Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 17 Sep 18 - 03:21 AM

I meant anyone who tries out well known alternative tunings, but in reverse order; AEAE on fiddle would be disastrous in reverse if tuning up.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Sep 18 - 09:25 PM

whoosh over my head
In my life i have broken maybe 25 strings.

A $40 Mitchel uke will have less sustain than a $200 Kala
but there will always be some notes that will need help
be it vibrato or another solution.
If you use a pick no one will notice while the thumb makes mellow notes.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 14 Sep 18 - 04:32 AM

I wonder how many strings get broken then by classical players trying out DADGAD tuning for the first time.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 12:45 PM

Well Jerry in the classical music scene, strings are listed top down. I didn't know its backwards for everyone else {^?

Mark it is a technique challenge for sustain, but it can be done.
At last on a baritone uke.
Or you can go electric.
I have a mandolin that is 5 times louder than delicate uke passages but might doesn't always make right. For the most part guitar will be more expresive than a uke but where there is a will there is a way.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Mark Bluemel
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 04:36 AM

George Hinchliffe of the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain tunes to GDAE (using Jerry's convention), but this is in a very specific context.

I'm not sure that the ukelele is well-suited to single-line playing generally - there is little volume and virtually no sustain. I think there's a good reason why the "traditional" approach to uke playing arose.

If you want to apply violin fingering to a plucked instrument, mandolin or tenor banjo seem better suited to the task.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 04:22 AM

It would be easier to follow this thread if we all used the same referencing to stringing. Isn’t it the convention to order the notes from lowest sounding to highest, eg. EADGBE for guitar, GDAE for violin, etc.? I know re-entrant tuning for ukeles and five string banjo present an anomaly there, but I mean starting from the string nearest your nose when playing the instrument - lefties and autoharp players need not reply.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Sep 18 - 11:15 AM

2years ago I put Martin extra light acoustic guitar strings for the bottom two strings only on a baritone ukulele. Leave the top 2 nylon strings on. I have been practicing ever since with much success re creating violin and cello Bach works, soundtracks, folk tunes, slow jazz and pop. I can produce cultured ringing tones as well as a standard sound. It is deep enough to make a decent bass line. I call it a cello uke.


I am using ADGC but go for the 4 1/2 octaves you prefer.


Rapid right hand technique is developing slowly but that is just me.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 09 Sep 18 - 04:19 AM

Go for CGDA, tenor banjo/viola/mandola tuning, or as someone said above use a mandolin, which will sound so much better.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Lyndal
Date: 08 Sep 18 - 08:18 PM

I have bought a tenor uke and wanted to tune it like a violin, so I could try plucking my fiddle tunes on it without needing to relearn everything. (I already pay banjolele by chords).
I have three lower strings tuned to G, D, A but the 4th and highest string clearly isn't going to stretch the distance without wrecking the uke. What other setting might I use to get up to the high E 4th string (that is, ten notes above middle C)?

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Stanron
Date: 16 Sep 12 - 06:22 PM

Higher in this thread there is talk about a soprano uke having a similar string length to a violin (and a mandolin), around 13 inches. Guitar sting lengths usually go from 24 3/4 to 25 1/2 inches. Pretty near double the length, so half the length for an octave higher should work out OK.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Huw
Date: 16 Sep 12 - 06:09 PM

I've tried the half-a-long-string trick for a small instrument (actually baritone (20 inch scale length) ukulele strings on a sopranino uke (11 inch scale length)). They sort of worked, in various tunings (from GCEA to DGBE) and I could get two sets from one - but - they were really a bit too thick for their length and the sound did not ring out as well as wth thinner strings.
I believe there is a rule of thumb to do with the physics of string vibration that says that a string needs to be at least 200 times longer than its diameter - otherwise it vibrates more like a bar than a string.
Before you buy strange strings to chop down, I would suggest getting a large piece of paper and drawing, fairly accurately and to scale the nut, frets and bridge point (i.e. scale length) of your instrument and also of whatever the strings are designed for, with all the bridge points lined up - then you can easily work out which fret corresponds to which note on the different strings at their correct design tension. Use this knowledge to select appropriate strings. Strings far below their design tension are floppy and tend to sound crap. Strings far above their design tension may sound bright, may break or may rip the bridge off your sound board! There is a fair bit of leeway in tuning, but the amount you can vary the tuning of a string is not infinite and in the case of thin, high strings like a guitar steel top E it does not take very much tuning up above normal to break them.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Stanron
Date: 14 Sep 12 - 07:38 PM

I just googled 'nylon guitar strings' and got prices from £2 to £7. Not sure about postage or quality. Compared with £30 + for good violin strings £7.79 sounds fair enough.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Tootler
Date: 14 Sep 12 - 06:38 PM

Aquila Strings for soprano uke tuned in fifths are £7.79GB from the Southern Ukulele Store in the UK. I don't know about the price of guitar strings but that's 80p more than a set of soprano uke strings in standard GCEA tuning and Southern Uke store's prices are pretty much the same as you would pay elsewhere for ukulele strings.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Stanron
Date: 14 Sep 12 - 11:09 AM

It's just occurred to me that 1 guitar string is probably long enough to make 2 ukelele strings. It could be double savings.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Stanron
Date: 14 Sep 12 - 08:24 AM

The Aquila Corde set sound like a good solution but if they are significantly more expensive than a set of nylon guitar strings you could also use the guitar 1st for high E, either the B or the G string for the Uke A, (experiment to find which works best) the guitar D for the Uke D and again experiment with the guitar A and E to see which gives the best G for the Uke.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Huw
Date: 14 Sep 12 - 04:51 AM

Aquila Corde make a set of strings for soprano sized (i.e. ~ 13 inch, more or less the same scale length as a violin) for tuning in fifths. I have just bought a set over the web from the company and plan to build a soprano with a narrow neck and a few other minor adaptations to use them. I am used to playing and reading music for violin, viola and bass (my bass is tuned in fifths too) so hope to be able to play any treble clef music onto this new instrument - mostly tunes, rarely chords.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Stan
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 06:31 PM

Let me know the string length of your Ukelele and I'll suggest which nylon guitar strings to use.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 08:51 PM

I think that the "harp-like" sound you hear is the effect of classic uke rolls when applied to standard uke chords(though I am guessing, because I don't know what you were listening to). A uke relative, the cavaquinho, is often tuned in 5th for single note playing and can be accompanied by other uke-like instruments (there are lots of them).

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,George
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 07:22 PM

My purpose would be to be able to play tunes I learned on the fiddle without learning a new fingering. The ukes I've heard on Youtube had a harp-like sound when just melody was played.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Tootler
Date: 25 Jul 12 - 05:57 AM

5ths tuning is the best for playing trad tunes.

That's because, for the most part, they were fiddle tunes.

Leaving that aside, it is possible to get heavier gauge strings for ukes. Take a look on the Ukulele Underground forum, there is regular discussion about strings there.

If you want to tune EADG why not just get a mandolin? They are of similar scale length to a uke.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Stan
Date: 25 Jul 12 - 05:13 AM

5ths tuning is the best for playing trad tunes. Dare I suggest that anyone contesting this view hasn't tried it and its' alternatives?

For it to be session compatible the highest string would have to be E. Other strings would have to be heavier than normal uke gauges to get the lower pitches that 5th tuning ends up with.

It would be a great instrument to practice tunes on late at night.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: iancarterb
Date: 24 Jul 12 - 09:15 PM

ALthough this is 90 degrees away from most of the thread responses, as was noted above "you can tune any instrument any way you like", and it might work well to tune a uke like a mandolin but a baritone uke like a mandola, ie (ascending pitch) GDAE and CGDA. I always liked Frank Warner's banjo, strung with nylon and "tuned like a uke" and strummed like a uke. Mr Proffit made the banjo with a fifth string, but Mr Warner grew up with the uke, and was more passionately interested in the songs than the accompaniment anyway. I think that the original poster Guest, guest, might well spend a day listening to Jake Shimabokoru (SP?) and a day listening to Jethro Burns and decide what he or she likes best.:)

Subject: RE: Tune a tenor uke CGDA?
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 12 - 01:19 PM

Is it possible to tune a tenor uke with this tuning? What strings would work?

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Tootler
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 06:47 AM

I agree with Guest above, tune your uke how you like. However...

I have read a number of posts on uke forums from guitarists who having decided they would like to play uke, bought a baritone uke because it is normally tuned the same as a guitar so it would be easy to get started. They then found they were disappointed because they were just repeating what they did on guitar and felt they were not make the best of the uke's qualities and ended up either retuning or (more commonly) getting a smaller uke and using the conventional uke tuning.

Another thought. Quite a number of uke players tune one of their ukes GCEA (ie low G rather than re-entrant) as they find this is better for finger picking - better for bass runs. They often choose the tenor for this as it seems best suited.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 08:02 PM

To answer the question as to why...there are lots of fiddle/violin players who love the sound of the uke.   If they can tune it to suit the needs of their fingers....why not?

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Ernest
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 12:44 PM

Guest poster 17 Oct 11, 02:31 PM: Google for mandolin chords and you will find a lot of stuff...

I once tried to use a banjo uke as a travel instrument in mando-tuning with steel strings - it worked somehow, but the sound wasn`t great. Not at all. On the other hand a friend of mine has one (with resonator made of a cooking-pot lid) that sounds good. Seems to depend on the instrument. Also I would think that a plastic head might work better than skin.

Other way round I strung two junk banjos with nylon strings in gCEA like a uke. This worked much better. The bigger one (regular construction) sounds guiltarlike while the smaller one (zither-banjo-type pot) has a sound somewhat between guitar and dobro.

Ernest

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Songbob
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 04:32 PM

On tuning a uke:

[Pluck one string for each syllable in the verses, and strum for the bridge. Use 0210 as the V chord in the verses, but the real I/IV/V chords in the strumming parts.]


I
Wish I could play the ukulele,
I'd pick it up and strum it gaily,
   V
If I could play the ukulele
          I               V7             I
Like this. /strum-strum-a-strum-a-strum-strum/

Wish I could play the ukulele,
I'd pick it up and practice daily,
    V
Till I can play the ukulele
          I                V7            I
Like this. /strum-strum-a-strum-a-strum-strum/


Bridge

    IV
The people on the Island
       I
Call it 'oo-koo-lay-lee'
       II
So the reason I can't play it might
    V7
Be 'cause I don't pronounce it right,

        I
So, wish I could play the oo-koo-lay-lee,
I'll pick it up and strum it daily,
    V
When I can play the oo-koo-lay-lee
Like this:
    I                  V7       I
/strum-strum-a-strum-a strum-a strum-a/


Copyright 1960, 2001, Paul James McNeeley

It says, "One string per syllable," but occasionally you sing two syllables for the string you're playing. The parts of the verses marked for the I chord are open strings, the parts in the verses marked V are actually V9 (0120 in chord diagramese), and it's easier if you just listen to it sung by someone else, but it's how my uncle Buddy chose to tune his ukes. He said that "My Dog Has Fleas" had no reference, so he wrote a whole song as reference. It works, too.

Bob Clayton

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Stower
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 04:03 PM

I don't understand why you want to retune a uke in 5ths like a fiddle, as that would take away what is distinctive about the instrument, especially its re-entrant tuning.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 02:31 PM

does anyone know of a chord chart for EADG tuning. my ukelele is tuned like this, and i just use truncated guitar chords, but would love a chart.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 13 Jan 08 - 05:40 PM

The uke employs "re-entrant" tuning. Unlike the usual banjo tuning or guitar-tuned four string instruments, the fourth string is an octave higher. This makes it more valuable
as a chordal instrument rather than a single-string instrument. There are some who play single-string lines on it but it doesn't carry unless it's amplified.

The EADG would work if it were on a tenor uke tuned an octave below a mandolin.
It might be required that the G string were tuned an octave higher like the conventional uke tuning, though.

Frank

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Bernard
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 06:00 PM

Probably the most famous uke player was George Formby, and most of his ukes were banjos. Apparently he toured with a number of ukes, all in different tunings - according to the story, it was because he had a poor ear for tuning, but maybe he was the first person to employ a ukelele technician?!

The late George Harrison (Beatle) owned most of his namesake's ukes, and I was privileged to be allowed to play some of them when they were on exhibition in Warrington museum (UK) a few years ago.

Traditionally, a uke is tuned to 'My Dog Has Fleas'... not sure where that originated, but for those who don't know, it is sung and you tune to it... but don't try to work out how it relates to the actual notes, because it doesn't...!!

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,guest Ben
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 04:39 PM

Lots of really interesting ideas on tuning. what about re-entrant tuning on a short scale tenor banjo?

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 27 Dec 07 - 04:28 PM

I think CGDA, GDAE or some pitch in the middle of those would work well. I like the idea
of experimenting with different tunings. As a tenor banjo player and a guitarist I think that
the two tunings have a different textural quality. As a guitar player, I could have been content to keep the tenor banjo tuned "Chicago style" or guitar-tuned (top four strings DGBE but I liked the open sound of the fifths better for tenor banjo.

I have a friend who plays uke gigs just by himself and he tunes his tenor uke slightly higher than the tenor banjo. He uses the open fifths. It sounds very much like a uke and he has a good repitiore of Hawaiian songs. He is often hired because he sounds authentic. One of the key things, he uses re-entrant tuning bringing the fourth string an octave higher for closer voicings. If the uke is tuned too low in fifths the mellowness and brightness of the instrument is compromised.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Dec 07 - 04:17 PM

Ray, your ukuke looks like a great website! Thanks!

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Bro. Ray
Date: 27 Dec 07 - 02:38 PM

The most common re-entrant tuning (high 4th string) is gCEA but George Hinchliffe of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain tunes his uke to a mandolin tuning.

My website has free chord charts and club news etc. for the UK. Try www.ukuke.co.uk and the most helpful bulletin board is probably www.ukulelecosmos.com particularly if you want to steer through some of the rubbish offered on Ebay.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Dec 07 - 10:37 AM

Doesn't the (short) length and small number of strings on a Uke make it ideal to tune in whatever open key you want your song in? I always thought that is what the experts did but I have been known to be wrong.

Very occasionaly of course:-)

Dave

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 02:17 PM

you're not going to get much volume out of individual strings on a uke

So if you don't want to get much volume, that's an advantage. (And if you do, you can always play into a mike or whatever.)

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Jim Lad
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 01:27 PM

You can tune any instrument, any way you like but you're not going to get much volume out of individual strings on a uke. The top is mahogany on many of them & too small to resonate.
GCEA or ADF#B are best.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 10:17 AM

Unless it's a baritone uke, then I think the strings are longer than a mandos, right?

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 10:01 AM

Uke is quieter. And single strings play differently from double. And of course the string length is much shorter than a mandolin. End result sounds completely different from a mandolin and feels very different to play.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Midchuck
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 07:54 AM

What you'd have is a funny-looking four-stringed mandolin.

So why not sell the uke and get a mandolin?

Just asking.

Peter

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 06:56 AM

Of course you can. It makes for a very pleasant and playable instrument. Use the top four (nylon) strings of a guitar.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Dec 07 - 09:37 PM

There is a basic, great youtube video "learn to play the ukelele" by Jody Kamisato HERE. He tunes it GCEA.

Subject: RE: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 25 Dec 07 - 08:39 PM

You can tune it like a tenor banjo...CGDA...if it's a tenor uke. You can use a re-entrant
tuning by bringing the C up an octave. cGDA. You can use variations on this tuning by substituting different notes with the same interval relationship. Many tenor banjo players do this with a uke banjo.

Here's a point, though. The uke to sound mellow requires close voicings in the chords.
The violin requires open fifths which tend to make the uke sound kinda' flabby.
The re-entrant tuning brings the voicings closer together and thus sounds more
like a uke. The chord fingering of course will be different from the standard gCEA.

The tenor banjo tuning affords some nice chord voicings that are different than the
standard uke tuning. You can pretty much get all the chords you need from the open
fifths tuning such as diminished, augmented, minor sevenths, raised ninths, thirteenths
etc.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: Tune a Ukulele same as Violin EADG?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 25 Dec 07 - 07:35 PM

Is it done - to tune a Ukulele the same as the violin

EADG tuning?


Thanks!