Uke #7 - GCEA high G tuning

Earlier on, I have covered a little on uke tuning. You may have heard of low g or high g tuning. You are getting confused. Well for the beginning, you only need to know the standard uke tuning is GCEA - High G tuning.

Standard tuning - High G
1st string - A
2nd string - E
3rd string - C
4th string - High G

Low G tuning
1st string - A
2nd string - E
3rd string - C
4th string - Low G

Note the difference is in the fourth string. If you are using standard tuning, you would also have discovered that the pitch of your 4th string is actually the 2nd highest after the 1st string. This is because your 4th string is G but one octave higher. High g tuning gives you the familiar uke music and most tabs are for high g. Low G tuning is favored by jazz players and it gives your uke a wider range of notes.

Uke #6 - Your first 4 ukulele notes

You should be very familiar with these 4 notes already. They are G, C, E and A. Support the neck of your uke but be careful not to touch any of the strings with your left hand. Pluck the first open string with your right index finger and that is your A note. Repeat that with the second open string and that is your E note. Third open string will give you C note and the fourth open string will give you the G note.

I will also take this opportunity to show you the fingers numbering for your left and right hand.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

You will be using fingers 1,2,3,4 on your left hand to press the frets of the ukulele. For the purpose of plucking the strings, you will use the thumb and three fingers (p,i,m,a).

Nice, now you have played your first 4 notes and ready for more.

Uke #5 - Tuning your ukulele

You have gotten your new ukulele. It should come setup properly but how do you ensure that the tuning is right. Moreover, the tuning tends to go off during the first few rounds of playing especially when the strings are new. Hence, the next thing you should know is tuning. There are different tunings but you only need to remember the GCEA tuning for now.

Most ukuleles(sopranos, concerts) use the standard, GCEA tuning. Pick up your ukulele, sound hole should face away from you towards the front. Assuming you are right handed, the uke body should be on your right and the neck on your left. Hold the neck with your left hand and hang your right hand over the body with your right hand just over the strings slightly at the front portion of the sound hole. I am assuming you are sitting down and your uke body is resting on your right lap. Otherwise you have to use your right arm to hold the top of the uke body close to your body while your right hand play the strings. Whatever you do, adjust to find a comfortable position.

In this position, look at your fretboard. The string on the top is 4th string(G). Moving down, the 3rd string(C), 2nd string(E) and finally the first string(A). The first string should sound the highest pitch. If you hold the neck with the frets facing you, the first string(A) is on your right.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

Now, assuming you have your tuner ready, play the respective string by plucking it with your right index finger. You do not have to press down on any frets. This is called the open string. Play the open string and try to match the pitch by adjusting the corresponding tuning peg.

Uke #4 - Ukulele Anatomy

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

1. Head - This is also known as the head stock. Usually the logo and branding of the ukulele is found here. The head also holds the tuning pegs.

2. Tuning Keys - Also known as tuning pegs. You turn them clockwise/anti-clockwise to adjust the pitch of the strings (ie to tune your ukulele)

3. Nut - The white object that holds the stings in place and aligns them properly.

4. Neck - The neck of the ukulele holds the frets (fret board). Fret markers can be found on the fret board to tell you the position of the frets.

5. Body - The body of the ukulele is where the sound is produced. It consists of the top, sides and back. The side hole sits on the top of the sound board(top). The bridge with the saddle holds and aligns the string.

6. Soundhole - When the strings are plucked and vibrate the vibrations are amplified and projected through the sound hole. Some manufacturers have fancy rosettes around their soundholes to beautify the uke.

Uke #3 - Ukulele Woods

An Ukulele can be made from different types of wood. And the woods used will the sound of the uke. Over here we are interested in solids where the type of wood has a larger influence in the sound and projection of the ukulele. In terms of sound, full solid body generally sounds the best, followed by solid top (only the top is solid wood, rest is laminate), and lastly laminate all over. Solid wood is thought to project and resonate sound the best compared to laminates. A solid top is somewhere in between because it is thought that the top of the ukulele has the largest influence on the sound compared to the sides and back. A laminate has a layer of cheaper wood beneath a layer of aesthetically nicer wood on top. Prices of laminates are therefore usually less than a full solid body. Most will agree that a solid will produce a sweeter sound and better projection.

There is no best wood and the sound produced is very subjective.

1. Hawaiian Koa (Part of Acacia genus)
This is the top of the range wood for ukulele. It is found only on the island of Hawaii and is one of the best sounding ukulele woods. They come with beautiful grains especially the figured or curly varieties. They are usually used for premium models.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

2. Acacia
They are normally introduced as cousins of Koa since they share the same genus. The main difference is these woods do not come from Hawaii but they do share many similarities. Acacia woods also come with beautiful striped grains. They are beautiful sounding and come with deep tones and loud projections. They are usually used for top of the range models.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

3. Mahogany
The Mahogany is a very popular wood for ukulele and commonly found in the more intermediate models. This wood is a good balance between sound and price. To me they sound bright and loud but they are missing that extra edge found in the koa or acacia.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

4. Cedar
Cedar is very common in the making of classical guitars. So their acoustics cannot be undermined. But they lack the crisp and projection a ukulele should have. They are also more plain in the looks department.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

5. Spruce
Spruce is another common wood found in classical guitars. They are brighter in color and they sound bright too. But there is not much projection and depth in the tone. There are other varieties like Sitka spruce which promises a richer tone while maintaining the bright sounding.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

6. Maple
They are more aesthetic woods than acoustic in my opinions. The flamed and spalted maple are stunningly beautiful. Wide range of grains selection. Average in the sound department. Usually used for sides and back, but you can also find all maple ukes.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

7. Mango
Introduced as a sustainable wood for ukulele. Average in the sound department.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

8. Bamboo
Another sustainable wood for ukulele. I have played one yet but bamboo does not sound Hawaiian to me.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

9. Walnut
Another visually stunning ukulele wood.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

Uke #2 - Which ukulele brand?

You have settled on the size of your first uke? Now the second question that comes to your mind, which brand? There are many brands out there? So how do you choose? Ukes can go from as low as SGD20 to more than SGD2000. So what goes into the price?

1. Brand - More established, more fame, more expensive.
2. Place of manufacture - Made in Hawaii($$$$$), Made in China($).
3. Type of Wood - Koa($$$$$).
4. Laminated/ Solid wood - Solid is more expensive than a laminate.
5. Other frills, fine detailing like pearl inlays, sound hole rosettes, trimmings.

If you do not have a budget, I would recommend a KoAloha. You can't go wrong. They are a well known Ukulele manufacturer in Hawaii. The KoAloha Soprano (KSM-00) comes with a Hawaiian Koa body and sounds loud and bright with a longer sustain which I prefer. There isn't much detailing like rosettes on this model but the quality of the uke is world class. It goes for around SGD1100 and definitely worth every penny. It comes with a distinctive five crown design.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

Another major brand which is synonymous with ukulele, is Kamaka. The Kamaka (HF-1) has a solid Hawaiian Koa body as well and made in Hawaii as well. I would say this uke looks more formal and traditional than the Koaloha. Sounds really good as well. It is worth mentioning they are the oldest Uke maker since 1916 and you can't go wrong with them either. Kamaka's usually cost a few hundred dollars more and for this model its going for around SGD1300.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

Another brand to consider is Kala. They are relatively new but their popularity is increasing fast. Kala is established in the USA and most of their ukuleles are manufactured in China. They have a good reputation of good quality and customer service. Most of their ukes are of good quality and affordable prices. One remarkable piece that I have tried is the Kala All Solid Mahogany Soprano (KA-SMHS). Sound is good and with nice projection. And it is priced around SGD350.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

If you want a decent ukulele below SGD100, you can go for the Kala Mahagony Soprano (KA-15S). This model is a laminate so you can't really compare the sound with that of a solid body. But it is definitely a good quality uke with a decent build for a beginner. Best of all, it goes for SGD95.

There are cheaper ukes out there. Do not expect them to come from an established brand and they are most likely to be manufactured in china. They are good if you are really tight on budget or for thrashing around on the beach. They usually go for around SGD20-30. One of the cheapest online ukulele is iPro. They bring in ukes from hong kong for sale in singapore. They can be found on Q0010 sg. They are definitely one of the most affordable uke sellers in singapore but do note that the price matches the quality.

After going through the different brands, what is my take. Well, I am now playing a Melokia. A concert to be precise. Now these Melokia ukes are manufactured in china and I do not have much information about the brand as well. But the main reason why I chose to get a Melokia is because of the affordability. You can get a full solid Acacia Soprano for just SGD250. I got this deal from Q0010 sg as well. You can search for Melokia ukulele and you can locate this deal. Any other solid Acacia uke will cost more than SGD500. The built is not fantastic but I would say it is definitely value for money. And best of all, it definitely sounds like it is worth more then its price. So which ukulele brand? It depends on what you are looking for in a ukulele. My personal favorite is KoAloha. But I did not purchase my ukulele based on my favorite brand. I look for the value versus the price, and for that the Melokia wins. Another reason is of course, I do not have to worry about getting dings and knocks on my Melokia compared to a KoAloha. I can pick up, play and leave it anywhere. No reservations about bringing it to the beach either. At the same time, I get the nice sounding solid Acacia tone. No where near a KoAloha, but its a compromise.

So in a nutshell, get the uke you think you will play the most often. This is especially true if you are getting your first ukulele. You do not want to buy a expensive uke and compromise on your playtime because you are overly concern about protecting your uke from dirty hands and dings. Remember that you can only truly enjoy your ukulele when you are playing and listening to it.

Uke #1 - Which ukulele size is right for me?

Which ukulele size is right for me? Having a hard time going through this? This is one of the most common questions from an Ukulele beginner. I have been through this and I am sure many others too. So first of all, the Ukulele comes in 4 sizes - Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone. The Soprano is the smallest of all and is also known as the Standard size for an Uke. It is usually the cheapest, if you are comparing within the same ukulele model. This is due to lesser material required for the smaller ukulele and does not mean a more inferior uke. Hence, a soprano is also usually the best bang for buck. The Concert is slightly bigger, retaining most of the sound qualities of a soprano except that it is louder with a deeper tone. Shortly after, the Tenor is developed and that is where the ukulele sound starts to change. The tenor is bigger, with more bass and volume. And then you have the Baritone, which looks like a mini guitar.

I will urge most beginners to start off with a soprano or concert first before looking at the other sizes. A soprano is good if you are a beginner and doing more strumming. The tone of the soprano is really sweet and nice. If you do more finger-picking or you are a more advanced uke player, a concert will be more suitable. The concert has wider frets, suitable if you have bigger fingers. The concert has more frets (15-20) compared to a soprano (12-15). This is usually not a concern for beginners or casual strummers. I will not consider other sizes for a beginner because they start to sound different from a ukulele and the additional frets are more for advanced or professional players. The size also puts me off. I would love to have a uke that I can pick up and play anytime, anywhere. Of course, like what most uke players would tell you, get down to a store and pick up an uke and try the different sizes. Listen and feel. Your ultimate first uke is the one that speaks to you!

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.