Ukulele for Guitar Players

A Tenor Ukulele

Most 'serious' Ukulele players opt for the Tenor sized Uke. The larger soundbox offers a better all-round playing experience and musical tone.

Out-of-the Box you'll get nylon strings including a High G String, which is fine for most players

For U4GP, we need a Tenor Uke but fitted with a Low G String. More about strings later

Ukulele Buying Guide

If you're planning to buy a new Uke, for me there are 9 key considerations to take into account. I discuss these in the following video. Some are listed below

Getting this right before you play your first note will greatly enhance your overall Ukulele experience.

Size Matters - U4GP Technique requires a Tenor Uke
Brand & Price - The cost of quality?
Listen for Tone - Not all 'identical' Ukes sound the same
Neck Shape - Does it feel right?
Action - Comfortable when playing chords?
Built-In Pickup - Do you need one?
High-G or Low-G - U4GP requires a Low-G (usually fitted later)
Strings - Nylon or Wound? Heavy or Light? (can replace later)

A Low G String

A fundamental building block of the U4GP playing method is fitting a Low G String to your Tenor Ukulele.

When playing any song we need to 'swing' between low-end beats and high-end beats taking our lead from the drummer as he alternates between the thump of his kick drum and the crack of his snare.

A Low G String makes a ukulele a self-contained instrument, giving it a full range of musical tones, similar to a guitar. That's why we say "a ukulele with a Low G String is effectively a 4-string guitar at capo 5".

Strings - What to Buy & Where to get them?

There are as many opinions about Ukulele Strings as there are about fine wines leaving the average player confused about what to buy. For U4GP, I've settled on a set that works for me. They feature in all of my videos.

In the following clip I talk you through my choice for the Low G String and also an option for the C, E and A strings.

Low G String

Buy in Europe

Buy in USA

Fremont - STR-FWG Wound Low G “SOLOIST”

https://lordofthestrings.com/en/all/search?keywords=Fremont,Wound,Low,G

https://www.stringsbymail.com/fremont-str-fwg-soloist-wound-low-g-string-for-sopr-conc-tenor-uke-22561.html

C-E-A Strings

Buy in Europe

Buy in USA

D'Addario - EJ53T Tenor Ukulele Black Nylon

https://lordoftherings.com/en/ukulele/tenor/d-addario-ej53t-tenor-ukulele-black-nylon.html

https://www.stringsbymail.com/daddario-ukulele-strings-ej53t-pro-arte-black-nylon-tenor-1811.html

How to Fit a Low G String

or any other string

In this video I captured all the steps I followed when I replaced a Low G String on my Ukulele. The same process applies when fitting any string.

Members can access a PDF on Patreon that documents all steps described in the video

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