Baritone Ukulele
There are several different ukulele sizes out there. The one that I want to focus on here is the baritone ukulele. Also, you will learn more about baritone ukulele tuning and will see some of the best baritone ukuleles. It is the largest of the various ukuleles on the market and offers the following:
- Length: 30”
- Frets: 19+
- Tuning: DGBE
One of the reasons why many people like the baritone uke is because it is tuned in much the same way as the guitar is. Obviously, you only have four strings. Baritone ukulele tuning is the same as the tuning of the top four guitar strings. The result is a nice, deep sound. The problem, however, is that the sound is not going to be as crisp and as bright as some of the other ukulele tunings. For example, if you had used a soprano ukulele. Most baritone ukuleles come with nylon strings. You probably know that nylon is not affected by humidity, but significant temperature change can require you to re-tune your instrument more often.
The sound
Since the sound of the baritone is going to be nice and deep, it is unlikely that you will want to use a baritone uke for strumming. You can do that, but it is not going to sound that brilliant. Instead, this is a ukulele that is reserved for blues-style music where you can do some fingerpicking. The sound that it produces in this regard is absolutely beautiful.
Basically, if you are into fingerpicking songs, then this is the route to go. It is probably worth pointing out that many people do not see the baritone ukulele as a great introduction to the world of ukulele. This is mainly because most of the people who get started want to learn how to strum so they can play rhythm along with their singing. As a second or third instrument to add to your collection, however, it is fantastic!
Moving to Baritone Ukulele
If you play guitar, then moving should be simple. In fact, you can easily convert some of the guitar tabs that you find online to this instrument. If this is the only ukulele that you own, then you can convert the baritone ukulele to sound similar to a soprano, concert, or tenor ukulele. Assuming that the open strings are in standard tuning, then all you need to do is put a capo on the 5th fret. This means that you can play exactly the same tunes as you would if you were on any other ukulele. This may be the best route to go down if this is your first instrument. Certainly, this is a worthwhile instrument to learn.
Baritone Ukulele Tuning
Typically, Baritone ukulele tuning is D3 G3 B3 E4. Use our online ukulele tuner below, to tune your ukulele. Tap the play symbol and tune the string to the tone. The video tutorial below will also help you tune your ukulele by ear.
Baritone Chord Shape Equivalents in Standard tuning
When you place a capo on the 5th fret of a baritone ukulele, the open strings would be G C E A, which means you will have the Standard ukulele tuning for a soprano /concert/ tenor ukulele.
| Baritone | Soprano/Concert/Tenor | |
| A | D | |
| Am | Dm | |
| B | E | |
| Bm | Em | |
| B7 | E7 | |
| C | F | |
| D | G | |
| D7 | G7 | |
| E | A | |
| E7 | A7 | |
| Em | Am | |
| F | Bb | |
| G | C | |
| G7 | C7 |
Related topics:
Top 7 Best Baritone ukuleles 2020
1. Makala Baritone Mahogany Ukulele by Kala (MK-B)
2. CARAMEL CB103 ZEBRA WOOD BARITONE UKULELE
3. Cordoba 20BM Baritone Ukulele
4. Ortega RUACA-BA Baritone ukulele
5. Kala KA-SA-B Baritone Ukulele
6. Oscar Schmidt OU57 Spalted Mango Baritone Ukulele
7. Lanikai ACSTB Baritone Ukulele
Conclusion
Baritone ukuleles are hot and have gained in popularity. Nowadays, manufacturers are racing to meet demand. As we all know, the baritone is typically tuned like the highest four strings of a guitar, D G B E, but with its smaller body and shorter scale length than a guitar, it has a different tone than a guitar or other ukulele sizes. Therefore, these features give ukulele players a lot of new opportunities. At the moment, there are many quality ukuleles available at very affordable prices. So, you can`t go wrong if you choose any model from the list above.
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