Low or High G for learning?

[Kenn2018]

A somewhat contrary opinion from a fellow learner. I was content to strum for several years, but now I want to up my game.

I have been trying to learn finger style playing. I've started with books that use TAB notation and playing the melody by picking the notes. Those are mostly written for High-g tuning. Usually with online sound files for reference. Low-G does not work for those songs.

I've also found that some songs do not sound right when strummed on a Low-G tuned tenor. They just sound off. Most songs sound fine. But there are some that don't work.

Instruction books are usually written for High-g re-entrant tuning. Where you are plucking notes to form the tune. Most instruction videos also use High-g instruments.

I have both High-g and Low-G tenors. I find myself using the High-g ones for learning.

So, I guess my answer is, what are you trying to learn? What resources will you be using? Go with the most common tuning. Once you achieve your goals, restring for Low-G, if you still want to.

 

[JimQPublic]

I want to say thank you again for all the responses.

Not just for the original topic- obviously the discussion drifted. I say thank you because in a lot of internet forums (even those for beginners at whatever), the response to FAQ's is "Did you SEARCH? I'm tired of answering this question all the time. Get Off My Lawn!" Or alternately, the beginner forum is entirely ignored by those who have the knowledge and experience to give a good answer.

New strings on both ukes make them sound way better. I didn't realize just how worn out the old strings were!

 

[ploverwing]

New strings on both ukes make them sound way better. I didn't realize just how worn out the old strings were!

I suspect you'll quickly discover the encouragement on this forum to just try new strings! Honestly, it's amazing what a difference a different set of strings makes, and each set isn't an enormous investment (although altogether they may add up to a new ukulele one day, lol). I despised the stock strings that came with my ukes, tried a bunch of different brands & types, and am currently enjoying a few different configurations. I still have plans for test driving others. Changing strings is actually kind of a fun (and simple) way to find new sounds for your instrument.

 

[UkeStuff]

I’ll admit that I haven’t read through all 44 responses.

As a music educator who teaches ukulele, the answer lies in what you want to accomplish.

If you are playing to simply strum and play in a group, then reentrant tuning is the best bet.

If you are looking to play tablature (actual written tabs), linear tuning is probably where you want to go.

That said, if you want to play in the campenella style, then you will want reentrant tuning.

James Hill utilizes linear tuning in his method as the method is based around teaching harmony (chords), melody (tablature), and rhythm (strumming and picking) in place of other instruments (such as recorder).

Most other methods focus on the 1st through 3rd strings so as to avoid the debate about what to do with the 4th string, and to make their method useable by any player, regardless of tuning.

 

[Rllink]

To me the ukulele sound is reentrant high g. That is what separates it from most other stringed instruments and makes it unique. I do understand that some people want to play the ukulele linearly and want those extra low notes, and if that is what one wants to do that is what one has to do. That's why I bought a baritone ukulele, with the intent of using it in place a guitar and it didn't work for me. I would just rather play guitar. I strung it up reentrant high g and it is now a booming ukulele instead of a little four string guitar. I like it much better.

 

[roastbeast]

Weighing in a bit late as OP has already made a decision, so this response goes out to anybody else that might have the same questuon.

What sound appeals the most to you? If you are just starting out, pick the sound that you like the best and go from there. While there are are great perspectives for both, it's really your opinion that will matter most since you'll be the one playing. There are plenty of free resources online for both high and low to get you started. If you find that your initial choice doesn't suit you, it's very easy to swap your string. Or, like many of us, you'll get another uke with another tuning or go back and forth during your journey.

The most important thing is, pick the sound that most encourages you to spend as much time with your uke as possible.

For me personally, not knowing about the online resources available for uke, I started on high g and remained at high g, only strumming, knowing basic chords, never playing a song in its entirety, playing off an on for 13 years. Then during lockdown, I started to get into uke as a serious hobby, got into low G, had ukes strung both linear and re-entrant. Since summer I've been performing publicly with guitar players and I've found that low G uke does not sound close to a guitar as people claim. It is its own unique sound entirely. For what I play, who I play with, having low G allows me to have more room to work with to balance out the audio spectrum when my partner is playing trebles. Since I have restrung all my ukes low G.

BUT, I still do miss what you can do with a high g. It's easier to play chords up and down the neck when you jam because the higher pitch or the high g stays more "in tune" with chords up the neck. High g allows for a different style of finger plucking, IMO a faster style because the high g can be plucked continuously as a drone note whereas a low G brings too much bass.

Lately, I've gotten into brighter sounding low G strings. It's helped to make the low G bass less divisive and helps to bridge gap in sound.

If anybody is still unsure, just get a 5 string uke