Tuning whole-step down (F Bb D G) : how to keep in tune?

Hi all,

I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to ukulele, so I apologize if I sound like a noob.
I got myself a cheap soprano uke a few weeks ago. After a while I finally got it to stay in tune (standard GCEA). However, occasionally, I've found some of my favorite songs that would require tuning half-, or even full-step down. For example, "the Scientist" by Coldplay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2yXcM838eM
The problem is, as the strings were tuned for GCEA, they just cannot stay at F Bb D G throughout the whole song. Also, they feel loose.
My question is, what would be the most convenient way for me to keep the GCEA tuning, while occasionally being able to play with half- or whole-step down? Do I need to buy new set of strings to use for the lower tuned songs?
By the way, I need to mention that I'm still using the manufacturer's strings for the moment. I also bought the Aquila strings lately, but keep using the cheap strings for now since they already stay in tune. Would the Aquila strings stay in tune better with occasional down-tuning?

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated!
G_B

Well, you could transpose it up so that you don't have to retune.

Strings generally try and pull to the pitches they have been used to for a long time. So if you suddenly tune down a whole step they will pull sharp for a while. If you were to leave it down for a day and then tune up they would slacken for a while. Retuning extremely is kind of a pain due to that.

I detune to F Bb D G all the time. I'm usually tuned to E A C# F#. On a tenor. A soprano ukulele is not going to handle being detuned like that. My concert ukuleles will handle one semitone detuning only. No more. ALL instruments with classical/nylon/nylgut strings will need time to settle in tune when you tune them to a different pitch. Nylgut strings are particularly sensitive in this regard and take time to settle. Guitars with steel strings seem to be able to settle in VERY quickly to retuning on the fly but not classical strings.

Anthony

Thanks for the replies, guys!

Hippie Guy said:

Well, you could transpose it up so that you don't have to retune.

Click to expand...

The reason why I'd like to detune it is so that I can sing along with it. It would be too high otherwise.

havanda brubaker

anthonyg said:

I detune to F Bb D G all the time. I'm usually tuned to E A C# F#. On a tenor. A soprano ukulele is not going to handle being detuned like that. My concert ukuleles will handle one semitone detuning only. No more. ALL instruments with classical/nylon/nylgut strings will need time to settle in tune when you tune them to a different pitch. Nylgut strings are particularly sensitive in this regard and take time to settle. Guitars with steel strings seem to be able to settle in VERY quickly to retuning on the fly but not classical strings.

Anthony

Click to expand...

So does it mean a soprano cannot handle F Bb D G at all? Or can I just have a different set of strings that is tuned to F Bb D G for a while, and just change the strings when needed?

I tune my soprano down to FBbDG often. You shouldn't have to change strings to tune down---freshly-changed strings need a week or so to settle in. It only takes a day or so for strings to settle into a new tuning. If the strings you've got now aren't working well, try a new set---any good quality strings should work.

green_bear said:

Thanks for the replies, guys!

The reason why I'd like to detune it is so that I can sing along with it. It would be too high otherwise.

Click to expand...

You can traspose without retuning. Say if you were playing a G chord in standard tuning. It becomes F in the lowered tuning. Why not just play F in standard tuning? A quick search will turn up all kinds of stuff on transposing if you are interested.

Either you change your tuning habits and stick to one tuning - or you will need another uke for the other tuning.
Of course only unless you are willing to wait a few days for the strings to settle every time you change your tuning.....

And regarding the strings you might need to try different brands to find the best ones; not all strings like tunings below standard (not only on sopranos).

I think OP summed up the problem with "cheap soprano".
Do they come strung with fishing line?

1) change the strings for good ones e.g. Nylgut. At a pinch, good classical guitar trebles.

2) fit heavier gauge concert or even tenor strings.

3) the soprano is short-scale hence strings are quite slack to start with, so de-tuning can create a problem.

I too commonly down-tune a whole tone on a tenor or banjo-uke. The tenor does this easily. My B/U is soprano scale but has to run concert length strings, so I feed it tenor gauge. This increases their tension rather like high-tension classical guitar strings do. Sometimes I tune the B/U in fifths as mandolin but I have just refitted a new vellum head and it sounds nice as a uke again. No tuning stability problems.

I'd get a second uke if I regularly played different tunings. Uke's are not that expensive and the strings always take a long time to adjust to a different tuning, in my experience.

green_bear said:

So does it mean a soprano cannot handle F Bb D G at all? Or can I just have a different set of strings that is tuned to F Bb D G for a while, and just change the strings when needed?

Click to expand...

Well I don't think that a soprano can handle a 2 semitone detune but others have said that it can. If you fitted a set of tenor strings and let them settle then it should be able to do it but then I guess you would be better of simply buying a tenor ukulele that you can permanently tune to the lower pitch.

Who has only one ukulele around here anyway?

Anthony

Thanks for the great suggestions guys! Interesting to see different opinions on soprano's ability to play whole-tone down.
Yes, I do suspect that the cheap string is probably the main cause of its losing the new tune so quickly. But the "slack" factor might be due to the nature of the soprano itself. Anyway, I have the Aquila Nylgut string with me, was just hesitant to re-string for the first time. I'll do that and see how it goes.
@HippieGuy: Thanks for the advice! I misunderstood what you meant earlier. I think this could potentially solve the problem, even though fretting would become more difficult it seems. It's a good thing to know anyway.

I bought the cheap uke first just to mess around and see if I actually like it. But now I can say that I totally love ukulele, so can definitely see myself invest more and more on it in future. I do like a lot of songs with mellow tunes so I'm thinking of getting a tenor uke as well. The problem is that, I'm planning on taking the uke with me during my year long travel trip (in about 3 years from now), so I'm more interested in trying to work around with just one ukulele instead

I have a concert tuned down to FBbDG. It had Aquila strings on at the time and I found the C string a bit "dead" the lower pitch; the other three were OK. I changed to fluorocarbon strings (Living Water) and there was a definite improvement, especially with the C string. I like the lower pitch on the concert, it was very bright in standard tuning and the lower pitch has made it more mellow. I even sing a couple of songs at a lower pitch than I would otherwise because I like the tone of the concert with those particular songs.

I've never tried tuning a soprano down to Bb tuning but I'm sure it can be done with the right choice of strings. If you were going to tune a soprano down a tone, then I would seriously consider getting a long neck soprano as it will be better able to cope with the lower tension.

I play in that tuning quite often. However, I do it on a baritone using a capo. Easy.

Bb tuning is usually for tenors and baritones as that is where the optimum resonance for them is. Dirk has explained the optimum tuning for different sized instruments and why:http://www.southcoastukes.com/tips.htm

I like the different tunings, really adds to the flavor of the instrument. The Bb is cool as that is what most of the early blues and jazz stuff is written in. A closed chord shape in Bb sounds like I'm back in the '40's