Questions tagged [ukulele]

One of a family of small four-string chordophones with nylon or gut strings, originating in Hawaii.

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What is the practical reason for reentrant tuning on ukulele and similar instruments?

I'm intruiged by the fact that some stringed instruments, like the ukulele, are traditionally tuned in the way of reentrant tuning where the strings are not ordered from the lowest to the highest ...
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21 votes
5 answers
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Why Does the Ukulele Have a Reputation as an Easy Instrument?

The ukulele, much like the recorder and kazoo, is an instrument that is commonly associated with lower-quality performances, amateurism, and a rejection of formal music education. Are there historical ...
user45266's user avatar
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17 votes
10 answers
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Do I need to learn music theory to play the ukulele?

Is it necessary to have music theory knowledge to play the ukulele?
durgadevi1's user avatar
15 votes
4 answers
5k views

Distinction between same notes played on different strings

While playing a particular piece (not chords, fingerpicking/single note playing) on my ukulele (or as far as the question is concerned, any similar instrument), I use the standard notation and then ...
stochastic13's user avatar
12 votes
13 answers
6k views

Left Hander forced to learn ukulele and guitar right handed

I just need your thoughts regarding left hand guitar players. I come from a piano- and xylophone-playing family. I am the only right hander in my family (my father, mother and 3 brothers are all left ...
H K's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
12k views

What should I look for in a ukulele amp

I bought an electric ukulele and now I need an amp for it. What should I be looking for? Is there any uke specific things that are particular to this kind of amp? Would a regular guitar amp work just ...
Stopher87's user avatar
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12 votes
4 answers
646 views

How can I make two chords on the ukulele sound interesting for a whole song?

I'm accompanying my friend on one of her own songs with my uke. However, the song only has two chords the whole way through! The chords are Dm and Am - eight even beats of each. It's mostly slow and ...
Abbie's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
735 views

What things to look for when buying my first ukulele?

I want to buy an ukulele, and I have no idea of what to expect or what to look for. Which brands have a good quality-price ratio? What types of ukuleles are there? What do I want to avoid? What to ...
TaylorSwiftFan5932's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
60k views

What notes on the piano do the Ukulele strings equate to?

If you highlighted the 4 strings of the Ukulele (default tuning) to notes on the piano, where would they come in relation to middle C?
Chris S's user avatar
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11 votes
5 answers
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Can a U-BASS be considered a serious bass replacement in a band?

I'm quite taken with the idea of the Kala U-Bass - it's a bass in the form-factor of ukulele using special super-thick rubber strings. They look pretty well-built and the price suggests they are not ...
Mr. Boy's user avatar
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10 votes
5 answers
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Is it OK to play a G chord on the Ukulele differently than the standard finger position?

I'm very new to learning any instrument, so the uke is my first foray into anything musical. My question is, the standard placement of fingers for a G chord is not what I learned originally and I'm ...
user34737's user avatar
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9 votes
6 answers
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Does ukulele chord often use inversions instead?

As a long time guitar player, I'm a bit confused, it seems on ukulele, it's quite common to use inverted chords (i.e. the root note is not necessarily the lowest note, in term of pitch) in substitute ...
hillin's user avatar
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9 votes
3 answers
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What makes the same note sound different on different strings?

When comparing the same note (e.g. E4) from 2 (adjacent) strings, the tuner says: the same, but I hear them somehow differently. I cannot tune without a tuner because of this problem. What make them ...
Tung D. Nguyen's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
8k views

Left hand thumb position for ukulele

Some people: place the thumb behind the neck (more freedom for fingers) some let the neck fall deep between the thumb and index finger, and the thumb is visible above the fretboard Which position ...
Andrey Moiseev's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
216 views

Is it possible to play an electric ukulele slap-bass-style?

I love the sound of slap bass and want to get something like that out of an electric ukulele, specifically a Risa Solid. I tried techniques from slap bass tutorials and can't get much sound out. Is it ...
Max Heiber's user avatar
7 votes
6 answers
30k views

How can the ukulele D7 chord have different fingerings with different sounds?

Just learning the ukulele, and trying the D7 chord. I'm confused because there seems to be two accepted fingerings for the D7: a barre on the second fret and a single finger on the first string of the ...
JeanSibelius's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
26k views

Is it normal for new bought ukeleles to be out of tune every few minutes?

I've bought a new ukelele and it's been quite a while since I've last held a musical instrument (a year, maybe), so it might be possible that I'm just quite rusty with toning a guitar/ukelele. I ...
Zaenille's user avatar
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7 votes
5 answers
5k views

Playing the Ukulele besides singing

I love the ukulele, and I just bought one. The problem is I cannot sing, and I don't really want to. It seems as though there are not a lot fingerpicking songs and most songs just have the chords. ...
user3731004's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
6k views

How do I fix the bridge on a Flea ukulele?

I have a Flea ukulele that I bought used several months ago. The bridge is starting to pull away from the top. Surprisingly, the uke still stays in tune and is quite playable, but I can't imagine it ...
Ben Miller's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
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Is it possible to tune a ukulele in GDAE (Irish tenor)?

I would like to change the tuning of my concert ukulele from GCEA to GDAE. Which kind of string do I need for that (diameter) ? Is it dangerous for the bridge ? (Ref. my ukulele is a Lanikai LU-21 CE)
ThR37's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
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Are the little blocks of wood inside a ukulele body necessary for sound?

I want to make a ukulele, and I'm just wondering about little blocks of wood that are inside them. Are they for structural support, or does it help the sound somehow? I'll be making it via ...
Mirror318's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
3k views

Can I tune an Ukulele in DGBD without damaging it?

I got an Ukulele as a gift. I am not a ukulele music fan, and I dislike its tuning scheme, but I like the fact that it is lightweight, small and soft enough for my kid to tinker with it, and I would ...
Benari's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
3k views

How to tune a ukulele to compensate for intonation issues

I'm just starting out on the ukulele coming from a guitar background. Compared to the guitar, the intonation isn't great, and from everything I've read, the shorter neck means that's the nature of the ...
David Ehrmann's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
741 views

Is there a hidden triplet here, as the notes seem to indicate 9/8 but the time signature is 4/4?

I found this strumming in a book which confused me a lot: It seems it has 9/8 but states clearly that it should have 4/4. I tried to figure it out and stumbled over triplets. So my guess is it has a ...
Wagawonga's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
5k views

Is Learning Guitar and Ukulele side by side a good idea?

I'm trying to decide whether it's a good idea to learn playing the guitar while I am also learning the ukulele. I've been playing ukulele since about six months and I'm making really good progress. ...
ALE's user avatar
  • 63
6 votes
2 answers
455 views

Ukulele: G major chord with partial barre

I am playing on a gCEA concert ukulele. As a relic of probably incorrect self-taught guitar playing (D major), I am faster to a G major chord by playing a partial barre chord. That's index finger on ...
philshem's user avatar
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6 votes
5 answers
829 views

How to bring all fingers down at the same time learning ukelele

I’m in about 6 months in attempting to learn the ukulele. I know my basic chords but cannot, at this point, bring all two or three fingers down at the same time on an f chord or g chord (for example). ...
Maria's user avatar
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6 votes
6 answers
8k views

Any issues with restringing a right-handed ukelele to be left-handed?

I know that you wouldn't necessarily jump on doing this on a guitar, but I'm wondering on a fairly inexpensive ukelele if the strings could be reversed without issue.
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6 votes
3 answers
961 views

How to make 9th chords (and beyond) easier on ukulele?

The ukulele only has 4 strings. So if I were to want to make a 9th chord, is there an easier way than the way I've been trying? I've been doing things like 3-0-0-5 as a C9, which isn't too bad until ...
user45266's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
8k views

How do I tune a Ukulele 1 semi-tone higher?

How can I tune a Ukulele so it's one semi-tone higher? Can this be used for 2/3 semi-tones as well? I've tried using a capo but it makes it a lot harder to play.
Chris S's user avatar
  • 323
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to play a grace note on the ukulele?

How do I play a grace note on the ukulele? I figured out that the little crossed notes are called grace notes, but how are they played? I've got the first one circled, but it occurs 8 times in the ...
Ben Miller's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
182 views

Plastic Ukes and clip on tuners

I'm getting a ukulele for a child and was thinking of getting a plastic rather than wooden one as they are said to be more durable and have better tuning stability and intonation than cheap wooden ...
Dave Halsall's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
145 views

Ukulele tone factors

"Tone is in the fingers." ~lots of people Obviously not all of tone is based on technique, but right now I'm asking about the part of the tone that is based on technique, particularly for ukulele. I ...
user45266's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
428 views

Fretted to fretless guitar

I was thinking of trying to start playing a fretless guitar so I could eventually use this knowledge to learn classical instruments. I already can play a minimal amount of double bass and that is ...
user30646's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
366 views

Can I put cavaquinho strings on a ukulele?

I have currently a concert ukulele that I'm not using and I would like to put on it steel cavaquinho strings in order to use it as a cavaquinho. Is it a bad idea ? Are there risks for my instrument ?
ThR37's user avatar
  • 295
5 votes
2 answers
183 views

Beginner with claw hand

What would be the best instrument for me to play with my right hand having claw hand/MS? I have no experience but I’m interested in the guitar
Kelly M Giles's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
1k views

Ukulele: how to avoid hurting my hand on the nut?

I recently started playing the ukulele, but after some time practicing, my left hand starts to hurt from rubbing against the nut. It only starts to hurt after playing for some time, but it still is ...
usernumber's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
429 views

Which ukulele harmonic corresponds to which fret position?

According to this page, ukulele natural harmonics can be played on the 12th (octave), 9th, 7th (octave+fifth), 5th (2octaves) and 3rd frets. Which interval is obtained at the 9th and 3rd frets?
Karlo's user avatar
  • 1,497
4 votes
3 answers
3k views

Guitar for child

My 6-year old has shown interest in playing guitar when I am playing mine. My guitar is way too big for her small hands. Are half-sized guitars useful for learning? Or should I think about something ...
Mike A.'s user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
3 answers
3k views

How to play B major? What is the finger placement?

One other thing is, is there more one way to play B major? Why are there different fingerings for just the B major chord? For example:
user139024's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
3k views

Fretted notes consistantly ~10cents sharp across the fretboard compared to open

I have a baritone ukulele, which is basically a classical nylon-string guitar except missing the 2 bass strings. I've noticed when I tune I can either have fretted notes in tune or open notes in tune ...
jisaacstone's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
455 views

Is strumming and finger picking universal for all the instruments?

I am self taught Ukulele Player and playing Ukulele for almost one and half years now and can play almost all the open chords. Learnt everything with internet resources. And this is my first string ...
Palash Kanti Kundu's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
3k views

How to strum a ukulele chord with skipped string?

I'm a beginner ukulele player (been playing for about a year), and I've got a question about this song from Famous Solos & Duets for the 'Ukulele by John King: How do I play the circled bar with ...
Ben Miller's user avatar
  • 2,303
4 votes
2 answers
277 views

Ukulele note repetition

I've been getting into ukulele lately and I noticed that a 12-fret soprano ukulele with standard GCEA tuning has almost two octaves. To play a C4 major scale, you have several options, playing it an ...
George's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
953 views

why are ukuleles not tuned ascending? [duplicate]

I am a guitar player and trying to figure out how a Ukelele is tuned. From what I understand, the Concert, Tenor and Soprano Ukeleles are tuned G4, C4, E4 and A4. So the lowest string is actually ...
user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

What does "H.=H" mean?

I came across this writing in a ukulele tab. I assume H means half and E means eighth, but what could the "H.=H" mean? H.=H Q Q. E E E E E E E E E E E E E |-7---5----10-|-...
Dan Chaltiel's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
365 views

How to chose a ukulele chord tab?

I found this website with common ukulele chord tabs and tried to typeset an E chord in Sibelius: The first one was added by Sibelius (G# E B) and the second one by the mentioned website (B E G# B). I ...
Karlo's user avatar
  • 1,497
4 votes
1 answer
461 views

Why do ukulele players not use the G-string?

Well, obviously, they do, but in solo/fingerpicking, the only time I've ever seen a note written on the G-string in tab is as part of a chord. Why do melodic structures neglect to use the G-string? ...
user45266's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
18k views

Banjolele: retune GDAE -> GCEA

I've bought a tenor banjo-uke (GDAE) as a present for person, who is playing on ukulele. Problem is that I've found there is a different tunning (ukulele is GCEA) and he would have to learn from ...
gaffcz's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
1 answer
35k views

How does the tuning differ between a concert and soprano ukulele?

I am getting a new concert ukulele and I was wondering whether the tuning is different for a concert? is it still GCEA? or is there a better sounding tuning than soprano standard?
Etienne Marais's user avatar