Play ukulele in mandolin tuning 5ths GDAE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ย. 2022
- This video show you how I have re-strung my concert ukulele from regular gCEA uke tuning to GDAE tuning just like a mandolin (or fiddle). I have used GDAE strings made for ukulele by Aquila. I play the tune King of the Faeries just as I would on my mandolin and finish with the tune March of St Timothy (with lots of bonus sausage fingers mistakes hehe).
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Aquila now makes ukulele strings in fifths specific to concert size. Usually, soprano and concert ukulele strings are interchangeable. This does not appear to be the case with these fifths. Instead of being similar to mandolin/violin, the concert strings match the viola in lower octave with a very baroque sound. Glad to see the soprano/mandolin strings fit on the concert. Since they do make the concert strings differently, I wonder about the amount of tension the soprano strings will put on concert Uke.
All I can say is " I'll be Damned ! " All these years I've been modifying Ukes to violin/ mando tuning so I could keep up my fiddle tunes whilst sitting in my car. BUT......... I did it by
adding to the tail block , making a tailpiece , putting a screw in the heel ..... then using classical guitar strings ( A D B E ) . Not caring if it's quite up to concert pitch , close but ,good fifths . AND NOW I find out some smart company has solved the problem with smart strings. I'm Impressed.
BRILLIANT! You were a huge help today. Thank you very much!
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Very interesting concept. Thanks for sharing your setup. I've toyed with the idea of getting a Uke. They're really popular here in Michigan and at the dulcimer festivals I attend. BTW, I wrote "March of St Timothy", FYI.
I used my uke strings a 5 the lower d a e b. U can capo it. Of course I swopped out the lowest string for a suitable guitar string
That was great. I’ll definitely give it a try. Thanks.
Wonderful. I've put violin strings on a concert Uke and got a a warm pleasant voice. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you , very helpful! 👍
Sounds Good!
Excellent
Thanks!
I tried this with my concert uke, and my E string broke :( Getting a new string shipment and trying again on Monday!
What is the name of the tune, that you played at the end?
What about baritone uke to mandolin tuning?😊
That’s a sweet tune. Does the uke have less tension on the neck than the mandolin?
Yes, ukes have a more lightweight construction. The internal bracing is made to work with 4 nylon strings whereas mandolins have to handle 8 steel strings.
The E string breaks easily. Tried getting the A up to E and it broke at D#. Caught me by surprise.
That’s why you don’t use the strings that came with your Uke and buy the ones he mentions in the video
What about a baritone uke?😊
i tune my tenor with baritone strings
Try tuning in 4ths. GCFA#. Less reaching. Use a set of strings made for 5th tuning.
Do you still say concert size all the way, or any thoughts on a tenor? Could you please explain the main differences between a tenor and a concert?
Thanks much brother
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I’ve not had any success with a tenor. I got it to work technically but it didn’t sound good. I think it’s because the low G of GDAE is that of an Octave Mandolin ie an octave below a mandolin and too low for the tenor neck. The one I show in the video is a low G but it’s the same as a mandolin. The tenor neck is too long for that as the high E would then need to be incredibly thin.
I am ideally looking for someone who can make suggestions on how to intonate my Mandolin into a Ukelele tuning. I have played 12 string for decades, and i already know my uke chords as they are relative to the guitar, so it would feel right at home if someone could help. Thanks from Portland, Maine.
;)
To convert a standard mandolin to ukulele tuning, remove the 1st (highest pitch), 2nd & 4th strings first, & label them with their mandolin note names.
Leave the 3rd strings in place, coz they only have to be tuned down a whole tone, to C. Then take the mandolin 2nd or A strings & put them back on the instrument, but now in the 1st or highest pitch string position, & this will be tuned to A again.
Now you'll have to buy another pair of mandolin A strings & put them on the instrument in the 4th position & tune them a whole tone lower, to G.
Finally, you have buy a 2nd pair of mandolin strings that are slightly thinner than was used for D, coz these will go in the 2nd position & be tuned to E.
Thus you'll have a mandolin that is tuned the same as a ukulele, with the re-entrant high G in the 4th position.
Unless your uke has a particularly strong truss rod in it, this is a very bad idea. It will put too much stress on the neck and ultimately ruin your uke.