar experience because it increases the distance between the strings without making the nut so wide. BUT, I don't think it is any easier WRT barre cords. Also, there are different radius sizes, so just "radiused fretboard" doesn't say enough (the radius may be so big it is essentially flat, or it could be so small that doesn't fit you). This last bit, you only have to worry about when buying sight unseen.
 
I had never played on one until I got my Cocobolo Ukulele. Now, that's all I wanna play on!
 
Generally, it hasn’t mattered very much whether a fretboard is radiused or not to me. There are two exceptions. The first is the Enya Nova ukulele. The Enya Nova has a narrow nut and tight string spacing, but because of the radius fretboard it is actually very easy to play. I also have a Cocobolo concert ukulele with a radius fretboard, and it also plays very easily. So I think it has a lot to do with other factors in addition to the radius fretboard.
 
I already chimed in as liking radiused...

After playing about 6 months, I was able to go to the Blackbird factory in San Francisco. They had both a radiused and flat fretboard Clara that I could try and compare. That is when I was learning to barre and there was a distinct ease of forming the barre chords with the radiused. The situation was ideal as "all else being equal..." was in place. I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one with the radiused fretboard and it is one of my most used ukes a year later. This will be more important to me as my hand issues increase with advancing age.
 
I've never heard anyone say (or write) that playing on a flat fretboard was easier than on a radiused one; It's either the radiused is easier or it doesn't matter. For me, everything else being equal, a radiused fretboard is a little easier on my old hands with barre chords. I'm guessing that those with the strongest, healthiest hands care the least which they play.
 
I already chimed in as liking radiused...

After playing about 6 months, I was able to go to the Blackbird factory in San Francisco. They had both a radiused and flat fretboard Clara that I could try and compare. That is when I was learning to barre and there was a distinct ease of forming the barre chords with the radiused. The situation was ideal as "all else being equal..." was in place. I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one with the radiused fretboard and it is one of my most used ukes a year later. This will be more important to me as my hand issues increase with advancing age.

The radius may be a part of the reason why you enjoy the Clara, but I think the sound is the main reason you play it the most--this is my most desired ukulele. I could sell a lot of mine and buy one--and may do so someday. But it is also nice to have life goals.
 
I've never heard anyone say (or write) that playing on a flat fretboard was easier than on a radiused one; It's either the radiused is easier or it doesn't matter. For me, everything else being equal, a radiused fretboard is a little easier on my old hands with barre chords. I'm guessing that those with the strongest, healthiest hands care the least which they play.


I've never heard that a non-radius fretboard is easier to play; I've never heard that a radius fretboard is harder to play; but I have seen a lot of comments from players who say that they don't have any preference and can play either equally as well.

I do wonder how I would react to a radius KoAloha...
 
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