 |
|
|
Original Post By:
Wednesday
|
Date: 6/3/2016 9:53:08 AM |
| as I am, and you haven't tried the Aquila uke strings tuned in fifths yet, they're a blast. The E on the EADG for sopranos set is a bit pinched -- can't be helped -- but the concert-size ADGC set is right nice. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted By:
J Boy Shyne
|
Date: 6/8/2016 8:53:13 AM |
England's most popular uker, George Hinchliffe of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, tunes his ukes like a mandolin being GDAE (nose to toes) and hits the strings with a flat pick. The soprano uke, mandolin, and violin all have around the same scale length (around 13").
The great session guitarist, Tommy Tedesco, tuned all his instruments like guitars. Whether it be a banjo, mando, uke, etc., he tuned them all like the first four strings of a guitar (DGBE).
Me, I too am a multi-instrumentalist. However, I approach each instrument according to its uniqueness. I also play in styles associated with each instrument.
I tune my ukes like ukes (gCEA);
my mandolins like mandolins (GDAE);
my basses like basses (EADG); and
my banjos like banjos (gDGBD).
On guitar, my classical is tuned standard (EADGBE). However, I also play bottleneck and lap steel and use various tunings on said instruments. Such as open G (DGDGBD) and open D (DADF#AD) on bottleneck and then tune them up a whole step on lap steel to open A and Open E. I'm also partial to C6 on lap steel being CEGACE. I mess around with DADGAD too and other tunings.
Oh, I've also used alternative tunings on ukes, like open F being (fCFA) and open C (gCEG) and open G (gBGD). I've also been know to use a low 4th string on a tenor uke. However, I've never ever felt the need to tune a nylon stringed uke like a steel string mandolin and hit it with a flat-pick. Nope, not for me.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted By:
Wednesday
|
Date: 6/9/2016 2:45:32 PM |
| I keep one mando in DADA and one extra fiddle in EAEA, one uke in EADG, another in ADGC nowadays. Have a couple of low G tenor ukes, and more in regular uke tuning. I do occasionally use a pick on my ukes -- on the heavier-duty ones, mostly, as I am in some rather large groups some of the time, and then they need the extra push. My resonator and banjo uke -- they can take it. I am enjoying the ukes in fifths -- a very mellow effect, and very different from a mandolin. It's all good...
|
|
|
|
|
Posted By:
karl
|
Date: 6/14/2016 4:09:30 AM |
I've tried mandolin tuning on a ukulele as well (using the Aquila set, but an early experimental one), but wasn't so taken away with the way it plays and sounds.
As you mention, the difference in string tension (the E being especially stiff and tense) is something to get used to. And the sound is like a solo playing ukulele, not the zing produced by doubled steel strings.
But switching between different instruments, that's great.
|
|
|
|
