Low G and High G ukulele strings explained! Which is better? 

Thanks for you kind comment. I do weekly ONLINE classes - taking a break this Saturday - but after that we resume. It's fun and it's donation based so you can come and not worry about anything except learning and having fun. Go to thetikination.com and register there - You will get the class link. Cheers KEV

Thanks!

Hi Julie. I teach online classes weekly. We have an intermediate level Monday Night Ukulele Blues Class on Mondays 6:30pm Pacific Standard Time. We have weekly online classes. They are donation based so you have nothing to lose- except fun and some mad uke skills. Info at thetikination.com. We also have our Awesome Uke channel ru-vid.com/show-UCVgnK5A54dwleaAkPqjo-Hg, and we are getting ready to launch our Tiki Nation Ukulele Membership Community. Thanks for Watching my Vids. I appreciate you Julie!

Agreed! :)

There is no pro. It sounds like a guitar now. So just buy a guitar if you want that sound.

@@Secondrunnerup613some people's hands can't!!!

I agree. That is why it is always great to have 2 ukuleles.

Rock on! Learning the ukulele will really improve your guitar playing. I also am an avid fingerstyle guitarist. All the chords on the ukulele are 4-string inversions on the guitar - think of it that way when your on your guitar. For me it really opened up a whole new world n the guitar above the 5th fret. Keep playing! KEV

You are doing great. I have ONLINE classes every Saturday for beginners Level 1 snd Level 2. Visit thetikination.com and sign up for one. I'll teach you to play like me, I was using Aquilla Round wound strinds - they have the sound I like. The problem with those is they wear out to fast and I had to replace them weekly. (I play a lot). Currenty I use Pepe Romero strings with a Low G. These are not round wound and last a long time. Keep playing!

My pleasure. Thanks for watching my lessons. KEV

It's not all George Formby, what about the groovy ukulele songs like Tiny Tim with Tiptoe Through The Tulips 😂

No, I play a tenor Ukulele with a Low G string. My Ukulele is a Kimo ukulele made locally in San Diego. www.kimoukulele.com/ Thanks for watching my videos! KEV

Why didn't you just buy a guitar?

@@Secondrunnerup613 small hands, arthritis, don't like steel strings, too large, different vibe and Ukes are fun!

@Alan Laudani ME TOO!! Nylgut for me are way easier to finger than my violins steel E and wound strings.

​@@Secondrunnerup613why don't you go away?

@Will Wetherell Yeah isn't that the standard anti Semitic Remark? If you don't like it make me

Thank You for your kind words, and thank you for watching my RU-vid lessons. We have ONLINE lessons every week - and I have several students who are 80 years young. Some who are over 92 years young! You can my classes at thetikination.com/webinarsignup/ . Come and hang out on line with us. KEV

I recommend the Aquila Red low-G unwound string for the reasons I explained above.

@@stanleysokolow thank you, I will order some.

Be careful that the nut slot doesn't have a sharp edge that might cut into the string. Some people have complained that their Aquila Red strings break too easily. I haven't had that trouble. I tightened mine gradually over several hours when I first tuned it so the string had lots of time to stretch and adapt. Some shops recommend pre-stretching the red strings by hand before installing or after they're in place. I didn't do that and mine never broke. It would be a good idea to get an extra string or two, just in case.

@@stanleysokolow This is very helpful. Thanks again.

Ukulele Strings are a complicated subject. They can be made from different material, have different tensions, and some strings sound better that others with the type of wood and construction of your ukulele. I should do a video that topic. Without getting to deep "in the weeds"; understand that when you choose a Brand of strings such as Aquila, Worth or GHS, they all generally sell a matching Low G and High G string set (package or set of strings) that are made from the same material. The ONLY difference is the Low G string (4th String) is thicker (playing an octave lower than a High G) in a Low G String set , and it replaces the High G String. The other three strings ( 1A, 2E, 3C ) are identical in both the Low and High G string Packages. . I hope I answered your Question. Thanks for watching my videos. Cheers, KEV

You were right. It does sound like a guitar now. So just get a guitar.

D6 Tuning can have a low or high 4th string as well. It was popular in the early days of ukulele. Great players like Roy Smeck adopted that tuning and early books on the ukulele had chord charts in D6 tuning. Finding the Key of C to be the natural fit for teaching the instrument, as it has no sharps or flats, the C6 tuning became the Standard Tuning on the ukulele. Some schools in Canada and the UK still teach in the D6 tuning - though most of the world has adopted the C6 tuning as Standard Ukulele tuning. In the 1970's Hawaiian school districts hired Canadian instructors to teach ukulele programs in their schools. When we refer to High or Low G tuning we refer to the string set you choose. One having a lower octave string, adding 5 additional notes, and the other having a re-entrant tuning, with a 4th string higher than string-3. I am not sure what the Hawaiian gods intended - but the ukulele is not a Hawaiian instrument and was culturally appropriated by the Hawaiian people and adopted by Hawaiian Royalty after they enjoyed the music of foreign tradesmen who brought their traditional instruments in the 19th century to the Islands and performed and played in the streets for enjoyment when they finished their work days. The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of the cavaquinho or braguinha and the rajão, small guitar-like instruments taken to Hawaii, most likely by Portuguese workers. The "Secret Hawaiian family" Slack Key and Taro patch guitar tunings were created after Cowboys were brought to Hawaii to help the Hawaiian people introduce cattle to the the islands and teach them how to raise them. They left guitars when they returned to their countries of origin. The Hawaiians, not knowing how to tune them, tightened the "Slack" or loosened strings and tuned them to the sound of chords. A number of theses Altered and Open tunings became popular among certain families, who claimed to keep them "secret". In reality altered and open tunings have been used long before the first guitar was seen in the Hawaiian Islands.

No, you play the chords the same way. Don’t worry!!

Low and High G chords in standard C6 ukulele tuning (GCEA) all have the same names. If you play a Baritone Ukulele the string are tuned like a guitar (DGBE) and have different names, If you play a D chord on the guitar it is a G chord on the Tenor, Concert and Soprano Ukuleles. Keep at it and mosst of all HAVE FUN. That's what it is all about.

If you choose to use a Low G tuned ukulele it works best on a Tenor Ukulele or a Concert. Generally Soprano ukuleles are strung with a high G string set - however there are some Soprano ukes built for low G stringing.

The Chords for Low and High G are identical. The strings have the same notes G C E A in Standard tuning. The only difference is the High G has a thin 4th srtring and Low G has a thicker 4th string. If you has a Baritone ukulele - then ALL the chords are different names. Thanks KEV

Yes. you can conert a high G strung ukulele to a low G by simply changing the 4th string. You do not need a Baritone. /It is not recommended to put a low G String onto a soprno (the small one).

Duelling banjos from movie Deliverance?

Most inexpensive ukuleles come with a High G 4th String. This is because they are mass produced and it it less expensive to use a High G String. You can cut the High G String from your Ukulele at anytime and replace it with a Low G String. With the growing popularity of the Low G stringing; many custom and higher-end Ukuleles come with a Low G string set. My students who attend the Blues Ukulele Class and the Fingerpicking Ukulele Classes prefer the Low G strings on their ukes.

@@QuickStartUkulele I have got a bariton (Kala) and now ordered a very cheap Tenor(Farley) and I ordered a set of strings with low G,too I am a beginner, I am a bit scared to change the strings because I watched on videos that for the low G string they have to make the hole a little wider,Greetings from Spain

Greetings. You should not need to make the hole wider. I would bring your ukulele into a luthier or a music store and ask them. You might have them change the string for you. Good luck! KEV

@@goerkelgoerkeli Don't be afraid! Normally no drilling is required to change a string. Bring it to a lo al music store and have them set it up for you. Then have Fun! KEV

Hello Leena. /thank you for the question, The short answer is yes, but the second question is - should you use guitart strings on a ukulele? A baritone ukulele uses the same tuning as a guitar's fourth string D, third string G, second string B and first string E. For Baritone instruments you could use Guitar Strings. Guitar strings are made for a different "Scale" or size of the fretboard. This means they are very long and need trimmed to fit a ukulele. If you don't trim them they have to many windings around the post and could cause stress on the construction of the ukulele. Generally speaking, a guitar string is aolmost twice the length of a ukulele string. You would trim it nearly in half. To know where to trim the string. You would start by tieing the string on to the bridge and stretch it until it goes about 1.5 inches past the tuning post for the string you are changing. The tuning post is the part of the Tuning Peg where the string wraps around it. Trim it there. Some people use a Guitar D-string as the G or 4th string of the Standard Tuned (GCEA) Tenor, or Concert sized ukulele . You can use a steel wound OR A classical string for your low G. It is recommended that you use Classical Guitar strings for strings 3,2, and 1. Use a classical guitar G-string to replace the ukulele C or 3rd string, Use a Guitar B string to replace the E or 2nd string on the ukulele. Use a classical guitar E string to replace the A or first string f the Ukulele. The guitar string will be less bright sounding than ukulele strings. Most guitar strings come with a "Ball" End that needs to be cut off to tie the string into a standard ukulele bridge. I do not recommend using guitar strings, but they can be substituted in an emergency. For example where you are at a gig or if you break a string, or if you find yourself in a small town with no music stores or Amazon deliveries. Advantages: Guitar strings can be less expensive, and you can sometimes get 2 strings trimmed from one guitar string, depending of course on the size of your ukulele. Dis-advantages: Sound quality changes from bright to. a more mellow tone (some people prefer this) and it can be more difficult changing the string due to the "Ball End" and differences in Classical Guitar strings. You can also use Fishing line to replace a broken ukulele string in an emergency! You would need to experiment around to find the best gauges. The bigger the gauge string, the bigger the fish the lower the pitch. I hope that answered your question Leena. Cheers, KEV

It's a ukulele being used to full potential, with the added notes. And yes, with the Low G you have the ability to play more guitar based songs, and to improvise and use scales on all four strings. If you like a "plinky" high tones style and do mostly chord strumming then the re-entrant tuning would work. Everyone has a choice between low and high G stringing. My philosophy is to use what helps me get the most fun out of the ukulele. I have both High and Low G strung instruments. Love them both. KEV

@Learn Ukulele. TheTiki Nation Awesome Uke Channel! Thanks. No I get it but originally this instrument was intended to have the higher G string... different in sound than other guitar and guitar-ish instruments. I've gone back and forth on the high/low G myself but it boils down to sound and playability. Low G just washes away some of the uniqueness of the uke.

@Learn Ukulele. TheTiki Nation Awesome Uke Channel! I see putting a low G on a uke as a handicap. You restrict the usage of this unique instrument to more guitar- based music. I've even played traditional Irish music on a uke, something I haven't seen done with a guitar.

@@QuickStartUkulele thanks for the convo!!! Have a great day!!!🙂

No Worries! Play on. I'll try and pop a few more High G Toots into the feed. Cheers KEV