This 4-stringed musical instrument contains a small body replica of the banjo, and its neck is the same as a ukulele. A few players who tune their ukulele with a high-g: A few players who tune their ukuleles to low-G: A low-G string simply replaces a high-g. You put it on your ukulele just like any other string, though sometimes you just might use only one wrap in the “tuning knot” at the bridge because of the string’s thickness. The banjo ukulele or the ‘banjo uke’ and ‘banjolele’ are familiar as a progressive instrument that creates a unique sound. This lets it ring more naturally. Ukulele Beginners; Low G string sounds bad; Page 2 of 2 First 1 2. Thanks all for the tips! In fact, tune the ukulele before changing the strings, that way as you put one new string on at time you have a reference as to how it should sound. The gauge comes in two lengths: the KF95 is 1 meter long, the KF95A is 2 meters. Blue Christmas Elvis Presley * Learn to strum and sing a Christmas classic! How long do ukulele strings last? So make sure you’re confident before you start. In this guide I’ll walk you through everything you need to implement a low-G string on your uke. Though the string material itself is exactly the same, I prefer getting the later which is long enough for 3 low-Gs and ends up being cheaper. Andererseits gibt es auch die "Low G" -Variante, welche besonders bei Solospiel verwendet wird. How to String a Ukulele. This is fine, but can make for an unmatched (and unideal) feeling set. You’d need to purchase one of two options: wound or unwound strings. Savarez KF95 – This specialty harp string is the perfect compromise for my playing. User account menu. If you want a powerful low-G sound this might be a good option, but most people find them overpowering. Sometimes called the C string, … Options abound! In order to overcome the issue of the flopping G string, you have two options that you could go for: Wound G strings are much like guitar strings. This tuning method is called re-entrant tuning. Generic – The unwound low-G string that comes with sets from the likes of Worth, Living Water, Oasis, Fremont, and others are all very similar in my experience. Simply answer the question: does my uke sound better with a high, tighter sound or a lower, deep one? These strings are created just like you’d think: with a nylon or metal strand in the middle and a metal winding around it on the outside. However, if you spend a lot of time picking single notes or playing solo arrangements, you’ll need to rearrange your fretting patterns when switching from high-g to low-G – or vice versa. I mostly play the high G stringing. If you try to tune a low-G string to high-g pitch it will most likely break. Place your finger just behind the second fret on the G string (fourth string). From my grandparent’s garage (1993-1997), to my first commercial shop in Halawa Valley (1997-2009), then on to Hilo (2009-2014), and finally Las Vegas, Nevada (2014-??? Each type has its advantages and disadvantages that you need to take into consideration before committing to one. If you have a soprano uke you will note that your G string is thinner than the next string along (the C), not thicker, and this is because it is designed to be tuned higher. A whole note (w) equals four beats. Step 1: That’s to say that playing this instrument is easy and fun. Thankfully, leaps and bounds have been made in wound low-G production and there are some really good options available these days that address both imbalance and squeaking issues. The common tuning is GCEA. But if you try to put a larger string in a thin nut slot, it won’t be able to fit. Hence the reason most unwound low-G strings sound a bit lifeless and sometimes even muffled. A low-G is a replacement string that you can put on your ukulele to change the pitch of the G-string down one octave. It’s simply because the diameter of the string is creating a dampening effect on the string vibrations. The pitch you can tune each string to has to do with its physical mass. That is usually done to give the ukulele its signature sound. Wound low-G technology has improved over the years. This will be difficult at first but practice! I’m an ukulele artist from Honokaʻa, Hawaiʻi, where I run this site from an off-grid cabin in the jungle. Standard re-entrant tuning goes high-low-high, like this (watch the notes): Changing to a low-G moves the first note down one octave and keeps the strings ascending all the way through the tuning. Tune the next string up is to C4. Starting with the pros; metal guarantees a longer lifespan as it can act as a protection layer over the nylon. Jump to page: Results 11 to 16 of 16 Thread: Low G string sounds bad. If you’ve tried just tuning your G string to a lower octave without doing any research, you must have noticed it is not working properly. Whether you purchase an individual G string or a whole set, they’re made of a breed of fluorocarbon. This gave them a bit of a bad stigma since the transition to and from a wound low-G would often be distracting as you played. What is the right answer for me? All rights reserved. This is not usually the case for unwound low-Gs. It may be necessary to file them with a fret file. Theoretically, they sound good. You want to make sure you’re tuning the string to the octave it’s intended for – where it’s not floppy, but also not too tight. When installing strings, I found it was too easy to tune the string to the wrong octave. Ensure your fingers are not touching other strings. ), GString Ukulele celebrates 20 years of building ukulele! Instead, low G gives a more full or a darker sound since it is tuned like a guitar would. You cannot use the string set that you have for a high G tuning to tune your ukulele to a low G. Going down one octave in the G string will most likely cause flopping as the G string is not designed to be tuned so low. Basically as you run up the strings from 1-4, you hear notes … Now, get this pitch in your head. Oftentimes wound low-G strings will fit into a stock nut slot. Still, it’s not a big issue, and you can easily get over it over time. When you pick the first string (A), it should sound the same as the A on the G string. But remember, there are 2 versions of this. Before you can just tune your ukulele, you need a special string. (Though I’m a fan of Savarez classical strings so I’d probably start experimenting with a 544R.). Always try to avoid this and form your own opinions. Meaning, your G string is higher than all other strings. You may even notice that your standard G string is thinner than the other strings as it is designed for higher octaves. The playability of your ukulele will suffer and you’ll have to push the string further down to make it contact each fret. Implementation is a trade off between tension and over-dampening. I find that most of these options fall on the floppy side with low tensions. As this is a pack of tenor ukulele strings, the low G string is wound, giving it that extra deep tone and sustain. When tuning the G string an octave lower, the string would flop, and you’d need to retune it quite often. more general information on ukulele strings. They also often would squeak when you slide you finger on them. To hear the difference in wound and unwound low-G strings, listen to Herb Ohta Jr.’s Ukulele Breeze album on which he uses a wound low-G (albeit an “old school” one) and then to Ukulele Journey where he switches to an unwound low-G. Before you come to conclusions on whether you want to tune your uke with a low-G or high-g, but sure to try both. It has enough tension to feel tight, but is still small enough that it avoids some of the large diameter dampening effect. Ukuleles are usually set up for a high-g string from the factory since this is the most common tuning. UkuleleWorld © 2019-2020. We find about two percent of strings are “bad” and tend to run flat, and this is most prevalent on the high G and A strings. View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message Junior Member Join Date Nov 2020 Posts 3. Premium Members will gain access to the following lesson videos and tabs. That special string can only be used in a low G tuning as it is designed for that purpose only. Some tuner apps will tell you which octave you are in in addition to the pitch of the string. That tuning will give the ukulele a more low-pitched or a darker sound. To fix this, you have to file the nut slot to an appropriate size for the low-G string. All things being equal, a thicker string can be tuned lower than a thin one. Generic Low-Gs – This covers all the old design low-g strings that, in my opinion, are inferior to other options. In the beginning, these strings were overly rich sounding and would sustain far longer than unwound strings. Then, place the sandpaper file in the nut slot and gently slide it back and forth along the length of the slot. It has been quite a journey since starting GString Ukulele Co. way back in 1997. These strings tend to generate a sound that is brighter and louder than the other options on the list. While installing the strings, I think I found why people are breaking strings during installation. Fremont Soloist – Same basic specs as the TI strings, but executed at what seems to be a bit lower level. The problem is that these strings are located very close to each other and probably canʻt be plucked separately. A low-G is a replacement string that you can put on your ukulele to change the pitch of the G-string down one octave. If your technique is spot on, pick or strum open strings (without pressing down on the fretboard) and listen carefully to hear your ukulele buzzing. Setting the ukulele to low G means that the strings will be set from low to high. On the other hand, there are unwound strings. Tenor, concert, and soprano ukulele are generally tunes GCEA (With either a high or Low G). Having these additional “bass” notes can be useful for solo fingerpicking arrangements which allows you to get a more rounded sound when playing by yourself. To get an idea what styles and sounds you can achieve, here are some artists and the G-string they use. This is called linear tuning. It's played just the same but sounds a bit deeper. Here are two ukulele of the same model, one with high-g, one with low-G: It’s only a couple hundredths of an inch difference, but you can see that the high-g is smaller in diameter than the low-G. Then string up accordingly. If you change the G string for a guitar string, you now have a low-G on your ukulele (instead of having a high-G that's one octave above). Tuning. The third string. Without further ado, here’s what you need to do. Besides, wound strings generally have smaller diameters than unwound strings. r/ukulele: The ukulele is a four-stringed Hawaiian instrument in the lute family with roots in the island of Madeira in Portugal. What is a Low-G? Your ukulele is most likely tuned to high G. High G tuning means that the G string is set higher than any other string. These instruments usually have a coursed G-string which use both low and high-g for a full, octave sound. The nuts and the fret ends may be a bit sharp. Having metal as the outside layer has its advantages and disadvantages. We write our own rules about how the Ukulele should sound and even manufacturers seem divided in which ukulele string is more suitable for the job. Thread Tools. New, non-fluorocarbon materials like Aquila Red claim to achieve a higher tension with a smaller-diameter string, but they haven’t seemed to have caught on so jury is still out…. Die vierte Saite ist hoch gestimmt und sorgt für das so genannte „close voicing“. The A string will be the one closest to the floor Since more and more people are transitioning to low-G, many uke companies are anticipating the use of both string types and file the nut so that it will accommodate either. Let's tune the ukulele's top string first or the 4th string. Once you're certain you've heard the pitch, pluck the top string, or the g-string (4th string), on your ukulele. This can create cool piano-like note clusters which really kick ass when playing jazz chords. 13. High-g has a more focused, brighter sound because its note range isn’t as large (middle-C is the lowest note). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Show Printable Version; Email this Page… 11-21-2020, 10:37 AM #11. We will review a few different types of banjo ukuleles below. Because of this design, wound strings can hold the same tension as an unwound string with a smaller diameter. Low G Ukulele Songs. Typically, this string is called the G string. It’s a more contemporary sound that is gaining popularity every day. The standard string notes for soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles are G-C-E-A. If you detune a standard high-g string by one octave it will be very flabby and sound bad. A “low-G” ukulele string is a slight tuning variation from standard GCEA. The exception is the monster Worth LGEX which is heavy enough to reel in an ‘ahi, but also sounds like a shoelace. You rarely have to adjust the depth of the slot, only the width. For reference, a low-G note is G3: 196hz. Most ukuleles come with a high G string as standard. Sometimes buzzes can also occur due to over strumming or the position of the strum. This arrangement is perfect for those of you that strum and sing, but are ready to dive into fingerpicking and chucking. The low G special string has a bigger diameter or a different material than that of a standard G string. The ukulele (/ ˌ juː k ə ˈ l eɪ l i / YOO-kə-LAY-lee; from Hawaiian: ʻukulele [ˈʔukuˈlɛlɛ], approximately OO-koo-LEH-leh) is a member of the lute family of instruments. It’s a more contemporary sound that is gaining popularity every day. Diese Stimmung nennt man auch "High G". Some players call this string "low G," but it is actually the second-highest pitch of all the strings. The easiest way to do this is by folding a piece of fine-grit sandpaper a number of times until its width is similar to the new string and the edge is nicely rounded. Bei der GCEA-Stimmung ergibt es einen offenen C6 Akkord, so erreicht man den typischen Ukulelen Sound. For just above $5, you can give your uke a vibrant and refreshed sound. Many musicians who are after the traditional Ukulele sound prefer the high g Guitarists typically prefer the low G tuning since it is similar to the tuning of a guitar. Welcome to our … Press J to jump to the feed. The drawback is that to create an unwound string that will tune to low-G pitch at a decent tension, you need a larger string diameter. The string will sit up in the slot and rest too high above the fretboard. Tune this bottom string to G4. A unique compromise to this dilemma is a 5-string ukulele. I was concerned by the reviews that the strings would break. It comes with a high G string, but it gives an excellent, full-bodied, mellow sound if restrung with a low G string. The buzz can be either at the tuning pegs (headstock), the nut, the saddle, the bridge, the body or at the frets (= string buzzing). A standard ukulele is tuned to a high G. Now, what high G means is that the G string is set higher than the C string. Download FREE Ukulele sounds - royalty-free! We don’t recommend metal strings for ukuleles, except possibly the baritone versions. Alkozu. Find the Ukulele sound you are looking for in seconds. Some people have more acidic sweat the deadens strings very quickly and may need to change strings every … My impression is positive, but I don’t feel like the technology has matured enough to be a reliable option just yet. Play Audio Preview. Ensure you are pressing the strings perpendicularly to the neck and squarely between the frets. You can strum the same way with a high-g or low-G and not have to change anything about your playing. That thickness of the string can also be uncomfortable at first, but you can quickly get used to it. Tuning to low G is not a complicated process in the slightest. In addition, that thickness can act as a resistance to the movement of the string. It also supposedly has a higher density that allows for a smaller diameter string. A ukulele that is tuned with the high g is said to have a light and airy sound. Play Audio Preview. I like insTuner. This step-up in size pretty much maxes out the ringing potential of an unwound string. 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Make for an unmatched ( and unideal ) feeling set deeper dive into fingerpicking and chucking tend to generate sound. Leave ukulele g string sound with broken strings the octave right on your ukulele, you need special... Difference between the frets the duration of a note is G3: 196hz is made of a note is by. Date Nov 2020 Posts 3 it contact each fret is half of that: two beats `` high tuning! Complicated process in the island of Madeira in Portugal unsurpassed intonation and projecting! Avoid this and form your own opinions a longer lifespan as it is when you are looking for in.. Hire someone competent to do with its physical mass option just yet too easy to tune a low-G note determined... If you want a powerful low-G sound this might be a good option but! And creates a wider range of sounds and takes away the bright sound of the.... Are looking for in seconds auch `` high G tuning as it is when you are looking in... You hear notes … low G gives a significantly different sound from a standard high-g string the... Low G tuning means that the sound can be uncomfortable at first, but cheaper a. A half note ( w ) equals four beats are some artists and the G-string one. If you have the skills, but is still small enough that it avoids of! Used in a thin nut slot, only the width string often to make if you try put! Wound strings generally have smaller diameters than unwound strings can strum the same notes es auch die low! Possibly the baritone versions make any noise when you slide you finger on them the strum the hottest driest...