I have a baritone uke along with my 2 tenor ukes. It is great fun! Like a small acoustic guitar with the unique charms of a ukulele. I especially like to finger pick with it. Glad others appreciate this underrated instrument.
I just got a baritone - a 1960s Harmony that was much loved (solid mahogany) and has a pick-up. I play the cello and piano but always wanted to play the guitar. The baritone is a great compromise as it has a lot of the sound I love in a guitar but is not as difficult and much more portable (and generally, less of an investment). It will also make it easier if I eventually decide to get a guitar. I'm surprised they are not more popular. I've watched a few of your videos and will definitely go through them in more detail. Thanks.
I hadn't played a guitar in about thirty years, and I had this urge to play a stringed instrument, so I settled on a baritone ukulele, though after playing it for only a couple of weeks, I ended-up buying myself a nylon-string guitar, so I could practice on the BU in tight spaces, and at work, and play the guitar when I wanted a bigger sound.
I've been really enjoying my first month of baritone ukelele and this was one of the videos I binged on when deciding on the instrument. Thanks for posting it!
i also recommend the tenor guitar....not to be confused with a tenor uke.......tenor guitar is 4 strings tuned either normal tenor tuning or dgbe.....sounds good in open g tuning too
From u.k. Struggled with guitar for years! Got a Tanglewood baritone uke two years ago! Unreal! All over it in a flash! Can’t emphasise it enough! Fantastic fun! BUT! IT HAS TO BE A BARITONE! Deeper sound! Good video pal! Couldn’t put it better myself!
I've been learning uke for 4 years and only just discovered the baritone, I love it for all the reasons you say and more, there are a lot less to pick from than guitars or regular ukes. And wrongfully are frowned on a little by regular uke players thinking that they are not as ukey as the other scales. In a lot of Facebook pages I follow "baris" are starting to feature more. Great video thanks 🎸🎶👍
Hi, I built the double-necked acoustic so I could play one neck in normal tuning and the second in say D tuning. It is just two old acoustics thrown together :)
Thanks a million! After much research you have given the perfect information in such a nice manner to enable me to make the right decision about my next instrument. A baritone it is! Cheers
Simon -- Thanks for a guitarist's perspective on the benefits of the baritone ukulele. There's something else that the guitarist may use to their advantage in creating a unique sound. There are string sets that have the reentrant Hawaiian tuning. Check out Ken Middleton's Living Water Strings for an all-nylon set. I have a baritone ukulele blog called Humble Baritonics. Will add your video today. Jeff
Hey Simon, agreed 100%, baritone uke is awesome and a plus for guitarists. Many times I bought, played then sold baritone ukes. Last month, I again bought another Baritone uke and this time I'll keep it for good. Cheers. John from California-USA.
I began playing mandolin a few years ago, but didnt like the tension, I moved to Baritone Uke. Mine is a Brunswick, and its tough enough to take metal strings (I'm carefull with the gauge, they're not strung too tight). It has a loverly resonant sound. However, since I came from the mando route, I tuned my uke CGDA (full fifths), giving me all those easy mando chords. So basically im using it like a Mandola or Tenor Guitar.
Forgot to get back and share some exerience (got me a 50yo Sekova Baritone Uke, really cheap wood but great sound somehow) Cannot get "crazy" like with 1/2 guitar or guitalele, must play "nice" with shallow strums and fingerpicking, which sound awesome. Chords are always a mess - since its in a guitar scale and not ukulele, I need to sing very high or low. However - it gives refreshed sound to old songs, and some are really fresh with the much different key. Capo fits nicely, tuning is better than any other Tenor uke. Size is comfy! But its not going under the arm like the soprano - tenor Ukes, so it requires a strap or sitting down to jam. Its very easy on the hands, compared to travel guitar, 1/2, 3/4 and guitalele. And minimalism makes perfect - it makes me think harder on bass notes and new chord positions in the mid range and even high end, since its low to start with and the high end is not as squicky and out of tune as smaller (cheap) Ukes. Best song so far to fingerpick / arpegio on the Baritone Uke - Everybody Hurt by R.E.M Thanks again for presenting this as an option for having - got the best experience out, not moving to Charango (just kidding... or am I?!? ) :)
Honestly even if you don't continue to play the uke at least try it I spent 2 weeks playing one and a first I absolutely hated the thing I expected the low to high string setup with most instruments But over those two weeks, it really gave me some good musical experience and I began to understand a little better It also gave me a lot more creativity when it came to playing guitar
I like this idea. and these 10 points. here are 10 reasons Why Guitar players should play a tenor Ukulele with Low G. 1. Same Fingering as the top 4 strings of a guitar on Fret 5. same shapes as the open string guitar chords just learn the new chord names 2. Beautiful rich distinct Sound 3. they look cool 4. Many One and 2 finger chords. 5. Small and easy to travel with. 6. Unusual and fun to play making people smile 7. On stage you can be a multi-instrumentalist without much extra learning. 8. Good value for Money 9. Great for finger Picking. 9. They feel Great and fit a strap easily. in both instances Baritone or Tenor uke it may not seem like value for money. you can some instruments for $300-$500 you can get a guitar for this amount.For a guitarist it took me a while to understand that the same time, craftsmanship, detail goes into a ukulele as a guitar. in some reasons being smaller it is a bit harder to make them.
It is what you call compliance I prefer playing an instrument with string tension of ten pounds as the ukes than guitar at between ten and twenty pounds. It is easier hence more fun.
Exact reason I've failed at learning the guitar time and time again. I shouldn't have to build serious calluses and bleed through my beginner experience before I start having fun. I love music. I hate suffering. Hence, instruments like these.
Baritone ukes are underrated, but these ten reasons didn't convince me... This kind of ukulele sounds pretty much like my nylon guitar, and I want to play something a bit different. I think I'm gonna go with the concert uke. But thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
Important point. Same, of course, for the guitar (in standard tuning). The uke fretboard is equivalent to the guitar fretboard capo'd at the 5th fret. Spelling that out, DGBE tuning raised by 5 frets gives GCEA tuning, the so-called C tuning of the ukulele
I just take the low E and A off my guitars and then play. When I play most people don't even notice. The chords fit together and there are so many more possibilities than you mention. There are 3 movable chord shapes that give tremendous variety to your playing.
Regular ukulele isn't all that hard. Yes, the Em is different, but it is all an adjustment. Take your guitar chord shapes from baritone, play them on a Soprano, Concert, or Tenor Ukulele and the chord tone is changed to the 4th. Makes for easy transitioning.
If you have an Acoustic Guitar already, can you just play the Four strings of a Guitar like a Baritone Ukulele? - leaving the other two strings of the Guitar alone or cancel them out somehow? I bought this Yamaha acoustic guitar at a garage sale for $65.00usd but have no clue how to play it....I had a stroke a few months back which affected the left side of the body including arm, hand and fingers. I thought maybe learning the Ukulele would be easier than a guitar and help with recovery. Thanks for any reply.
Technically you can, but its doesn't sound as good, also with a baritone you get much more space between the strings so its way easier to learn and play
Yes; I PLAY BARITONE UKULELE PROFESSIONALLY. MINE IS HOOKED OF WITH A NICE PICKUP SYSTEM. LOVE UKULELE HOLLY BLOE VIRGINIA USA. I AM A BARD. YES, I HAVE A STRAP. YES, I PLAY BASS; GUITAR ETC.
I like the Ortego but I am sure there are many equally good choices out there. I would recommend going for a mid-priced, well-known make. Happy hunting.
You forgot one really cool thing and that you can experiment a lot with tunings that you wouldn't otherwise be able to do on a 6 string guitar. There's a whole world of strange tunings you can delve into.
In the last few minutes, I made a horrible discovery. After tuning the Acoustic Guitar - The physical Fret width sizes of an Acoustic guitar are much larger than a Baritone Ukulele! This makes it extremely difficult/impossible to get clean sounding notes/chords as my fingers do not want to move that far" 'tried learning to play WINGS by Birdie from your video on the acoustic guitar but in the manner of a Baritone Ukulele by eliminating the two physical top strings of E and A . I now have a nice sounding coat rack.
Tenor guitars are stronger and thus can be strung with any kind of strings. Baritone uke requires nylon core strings. Put too heavy of strings on and youll warp or worse break it.
Tenor guitar guitar is larger, but it certainly can be tuned in DGBE (Chicago tuning) and be played like a baritone ukulele. I have both and play them similarly, and they each sound great with a distinctive sound.
my Kamaka tenor is about two inches shorter than a baritone. It is close enough to use baritone strings tuned in fifths (CDGA) or in the Chicago style (DGBE). Not only is Orang trippin' but he is misinformed
That's right. Nobody is being fooled. On a baritone ukulele, the chords are the same as the top four strings of a guitar - and the names of the chords are the same. It's just that the baritone sounds so nice :)
poor video, in fact you can play a guitar with the same size, and baritones arent' small. having same tuning or easy to play imho are not good reason, they are just "convenience" reason. the only thing you can prefer is the musical timbre, nothing more.
I have a baritone uke along with my 2 tenor ukes. It is great fun! Like a small acoustic guitar with the unique charms of a ukulele. I especially like to finger pick with it. Glad others appreciate this underrated instrument.
I just got a baritone - a 1960s Harmony that was much loved (solid mahogany) and has a pick-up. I play the cello and piano but always wanted to play the guitar. The baritone is a great compromise as it has a lot of the sound I love in a guitar but is not as difficult and much more portable (and generally, less of an investment). It will also make it easier if I eventually decide to get a guitar. I'm surprised they are not more popular. I've watched a few of your videos and will definitely go through them in more detail. Thanks.
I hadn't played a guitar in about thirty years, and I had this urge to play a stringed instrument, so I settled on a baritone ukulele, though after playing it for only a couple of weeks, I ended-up buying myself a nylon-string guitar, so I could practice on the BU in tight spaces, and at work, and play the guitar when I wanted a bigger sound.
I've been really enjoying my first month of baritone ukelele and this was one of the videos I binged on when deciding on the instrument. Thanks for posting it!
Bought em and now i can unleash my triad further up.
All thanks to the puny baritone uke
i also recommend the tenor guitar....not to be confused with a tenor uke.......tenor guitar is 4 strings tuned either normal tenor tuning or dgbe.....sounds good in open g tuning too
From u.k.
Struggled with guitar for years!
Got a Tanglewood baritone uke two years ago!
Unreal!
All over it in a flash!
Can’t emphasise it enough!
Fantastic fun!
BUT!
IT HAS TO BE A BARITONE!
Deeper sound!
Good video pal!
Couldn’t put it better myself!
"simple guitar nothing special", behind there is a simple siamese guitar... XD
Juan Carrasco I thought the EXACT. SAME. THING! 😂😂
cough i was about to comment this
I've been learning uke for 4 years and only just discovered the baritone, I love it for all the reasons you say and more, there are a lot less to pick from than guitars or regular ukes. And wrongfully are frowned on a little by regular uke players thinking that they are not as ukey as the other scales. In a lot of Facebook pages I follow "baris" are starting to feature more. Great video thanks 🎸🎶👍
id love to know about the double acoustic in the background
Hi, I built the double-necked acoustic so I could play one neck in normal tuning and the second in say D tuning. It is just two old acoustics thrown together :)
Its a nice Idea, and looks roughly but well made. You should make a Video about it.
What brand and model is that Uke? It’s beautiful!
Thanks a million! After much research you have given the perfect information in such a nice manner to enable me to make the right decision about my next instrument. A baritone it is! Cheers
Thanks I so appreciate your advice and humor. Cheers
i bought one today after watching this video, thanks.
Simon -- Thanks for a guitarist's perspective on the benefits of the baritone ukulele. There's something else that the guitarist may use to their advantage in creating a unique sound. There are string sets that have the reentrant Hawaiian tuning. Check out Ken Middleton's Living Water Strings for an all-nylon set. I have a baritone ukulele blog called Humble Baritonics. Will add your video today. Jeff
Hi, thanks for the comment - and the video share. I'll check out the strings.
great instrument and wonderful in open tuning
That's very true. But I like the way it sounds in normal guitar tuning. Have fun and thanks for the comment.
Hey Simon, agreed 100%, baritone uke is awesome and a plus for guitarists. Many times I bought, played then sold baritone ukes. Last month, I again bought another Baritone uke and this time I'll keep it for good. Cheers. John from California-USA.
Hi John, nice to hear from you. Yes, I am very impressed with my Ortega baritone uke. Best of luck, Simon.
They have a lovely sound!
Yes, they are addictive :)
Nice presentation. I totally agree.
Thanks. I'm taking the uke skiing next month :)
I began playing mandolin a few years ago, but didnt like the tension, I moved to Baritone Uke. Mine is a Brunswick, and its tough enough to take metal strings (I'm carefull with the gauge, they're not strung too tight). It has a loverly resonant sound.
However, since I came from the mando route, I tuned my uke CGDA (full fifths), giving me all those easy mando chords. So basically im using it like a Mandola or Tenor Guitar.
Thank you for sharing !
Thnx,, Ladie, Now I have to find a good one
This is a great video. It helps a lot.
OK. I'm getting one :) thank you!
Good choice :)
Forgot to get back and share some exerience (got me a 50yo Sekova Baritone Uke, really cheap wood but great sound somehow)
Cannot get "crazy" like with 1/2 guitar or guitalele, must play "nice" with shallow strums and fingerpicking, which sound awesome.
Chords are always a mess - since its in a guitar scale and not ukulele, I need to sing very high or low. However - it gives refreshed sound to old songs, and some are really fresh with the much different key.
Capo fits nicely, tuning is better than any other Tenor uke.
Size is comfy! But its not going under the arm like the soprano - tenor Ukes, so it requires a strap or sitting down to jam.
Its very easy on the hands, compared to travel guitar, 1/2, 3/4 and guitalele.
And minimalism makes perfect - it makes me think harder on bass notes and new chord positions in the mid range and even high end, since its low to start with and the high end is not as squicky and out of tune as smaller (cheap) Ukes.
Best song so far to fingerpick / arpegio on the Baritone Uke - Everybody Hurt by R.E.M
Thanks again for presenting this as an option for having - got the best experience out, not moving to Charango (just kidding... or am I?!? ) :)
very helpful thanks
Honestly even if you don't continue to play the uke at least try it
I spent 2 weeks playing one and a first I absolutely hated the thing
I expected the low to high string setup with most instruments
But over those two weeks, it really gave me some good musical experience and I began to understand a little better
It also gave me a lot more creativity when it came to playing guitar
I'll get a couple of the tenner ones, doesn't matter if it breaks at that price.
Hi, great video, you convinced me! I love the the look of the baritone ukulele in this video, could you tell me what make and model it is?
It s perfect for a guitar substitute o travel..thanksss alot for your time and inspiring energy brother..quiet a discovery for me..thankss
I like this idea. and these 10 points.
here are 10 reasons Why Guitar players should play a tenor Ukulele with Low G.
1. Same Fingering as the top 4 strings of a guitar on Fret 5. same shapes as the open string guitar chords just learn the new chord names
2. Beautiful rich distinct Sound
3. they look cool
4. Many One and 2 finger chords.
5. Small and easy to travel with.
6. Unusual and fun to play making people smile
7. On stage you can be a multi-instrumentalist without much extra learning.
8. Good value for Money
9. Great for finger Picking.
9. They feel Great and fit a strap easily.
in both instances Baritone or Tenor uke it may not seem like value for money. you can some instruments for $300-$500 you can get a guitar for this amount.For a guitarist it took me a while to understand that the same time, craftsmanship, detail goes into a ukulele as a guitar. in some reasons being smaller it is a bit harder to make them.
Simon great vid ......I just started playing one 2 months ago ......I dig it.......just subscribes to you
Hi, yes, it's very versatile. Seems to suit many different types of song. Good luck with it.
I found the fun of playing ,.....that I lost with guitar
i rememeber you...soccer!! dang × 5 n on n on. keep it up mate
It is what you call compliance I prefer playing an instrument with string tension of ten pounds as the ukes than guitar at between ten and twenty pounds. It is easier hence more fun.
Exact reason I've failed at learning the guitar time and time again. I shouldn't have to build serious calluses and bleed through my beginner experience before I start having fun. I love music. I hate suffering. Hence, instruments like these.
Baritone ukes are underrated, but these ten reasons didn't convince me... This kind of ukulele sounds pretty much like my nylon guitar, and I want to play something a bit different. I think I'm gonna go with the concert uke. But thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
MarsLos10 tenors are pretty nice too. Did you buy a uke?
put a capo on the 5th fret, and you've got a low-G Tenor uke - two ukes in one
Important point. Same, of course, for the guitar (in standard tuning). The uke fretboard is equivalent to the guitar fretboard capo'd at the 5th fret. Spelling that out, DGBE tuning raised by 5 frets gives GCEA tuning, the so-called C tuning of the ukulele
Also open tunings like D major and DADGAD.
I just take the low E and A off my guitars and then play. When I play most people don't even notice. The chords fit together and there are so many more possibilities than you mention. There are 3 movable chord shapes that give tremendous variety to your playing.
Yes, but the baritone uke instrument itself creates the special sound. Well, in my opinion :)
Interasting. Just started few months ago with acoustic guitar and didnt know about baritone ukuleles. Maybe something for the near future.
Regular ukulele isn't all that hard. Yes, the Em is different, but it is all an adjustment.
Take your guitar chord shapes from baritone, play them on a Soprano, Concert, or Tenor Ukulele and the chord tone is changed to the 4th. Makes for easy transitioning.
If you have an Acoustic Guitar already, can you just play the Four strings of a Guitar like a Baritone Ukulele? - leaving the other two strings of the Guitar alone or cancel them out somehow? I bought this Yamaha acoustic guitar at a garage sale for $65.00usd but have no clue how to play it....I had a stroke a few months back which affected the left side of the body including arm, hand and fingers. I thought maybe learning the Ukulele would be easier than a guitar and help with recovery. Thanks for any reply.
Technically you can, but its doesn't sound as good, also with a baritone you get much more space between the strings so its way easier to learn and play
What brand is that particular uke, Simon? I have a Kala/Makala but it, like so many bari ukes out there, are very plain!
It's an Ortega.
Which model Oretga Baritone? :)
RUE14FMH
A tenna? That's cheap ;) I think I'm sold. I was considering buying a ukulele, but this one looks like you get the best of both worlds.
I thought about using that gag :) But seriously, it's a great instrument.
Hello from Brazil! Video like yours is difficult to find in portuguese... Thanks!
Alguien podria subtitular en español sus tutoriales de ukelele barítono por favor
Es mas fácil que aprendas ingles a que alguien te haga el favor de subtitularlos :v
Mine always gets taken on road trips, easy to pack.
Yes, easy to pack ... and sounds great. Have fun :)
Yes; I PLAY BARITONE UKULELE PROFESSIONALLY. MINE IS HOOKED OF WITH A NICE PICKUP SYSTEM. LOVE UKULELE HOLLY BLOE VIRGINIA USA. I AM A BARD. YES, I HAVE A STRAP. YES, I PLAY BASS; GUITAR ETC.
You can strap smaller ukes as well.
Sam Wittsell yea I fitted a strap to my concert uke, just more comfortable
on any size uke i prefer 2 strap buttons over any other strap options. the ukulele just sits in place better.
I got myself a baritone, a Brunswick BU4B. Nice instrument
#11 drop the e down to d, get a slide, instant bluesy goodness
I gave all my acoustic guitars away when I got into the Ukuleles
Great video, brother! One question...what is that beast on your right, the crazy double-neck thing?
Ah, it's something I made from two old acoustic guitars. The bottom neck is normal and the top neck is for open tuning. Just a bit of fun :)
What if I tune a soprano ukulele the same way as a baritone?
Valery Butto Tried that once. You can barely hear it
Need to change strings -- they sell GCEA strings for baritone
10 reasons a baritone ukulelist must try a guitar
which make would you recommend please?
I like the Ortego but I am sure there are many equally good choices out there. I would recommend going for a mid-priced, well-known make. Happy hunting.
What brand of baritone is that one? I like the finish, most that I see are not varnished.
It is an Ortega
Did anyone get the brand / make of his ukulele?
It's an Ortega.
You forgot one really cool thing and that you can experiment a lot with tunings that you wouldn't otherwise be able to do on a 6 string guitar. There's a whole world of strange tunings you can delve into.
In the last few minutes, I made a horrible discovery. After tuning the Acoustic Guitar - The physical Fret width sizes of an Acoustic guitar are much larger than a Baritone Ukulele! This makes it extremely difficult/impossible to get clean sounding notes/chords as my fingers do not want to move that far" 'tried learning to play WINGS by Birdie from your video on the acoustic guitar but in the manner of a Baritone Ukulele by eliminating the two physical top strings of E and A . I now have a nice sounding coat rack.
Practice?
There's lots of people talking about different ukuleles , But they can't play them Listen to Sarah Maisel.
Are there special Baritone Uke strings or can you use guitar strings?
Yes; never mix strings! Use only BARITONE UKULELE strings.
Is there a difference between this and a tenor guitar? They're both tuned the same and look to be about the same size.
Hi Terry, a baritone ukulele is tuned like the top four strings of a normal guitar. The tenor ukulele is usually tuned in ukulele tuning.
No, he asked about tenor guitar. From wikipedia, a tenor guitar is usually tuned CGDA but can be tuned like a uke as well.
Tenor guitars are stronger and thus can be strung with any kind of strings. Baritone uke requires nylon core strings. Put too heavy of strings on and youll warp or worse break it.
Tenor guitar guitar is larger, but it certainly can be tuned in DGBE (Chicago tuning) and be played like a baritone ukulele. I have both and play them similarly, and they each sound great with a distinctive sound.
Did u do a soccer song before
A few years ago - yes :)
You can convert tenor ukulele to baritone easily by slacking strings.
why does Rich Davis say dont buy one,hes on Utube
I need Vietnamese
You know about Alip ba ta,?Alip is a very talented finger style guitarist on RUclips*"". ,
hello! may I ask what baritone uke is shown in the video? thank you so much! :)
Hi, it's an Ortega
NO TENOR UKULELE CAN USE DGBE TUNING
He said the tenor ukulele used GCEA did he not?
Totally did, Orang is trippen'.
my Kamaka tenor is about two inches shorter than a baritone. It is close enough to use baritone strings tuned in fifths (CDGA) or in the Chicago style (DGBE). Not only is Orang trippin' but he is misinformed
don't be fooled kids, the chords for all ukes are the same, only the names are different!
That's right. Nobody is being fooled. On a baritone ukulele, the chords are the same as the top four strings of a guitar - and the names of the chords are the same. It's just that the baritone sounds so nice :)
Guitarist “must “ not have to do anything.....
Let’s see you ply something.
:)
poor video, in fact you can play a guitar with the same size, and baritones arent' small.
having same tuning or easy to play imho are not good reason, they are just "convenience" reason.
the only thing you can prefer is the musical timbre, nothing more.