High G vs Low G Ukulele Strings
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Today we examine the difference in sound on a ukulele with high G tuning and low G tuning. Also we demonstrate the difference between a wound low G and an unwound low G string.
The strings used are the Aquila Nylgut strings and the Gig 'N' Jig tenor low G strings.
I'm playing my aNueNue signature model Mango tenor ukulele.
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2:16 high g
4:09 unwound low g
5:50 wound low g
The Low G makes me appreciate this instrument even more... it's like a hybrid between the guitar and the ukulele 🫶
Haven't finished the video but I had to pause to say that is an absolutely beautiful uke.
Thank you
As someone who plays Renaissance and Baroque music I prefer low g. It sounds so similar to a renaissance or baroque guitar!
I think a low G starts to sound more guitar like and loses the unique flavor of a uke sound. At first, I thought re-entrant tuning was a stupid idea but I have grown to appreciate the sound even though it does limit your scales
Thanks for explaining this so well i have just taken up playing the uke and had no idea of the variations, i loved the sound of the low G aquila. Thanks for sharing.
I think I like the wound low G sounds very nice in your video. I too prefer the high G but I do have a tenor and concert both with low G. It does give a wider range for melodies. Great video as usual. Thank you .....
You are so correct Hal about the way the string feels, sounds on different instruments etc. On your instrument I liked the Aquila wound Low G. I had the same experience when I tried a regular classical G string on a tenor I had and the tension was too low and it gave a muddy sound(similar to the unwound low g you tried on this video) that I did not like. Thanks again for the great video.
Franko S. if you like the Aquila wound g give the Fremont soloist wound g a go even better!
Man, that wound G sounds freakin awesome. Got to get me one of those. Thanks for the examples!
I have a soprano with low G. Tuned in 4ths. From top, G, D, A, E.
I'm actually more interested in playing scales, and stuff. I like warmer tones also. I ordered a some strings to give it a try. Mine has high g on it now, but I'm eager to see how it sounds with a low G.
Excellent demo, MH!
You ask "Which do you prefer and why?" The answer for me is: "Both." I can't imagine choosing just one. As I'm not much of an improviser, my main reason for keeping high G instruments is to read and practice the splendid arrangements for high G tuning by John King and others. And I find low G tuning is best for leading songs with groups: it gives as good a bass line as we're going to get with the 'ukulele. Thanks!
More guitar-like.
Comprehensive, entertaining, educational, and all around amazing video- thank you.
2:15 and 5:48 for comparison
Great demonstration. Thank you for sharing. Blessings from NYC USA!!
I like the last one best but the Gig and Jig string seems nice too. Never heard of it before. Thanks, Hal!
Great video! Only tip I would say is maybe at the end edit the video so that you play a few of the same measures one after another so that we can really compare them instead of talking and having so much time between the demonstrations, I did a bit of jumping around after so I can compare them better. But thanks for uploading such a useful video I now know what strings I want to order :)
Thanks. I'm learning more every day about video making
Thankfully Ernie Ball makes Ball End versions of them for easier restringing
I LOVE the low wound G string.
Great video. Glad I found it.
Hal,
Love the Mango ukulele. Of the two low G strings you tried, I prefer the wound G string over the unwound. I have a couple of tenor ukes and like the high g-string re-entrant sound for strumming. To re-phrase what you mentioned, it makes a uke sound like a uke. So my Kala KA STG, spruce over mahogany, is strung with the high g and sounds great, just like a ukulele should.
However, you can have your cake and pick it too!
My other ukulele is a Kala KA ATP5 CTG 5 String, cedar over acacia. The G string is actually a pair of G strings. It came strung low G and then high g. It is now strung high g then low G. Thus on a down strum, the high g is sounded first on the strum. (The low G is a wound string.) Here's the thing. I primarily play guitar, including 12 stringers (the aha moment), and fingerpick / fingerstrum all my instruments. As a 12 string guitar is set up with the octave string first, that is how/why my uke is set up 'gG' in the pair.
With this kind of set-up, when the uke is strung downward, the first string you hear is the high g, of course (Pun alert: the pair of non-unison strings is called a course.) Well anyway, this preserves the uke re-entrant strumming sound of the high g contacted first. But it's backed up by the low G, and gives a nice full sound to the chord. And if you pick the course as a note, you get that nice sound of the octave and low G together. (Did I mention that I love the sound of a 12 string guitar?)
I find that most people do not register the octave pair of a 12 string guitar (or the uke) unless they play a 12 string guitar themselves. Basically, your ear gets attuned to it. So you can play notes and melodies on the high-low gG string as much as you want.
Also, I love the sound combination of the cedar top with the acacia body. It is a great instrument. Maybe a guitar with that combination would sound interesting too.
And you do a great job on "My Creole Belle", by the way. I remember seeing Mississippi John Hurt on TV back in the 60's shortly before he died.
Don
Thank you Don.
Great advice.I have two different concert ukes that sound completely different with identical strings.I love Low G for rock and blues music but equally love my re-entrant Worth Browns.
I have made a fixture to measure the tension of music strings. This has enabled me to learn so much more about the strings that I use and of course strings in general. Inquiring minds need to know!
Dave Stambaugh how did you do it?
Thank you so much for the video! Was curious on the comparison
Low g sounds better for solo and high g for playing with a group and strumming, for me. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing. Great info great presentation. Cheers
Julian Wilkins
I play both a tenor and a concert and I have to agree with you in many ways. The uke's traditional strumming sound goes with the high G. I leave my tenor with the low G and the concert with the high G.
I too prefer finger picking the tenor. I find the dynamic range more interesting with the low G.
From a point of view of wound or unwound low Gs, I'd rather have an unwound low G. I find the wound G sounds a bit "brittle" for my taste.
Generally, after trying a lot of strings I tend to go with the Aquila Red. Unfortunately they used to make an unwound G but these days it seems to be wound - ç'est la vie.
asking low G or high G is like asking if you prefer a slot-head or a Phillip's head screwdriver. It all depends on the application. I play both: high G for clawhammer, low G for travis picking. It is easier to play major scales on high G and low G makes minor scales easier. Some pentatonic shapes are easier in low G, some in high G. Whenever I develop a skill, I practice it with low G and high G ukuleles because it requires small tweaks. For example, I have been playing a lot of arpeggios (dom7b5#9, m7b5, m11) and I practice them using the first three strings of a high G and the last three strings (or all four strings) of a low G.
Really helpful video, thanks. As a newcomer to the uke (a ukecomer?) from the guitar I’m leaning towards low G, simply because I find the relatively narrow range without the low string a bit frustrating.
I feel much the same as you. I've never gotten used to the high G tuning.
I do Low G and I am just a strummer basically. Rarely do i ever do any picking. of the five uke's i own i only have one that is High G and that is my Martin 6-String Tenor Ukulele.
Low G Tuning is actually an iconic one used by the great iz kamakawiwoʻole
I didn’t know IZ played low G
Really great of you to do this! Thank you.
Love the video Hal. Love it. The flamed mango is just beautiful. I like the more pronounced sound of the wound G. It is much better to my ears. Can you buy the aquilla nylgut string set with a wound low G or do you have to buy it separately. Thank you so much for the excellent video. You are awesome. I got hooked onto watching you when I had seen you on a video filmed years ago in Canada at a festival playing Sweet Home Chicago with Ken Middleton. Keep up the great work.
Yes they come with a wound low G. Just be careful to check the package when you buy because they offer both a wound G and unwound G.
They say you can also use an acoustic guitar D string. Just has to fit in the groove. Or have the groove filed to be wider. My brother plays guitar and Im new at uke. He used some strings that came with my guitarelele. Idk if he used the D,but he said the E and A would work and he didn't have to file the groove for it to fit.
Thank you for the video. Does anyone know why you put a high G string on the Ukulele and the banjos? There are at least two reasons ( maybe more)
1. Low G string or bass notes are great when you pick a single note. When you strum a bunch of notes like a chord, all the strings will vibrate and not all strings stop at the same time. When that happen the chord one strum sound blurry . If you are a electric guitarist when struming, the guitarist will avoid the strumming the 5th and 6th string for the same reasons ...blurry sound.
2. HIGH G string solve the blurry sound on the strum.
3. Low G is great if you picking individual note or using Carter style.
The choice of high G or low G is functional than preference.
Clawhammer
Yes please! The creole bell was amazing. Video please! 🙏🙏🙏
You mean like this one? My Creole Belle - Tutorialua-cam.com/video/wGSAIywQ06o/v-deo.html
Low G for sure. Thanks for the demo, I'm yet to buy my first Uke, but now I know the best way for me to string it.
BTW: Mahogany is a hardwood (so is Balsa, which often surprises people :) )
Thanks for that. I had no idea Mahogany is a hard wood. It's often been spoken of as a softer wood for ukes.
Manitoba Hal Brolund softwood and hardwood is in reference to the structure of the wood and the type of tree it comes from. Not necessarily indicative of the "softness" or "hardness" of the wood.
ever used oasis low g strings? just installed one on my makala mk-t. loving it so far. havent been playing it for even 2 hours and already staying in tune.
No I’ve never even seen them
I use Oasis. They are good.
Sounds like a good blue grass or country player with that low G. I think I might get that.
I like a high G on my soprano and banjolele. I think it gives a nice old timey "ukulele sound"
I like a low G on my concert and tenor for a warmer "Bluesy Sound"
I have just put an Aquila wound low G on my tenor ukulele. I did this because I have a very deep bass voice and I also like a country style of thumbing a low note when playing. I am finding the low G is sometimes over dominant which I am tying to adjust my strum to counter. I also tune the string slightly sharp to help. The main problem is the action on my ukulele seems a bit low and I am getting a buzz playing an A on the low G (Am strum particularly). I am undecided and may change back to high g.
I'm also a deep voice over here; Do you think the lower end with the low G or the contrast with the high G works with your voice better?
@@rowantucker7010 hi, old comment but definitely low G with a deep voice.
The high G is great for clawhammer playing.
Really nice ukulele.
Thank you for your video and for the He-Man reference!
Personally I prefer the low G string because it gives me the ability to play a number of additional notes lower than the open C.
I think you have your woods confused Mahogany is a Hard Wood, soft woods are Pines like Spruce.
That is likely. I don't know a lot about wood
I'd like to hear your comparison of the wound-low-G with Aquila's non-wound Red low G.
odontomatix and C. I would like to hear all aquila tuning.
I nearly always use Aquila Red. These days whenever I buy a set they always come with a wound G. A couple of years ago they came with an unwound G. I don't know if this is a new policy but where I am (UK) I haven't been able to get Aquila Red unwound G for a couple of years. It may just be my stockist. I'll have to email them and find out..
That strum tune you started out with on the high G uke is exactly what I've been looking for. Love the fast changes but I don't know how to look for song examples of it. Could you tell me the name of that tune and what kind of music that is.? Thanks.
Those are the chords from Has Anybody Seen My Gal or 5 foot 2 depending on who you talk to. It’s an example of ragtime playing and used to be a staple at most uke clubs. I bet you can find it in your local clubs songbook (although they often don’t play it at the tempo I used to demo the strings). Good luck.
@@HalBrolund I'm always looking for the next thing that will inspire my playing and that's huge. Thanks for your help.
I want to get a low G string so bad haha awesome video!
Can you explaine why high G was traditionally used. I believe that it was because in eighteen eighty Hawaii they had lots of animal guts but no string winding lathes to make wound strings on.
I’m sorry I don’t know the answer to that.
Why did you mix that flurocarbon string with nylon ones?
These two materials have difference in their sound.
I used the strings I had. I felt that the biggest issue is the sound of a wound G string and in unwound G string.
Most fingerpicking tabs are in low G. You can do banjo stuff better with a high G.
what is that strumming pattern? the first one
Can you show us how to pick My Creole Belle-tutorial?? that was great
I too would enjoy the tabs for the strumming and picking in this video. Such good test pieces! Thanks for another interesting video.
BlindLemonMeringue mm,
Please, is low-G only for tenor, or can it be done also on the concert ukulele? Thank you very much in advance.
You can use a low G on a concert uke. It’s just not commonly done. I think they sound great with a low g.
I like both 😝 nice uke by the way :)
Nice vid... since I'm new to playing ukelele(s), no I was not familiar with that first strumming pattern/example you played and I liked it. Sounds like minor chords in there but I'm just guessing. Are those chords/finger positions available somewhere for me to practice just the short bit you strummed? I've only been practicing to play Iz's Somewhere Over the Rainbow and just getting comfortable at a moderate tempo. Do you have other vids that demonstrate the various chords I've expressed interest in or point me in a decent direction. Man my fingers are numb!!!
The first pattern was Five Foot Two (Eyes of Blue) I’m sure you can find it. It’s in every Uke club songbook. The finger picking piece was Creole Belle by Mississippi John Hurt. I have tons of instructional videos on UA-cam and Patreon channel. Patreon.com/ManitobaHal. Thanks for your comment.
@@HalBrolund Thanx very much for the info...I had a feeling it was Five Foot Two but wasn't sure.... I will continue to view the vids!!! Thanx again!
Hey I have a question...
So I have a ukulele that has a high g on right now. I was wondering if i could just switch strings back and forth when I needed to or if I should just get two ukuleles one with high g and one with low. Thanks!
I think that’s up to you. You can indeed switch back and forth. The only potential issue is if the string slot for the G string is too narrow for the low G then you might have some trouble. Many players do end up with 2 ukes for that exact use case though. 👍🏻
@@HalBrolund I wanted a low G-tuning to play Billy Jean by James Hill. So I bought a second (budget) uke, for several reasons (I did't want to change strings to and fro, I didn't want to expose my regular uke to my percussion exercises and didn't know what the effects on the neck would be). However the nut slot issue was bothering me too. I was in doubt whether I should buy a nut file (042, about $20) after reading some things on serious forums. Luckily I ordered two low-G strings with the uke, one wound and one unwound (picking low G strings was not easy, and what do these U's mean?). So when my uke arrived today I sat and thought, what now? Then I had a brainwave: with a micrometer (I have laying around, bought it once for $10) I measured the string gauges. The g-string the uke came with was 0.026"-0.027". The unwound low-G was 0.041" and the wound low-G was 0.026"-0.027". So the wound low-G would fit in the slot the same way the original string did (apart from being wound), but the unwound one might need a bigger slot, requiring maybe some filing and sanding (I understood a too tight slot might 1) make playing harder for the string lays higher, and 2) increases the risk of the string breaking). This issue is often mentioned, but as far as I saw until now, not really elaborated, so you need to figure things out yourself.
Maybe it’s my shitty phone speakers, but man that tenor has some gnarly fret buzz. It sounds like it’s choking out on the higher frets as well.
That Uke died shortly after that video. There was definitely some fret buzz going on.
Hey there! I see you were changing strings on the same ukulele. I read that in order to use a low g on your uke you have to alter your nut to accommodate the thicker string. Did you find that your low g was riding higher because you didn't widen the nut groove for the thicker g strings? I'd love your opinion on this, since I am considering playing low g, but still want the option of switching back to high g. Thanks!
This uke is optimised for the low G. So I can go back and forth. You will need to have the nut slot widened to accommodate a thicker string.
awesome uke!
Wound low G sounds more accurate.
I want to change my High G to a Low G so I can play more melodies. When I first bought my Soprano Ukelele I just started picking out tunes by ear. Of course you cant play anything lower than Middle C so it meant lots of transposing. I think a Low G would be better for that reason. I dont know what do you guys that have been playing for awhile think?
I tend to use a low G, for precisely the reasons Hal gives. I do have ukes with re-entrant tuning, and they sound great for strumming. Low G every time for scale passages though.
Low or high a G note is a G note
Buy a concert or tenor. Very few sopranos sound "right" with low g.
@@thehitman06 but they have different pitches and certain scale runs just don't sound right when you come off the C and then the notes on the 4th are higher.
I'm with you. For plucking, I like the low wound. For strumming the high g works better.
Can someone send me a link to the low G gig n jig string set? I can’t seem to find it anywhere
Sadly they are no longer in business. Thanks for asking though. I’ll let them know people have been looking.
nice
how your uke sound like an banjo?
Very nice presentation. I am a new player and this was quite helpful. Nice Uke, the back appears to be Maple with the top being Mango?
Actually it's all mango. Thanks for watching.
Hal, which strings do you prefer
I’m a big fan of Aquila low G strings. Thanks for asking.
Always high g and the wounded string should be c.
a great informative ego free video, thank you
I have to say I prefer the high G.
Do you have a link for the tuner you use?
www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Accessories/Electronic_Tuners/DAddario_Planet_Waves_NS_Micro_Tuner.html
I'm sorry but your mango uke sounds horribly bright to me (my opinion only) that I think only black strings with a darker sound to dampen the brightness might work.. except they're not loud. The strings you tested sounded buzzy/ scratchy to me.
Yup I don’t play that uke much any more. Might be time to redo this video. 👍🏻 this was 5 years ago and recorded using only a cell phone mic. Thanks for your comment.
Does unwound low g mean it’s the high g string just tuned down?
Sorry if it’s in the video and i missed it-I am confused 😆
A low g string can be wound with a steel winding or unwound = just the regular nylon string. That’s the difference. It is a string designed to be tuned to the low G note.
Manitoba Hal Brolund thank you so much!
What's the picking song? I like it so much I wanna learn it! I have a soprano and a baritone ukuleles :)
It's Mississippi John Hurt's Creole Belle
I liken to play melody with a flat pic. I know that this is not traditionily hawaian. I don't sing or have any reason to swat chords. With the high G your melodic range is seriously limited. It is almost like it only has three strings since the note that the string occupies is available elswhere. In the Hawaii of the eighteen eighties low G strings were very expensive because they had to be imported since there were no string winding lathes there at that time. However it was not a problem since they only wanted to swat cords any way.
did you have to change the nut slot to fit a g string ?
No but I usually use a low G string. If your uke was set up with a high G you might have to change it.
Is that a stella harmony in the back?
Good eye
You're always hard at work Hal - another great video with excellent editing! I like high G for strumming and picking, low G only for picking. I personally love the Gone Fishing fluorocarbon strings and string sets that Mark puts together - so easy on the fingers and a beautiful sound: www.bytowninstruments.com/collections/strings/products/gone-fishin-fluorocarbon-ukulele-strings
hi please excuse my not understanding... I currently have a concert size and know my GCEA quite well now- I am looking at a baritone for the richer sound- but want to keep my GCEA tuning... do the strings themselves need to be different all together? Or can you use manufacture strings and tune accordingly?
Baritone strings are tuned DGBE so you will definitely need different string guages to tune successfully. Conversely trying to tune baritone strings up to GCEA will result in them breaking. There are some strings sets designed for baritone tuning on tenor scale instruments though.
Thank you for replying :) I am not very knowledgeable with music and appreciate your feedback .
What would the name of these special strings be called so I know what to buy ?
Thank you 😊
Thank you for replying :) I am not very knowledgeable with music and appreciate your feedback .
What would the name of these special strings be called so I know what to buy ?
Thank you 😊
Thank you for replying :) I am not very knowledgeable with music and appreciate your feedback .
What would the name of these special strings be called so I know what to buy ?
Thank you 😊
Thank you for replying :) I am not very knowledgeable with music and appreciate your feedback .
What would the name of these special strings be called so I know what to buy ?
Thank you 😊
I wanna learn the song he fingerprints. Any tutorials thanks
The finger picked tune is My Creole Belle by Mississippi John Hurt. There are tutorials out there.
What songs was he playing??? I really want to learn them
I used 5 Foot 2 (the strummy song) and Creole Belle (the finger picking)
@@HalBrolund Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
whats the name of the first song?
5 foot 2
What is the name and model of your Ukelele?
It is the Anuenue Mango Tenor. It's was a signature model that they offered about 9 years ago.
OOH fret buzz.
ah the realism of re-tuning after every few minutes of play. and hey what a great reason to play the same thing over and over. he likes the last string, no?
How do I put it in high g nite
I'm not sure I understand your question. Can you clarify? High G refers to the standard ukulele string tuning where the G string is higher pitched than the C string. Low G means that string is one octave lower and therefore below the pitch of the C string.
Whats the name of the first song? I forgot the name😅
It's seriously, I don't remember the name of the song, this is killing me, can anyone tell me what is the name of the first song?I refer to the song of the minute 2:15
I thought you were joking. It's 5 foot 2 or Has Anybody Seen My Gal
Yooka
Get a 5 string ukulele and have both.
You don’t get both with a 5 string. You always hear the high note.
Can't play G chord with open low G string, it keeps making echo.
Good review but animation is so annoying.
I was trying for something different. Thanks for your review
For playing in a Jazz style low G everytime, his ukes all sound like Banjoes 👎👎👎
That Uke never opened up and I was using a cell phone mic so yeah the sound wasn’t that great. The point wasn’t how great my Uke sounded but how different low G and high G sounded.
SHOWED EVERYTHING EXCEPT HOW TO TUNE THE THING...
Yup. I guess I assumed you’d already know how to tune if you were checking out the difference between two different tunings. I.e. low G and high G. 👍🏻