Making Sense of the Baritone Ukulele (if you already play uke)

[@MrPanetela]

Sure! Okay! I get it! Instead of using the bottom four strings of a guitar, you want to focus on the middle four strings played at the 5th fret. I appreciate your insights; it would have taken me a long time to figure this one out on my own. Your help is a fantastic resource for ukulele players everywhere, so thank you! And using the Circle of Fifths for chord transposition is such a brilliant concept!

[@silliaek]

I went from tenor to baritone and never looked back. I love that thing.

[@DrWoofOfficial]

I'm thinking of doing the same thing

[@namu1e]

Very good explanation!!! Thank you !

[@marklazarus1085]

Cheers, Phil. Nicely explained. As a guitarist and tenor uke player, I reckon this is the next logical step

[@PaddyGilroy]

Hi Phil, Hot Nuts made me smile mate. Thanks for the circle of fifths dunno if I'll use it as I'm kinda stubborn at 64 after years of playing guitar and singing as a job but great work you really look as if you enjoy your style of music. Regards Stevie from Scotland

[@debbiebills498]

So helpful. Thanks very much.

[@janemar2311]

Thankyou. Useful and helpful. I want a baritone next. Circle of 5ths is really intetesting

[@carlosortizmartinez6591]

Thanks a lot Phil. I am about to buy a ukelele baritone coming from playing a uke concert for a few years, and I was very confused about strings/chords, unsecure about changing from GCEA to chords of 4 first strings of a guitar. I have watched a couple of videos and not resolve the issue until your video. Many thanks for sharing your expertise. No doubts, I can play the same shapes for a start and start learning the new chords too, great combination. Maybe one day move to a guitar and at least I will be able to learn chords knowing already the shape of the chords in the first 4 strings.

[@wrennarobertson6653]

Thank you so much for this! I'm considering a baritone uke, and this is by far the best video for helping me to understand the relationship between chords on my concert uke and my potential new baritone! Brilliant teacher.

[@bernardinelermite1133]

Totally agree !! So clear and logical, and so well summarized in an easy-to-grasp way ! Thank you so much !

[@RitaColacoNuminous]

I already play guitar, but I got interested in the baritone uke and gave it a go some years ago. It's so cool to see videos about this instrument because not many people know of it. I just feel so happy thinking about the baritone ukulele, I love it!

[@bulimbajon]

I play both bari and tenor ukes but I didn't know the circle of fifths helps translate between the fretting of each. Thanks so much for that tip Phil. I really like your lessons and your clear and friendly teaching style. I'm working my way through James Hill's jazz baritone course and I find your own baritone lessons are a really great complement to that which help inspire my passion and my practice. Keep up the great work!

[@Arrce_Ideas]

I have same tenor and barítono few few my age is not forget

[@deeman524]

This was perfect, Good Job

[@howlinhobbit]

I had the experience of finding a better key for my voice when I first got my sopranino, which I tune in F, and started playing Teddy Bears Picnic using the shapes I learned for it on my C tuned soprano. big time eye opener for me.

[@trishbattersby5749]

I’m singing along in New Zealand. Love your way of doing things.

[@derekbudd2394]

Hi Phil, we met when you visited Hythe and have always respected your ability to demonstrate your knowledge of theory, it always sounds so straightforward. I’m really a frustrated Guitar player, but had to stop as I was getting severe wrist pain. Then I discovered the warm tones of the larger bodied Baritone. Yes, as you point out, they are becoming tremendously popular, for that reason - also tuned similar to the high four strings of a Guitar. I really hope now perhaps you will be able to produce many more Tutorials for the Baritone, there is a big audience awaiting your skills. Take care. Derek

[@PhilDoleman]

Hello Derek! There'll be lots of baritone videos coming, don't worry about that! Cheers, Phil

[@stevepowell7398]

Brilliant! I have enjoyed my baritone for three months now and your circle of fifths explanation revealed a solution for me! EXCELLENT point at 6:20….you can use the same shapes if you solo. I am enjoying revisiting old fingerstyle tabs with my baritone.

[@MustDote]

Thanks for posting this. I didn't quite get how the shapes work out. I have tried baritone in shops and used the old shapes. That circle tip is so useful. Nice and clearly explained too !

[@Tonknado]

Thank you so much! I've been struggling to understand how the same shape creates the same sound, but lower, but have a different name. Nobody has explained it as clearly as you.

[@AnitaLife27]

This is brilliant! I just got one for Christmas, after playing GCEA since 2015. I finally broke down and got a bari and love it. Thanks for this great approach. Yes, sometimes I just play a tune that’s too high or low for my voice and just let it automatically transpose. Delightful!

[@johnmarlar4435]

I really like this. Makes it simple. I did it the hard way for six months and I have a circle of fifths poster on the wall right next to where I play.

[@uschimyers]

Got mine today and got one of your books! Can’t wait!

[@Rinchenuker]

Thanks for the hint about changing from "regular" uke to baritone. I have been wanting to play tenor guitar, so this will help me transition to baritone, then to tenor, with DGBE tuning.

[@andymiles940]

I've been playing my tenor guitar (tuned like a baritone uke) a lot recently for Zoom open mic evenings,if i've chosen a song that doesn't suit my voice on a "normal" uke it normally works on the tenor guitar playing the same chord shapes.

[@ukeing_lady721]

This is wonderful. I've been searching for a baritone and this allows me to play much more freely when I get it.

[@CornishCockney]

I played guitar for 30 years before taking up uke. When I got a baritone I have, until now, thought of it in guitar chords - and invariably confused myself. I'd never thought of it in this way before. Thanks Phil.

[@pearllindy357]

Been playing baritone for months with D tuning but didn't know about your chart. This video explains the differences between baritone and soprano very clearly thank you

[@mikenco]

You're an excellent teacher!!

[@PhilDoleman]

Thank you!

[@tinenefs]

I play soprano....looking forward to trying the baritone. Thank you for the very useful information 👍

[@DieterLo1]

Thanks! It was very informative to understand the Bariton Ukulele. It sounds very good! A little bit I know that on my “Steirische Harmonika” in Germany, also called Round Button Diatonic Accordion. One instrument can be played also with 2 or even 5 different major scales in 5 different rows and using the same fingering as You do it with 2 instrument. Greetings from Germany. My instrument has 4 different scales, G, C, F, B.

[@billhall3893]

Phil this has been most educational for us. Many thanks for all your tips,take care.

[@dianepitcher3032]

Thankyou for this brilliant explanation. I love the sound of an acoustic guitar but not the size and have a baritone to try. I have been playing concert for a few years and love the low g sound for pop songs. Your explanation will help me to play both.

[@EconaelGaming]

You've got a natural talent for teaching

[@iggytube2023]

Once again, you hit the nail! I have just purchased a baritone and have been looking everywhere for a good shortcut tip for applying the chord shapes I already use, but I only found tables charts. Your approach with the circle of fifths is the perfect solution for me! Thank you very much.

[@themotiondoctor]

Phil, thank you for your concise and very clear explanation. You really did make sense of the difference. I couldn’t find any other video that answered whether ‘regular’ uke player could even play a baritone without learning all new chords. A huge help!

[@martinottley2395]

Thank you for such a clear explanation. Now I begin to understand the baritone

[@philheti]

Thanks Phil, Great explanation. I too am considering a baritone but unsure about the different tuning and playing on it. Showing the extra range of notes the baritone gives when tuned to DGBE rather than GCSA is a good reason to stick to DGBE.

[@JM-my2wf]

I've been thinking of getting a baritone uke but was afraid to get one because I thought I would be starting from scratch all over again learning all the chord patterns.......but this wonderful tutorial of yours makes it look much less daunting. thanks again for another brilliant lesson. much appreciated!

[@lisacompton593]

Thanks so much Phil. Brilliant video as ever. I'm beginning to be very interested in the Baritone. I love my sopranos but its warm tone is so inviting. All best.

[@musicforrockclass7243]

Thank you, for explaining the Baritone finger system. I will Soon get a Baritone, 🤔

[@alanbouet-willaumez1390]

I’m totally getting one ASAP.

[@unplannedsyntax]

Baritones are really beautiful! Hope you put out some more baritone videos!

[@Khepri333]

Thank you for this !! It was very clear!!

[@huwperry8641]

Thanks for this Phil. Just acquired a baritone and getting to grips with whatever teaching material I can find. As ever, your explanations here are very helpful. Welcome any further baritone lessons if demand is there with other Patreons.

[@PhilDoleman]

Thanks Huw, I'm planning lots more baritone material!

[@trishbattersby5749]

You’re a great teacher. I’m learning heaps. Thanks so much

[@mariemcdonald6488]

Brilliant! You make everything so simple to understand.

[@SamsTwn40]

Thank you!

[@WysteriaGuitar]

That was excellent I think I'll buy a baritone now...

[@georgewoodruff8415]

Wow! Nobody ever 'splain it to me like that! In effect you are learning to transpose on the fly--not a bad habit. Thanks

[@janinemurphy6713]

I’ve been playing both baritone and standard uku c tuning for nearly and I never knew that clever circle of fifths trick, thanks this makes everything so much easier 💞

[@janinemurphy6713]

Nearly a year

[@kerirandell8041]

So helpful!!! Thank you!!!

[@Kikiyayazengardens]

Thanks great explanation. I ve got a tenor and 1.5 hours of songs and I was afraid I needed to convert them to baritone chords.

[@jamesdarby1477]

Love that explanation

[@markc1601]

Superbly explained and simplified, cheers Phil

[@chetcreates]

Informative video! Thanks!

[@PhilDoleman]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MrEricgal]

This is really helpful, thanks. I’m a musical dumbkopf and got a Baritone last year. I played it using chord charts for my tenor, and i simply made the chord shapes I was used to. This effectively meant instead of playing in the key of C.. I was playing in the key of G! 😉. Doesn’t work of course if you’re playing with others, but it was fine to get me started. Obviously, your way is more intelligent and more useful!!

[@brendajpalin9225]

Thanks

[@PhilDoleman]

Thank you!

[@annieblu2048]

So helpful! Thank you, Phil, also for the printout. (And the Millar is a dream!)

[@nichaloswaddington6130]

This works as well for positions on harmonica thanks to m new to baritone but theory I notice is similar

[@PhilDoleman]

Yes! I play harmonica too and used to have charts of 'positions'. It was only years later that I realised it was all circle of 5ths based and I should have learned that instead!

[@alancr5137]

This is so helpful and clear - thank you!

[@johorsburgh8933]

That is really clever!! Love your videos

[@flyinloe]

Brilliant !!!!!, thanks.

[@yvonnedoherty7666]

I love the sound of baritone was afraid to buy one as I am a beginner and learning the concert stringing. But may be adventurous and try the baritone, I love the deeper range it gives Thankyou so much for explaining

[@lawriereekie841]

Excellent description

[@eileenlander1380]

I loooove my baritone. I bought a set of gcea strings for it, but then couldn’t bear to part with the lovely deep sound you get with dgbe, so have never put them on. You get used to transposing fairly quickly...just sometimes have a mental block. 😳 Mine’s a pono.

[@davidmolloy126]

Hiya Phil, great stuff and so useful to all of the prospective Baritone players. I see that you are playing a Noah. I bought the Noah Campanella recently made from mahogany with a spruce top, all solid of course, and I love it. It's a concert body and tenor scale and I swapped the strings to Savarez Alliance fluorocarbon which sound fab'when played in, which really shows off the sustain. I may buy a Baritone in the near future as I love playing my Vintage brand tenor guitar and the size isn't much different. Take care and stay safe from Lancashire.❤️🎶🎸🌞

[@davidmarkham4891]

Thanks for making this very helpful video ! I hope you’re doing very well !

[@slq3263]

Brilliant

[@johnbarnett9628]

Very interesting, I never realised that Phil thank you

[@lisacompton593]

Still contemplating whether to buy a baritone Phil! One question please: how do you transpose the Notes in a Chord Melody from gCEA to DGBE? Best wishes.

[@PhilDoleman]

That's a little more complicated, as you would probably have to rearrange the whole thing to make it playable. However, if you are playing on your own, and singing (so not worried about the key the tune is in), then you can just follow the tab written for CGEA ukulele. It will sound right, but the whole thing will just come out in a different key!

[@letsrememberthis]

Phil, I’m not happy. I’d put the idea of getting a baritone right behind me, to concentrate on my tenor. But now that you’ve shown me how the circle of fifths provides such logical conversion, I’m mulling it again. Drat!

[@PhilDoleman]

Sorry!

[@yindyamarra]

Hose notes actually made sense

[@palamabron2481]

I went shopping for a tenor and ending up preferring the look and feel of a baritone (already used to playing a concert scale). Now, I'm wondering if I made a mistake because I'm not particularly crazy about the two wound strings. Maybe it will grow on me.

[@PhilDoleman]

You can get baritone sets with no wound strings. I haven't tried them, but there's an all-fluorocarbon set from Living Water www.kenmiddleton.co.uk/product-page/baritone-linear-low-d

[@Hon3stAb3]

So i play guitar and my mind switches to the tuning of a concert uke. I just got a baritone uke (couldnt pass up $25). I was thrown off until i saw that the baritone is tuned the same as the guitar's bottom four strings🤦‍♂️. But then i realized that concert/soprano chords still work. My mind isn't blown, but i find it neat. They're just a 4th interval apart.

[@albertrossiter399]

Hi Phil, I came from playing guitar to baritone, simply because of the string similarity, same strings as the four top strings on guitar (DGBE) I think If I were to have gone to the GCEA tuning as on my tenors, than chances are, I may have struggled some what? To be honest, I prefer the deep sound of the baritone's and still can't get used to my tenors with the GCEA arrangement? Very informative video, take care!

[@PaulRedfern]

My reply to that question is always no, you won't struggle. You already know all the shapes. They just map onto different letters that's all. If you capoed your guitar at the fifth fret, I'm sure you wouldn't struggle. And the open strings on a guitar capoed at the fifth fret are A D G C E A. Just tape up those two bass strings (or simply capo your bari at the 5th fret!) and you've got yourself a tenor ukulele with linear (low-G) tuning. 🙂

[@PhilDoleman]

If you do want to make the move from baritone to GCEA sometimes, just watch the video but go clockwise every time I say anti-clockwise :-)

[@mymgb238]

Maybe I missed something on using the Circle of Fifths. Since the 7th chords are not featured on the chart did you say go anti-clockwise from the major chord. Example: G6 or D7?

[@PhilDoleman]

You can't really show 7th chords on the chart, as they change depending on the key. Really you just need to go anitclockwise from the letter name of the chord, and anything after that (like 7th, 6th, whatever) starys the same, so an E7, you would find the E, go anticlockwise to A, and add the 7, giving the A7 shape.

[@mymgb238]

@@PhilDoleman got it ,thank you

[@gben9943]

You're the best

[@julieannwilliams9134]

Does the tab alter when reading music and can they be used for classical tab? Thanks I like your teaching methods.

[@PhilDoleman]

You can play from tab written for gcea tuned uke, but it will come out in a different key. If you're playing alone then that won't matter! Classical uke tab will be fine, you may just have watch for whether a high or low 4th string is required for the arrangement (many people use high D string, on this video I have a low one). Thank you!

[@julieannwilliams9134]

@@PhilDoleman Thank you for the quick reply. I have an mc Pono and Noah monkeypod high g tenor which I love but wanted a low g for the classical tunes but after seeing your videos I am tempted to go for baritone but stick to the low D string and use my tenor for any high g tunes. I will check out Noah’s baritones. Regards

[@jujufirefly]

What if you want to play an F7?

[@PhilDoleman]

The '7' bit doesn't change. Play the shape one step anticlockwise from the chord you know on the uke. One step anticlockwise of F is Bb, then add the 7- the shape you know as Bb7 on soprano/concert/tenor will give you an F7 on the baritone.

[@toonlyrics]

As a guitar player, I've had the opposite problem - getting used to familiar chord shapes having different names on the tenor uke. Concerning the baritone: Wouldn't I have the same result if I removed the low E and A strings from a guitar?

[@PhilDoleman]

Yes, as you already play guitar, you'll have no problem, just lose the low E and A strings.

[@toonlyrics]

@@PhilDoleman But you wouldn't really recommend doing that, would you? What is the reason for playing a baritone uke instead of a mellow-sounding guitar? BTW, I'm flattered to get an answer from my favorite uke teacher.

[@PhilDoleman]

@@toonlyrics No, often people say that online, and yes, it's correct, but I find that when playing it's much easier to think of it as it's own instrument. The problem with pretending it's a guitar with two missing strings is you'll end up trying to play those strings! I play guitar too, but baritone has it's own sound, and lends itself to different chord voicings. I 'think differently' on baritone to guitar. Always happy to help!

[@toonlyrics]

@@PhilDoleman Much appreciated, you're a great teacher.

[@JohannesHeld]

I knew in the first minute, that this will be a video about the circle of fifths. 🥳

[@keithhicks1750]

Hi Phil Are the D and G strings wound? My baritone is strung GCEA with a low g. However having watch this I might have another go at DGBE tuning. Thanks

[@PhilDoleman]

Hi Keith, only the D string is wound (I'm strung low D). You can get completely unwound sets from Living Water.

[@keithhicks1750]

@@PhilDoleman thanks Phil. I’ve used living water on my tenors so will get some from Ken. 👍

[@TootlinGeoff]

@@keithhicks1750 I use Living Waters on my baritone. They sound just fine I'm not keen on wound strings.

[@samuellimademiranda851]

I love my baritone, but I feel that some songs sound better when using the chords that I use on my tenor.

[@PhilDoleman]

It could just be that you are used to hearing those particular chord voicings (the order that the notes in the chord are arranged, which will change if you change to a different sets of shapes), or maybe using the shapes from your tenor puts the song in the right key for your voice. Of course, the shapes on both instruments are the same, it's just that they are named differently!

[@celiat8770]

How do I convert finger picking from the traditional ukulele to a baritone?

[@PhilDoleman]

That can either be really easy, or much more difficult! If you're just playing a repeating picking pattern as an accompaniment, then it'll work just as well on either uke. If you are reading tablature, then you can simply follow the tab and it will sound great BUT will come out in a different key (fine if you're playing alone, but not if you're playing with others following the same tab on a different uke). Finally, if you want to play a fingerstyle arrangement originally make for gCEA tuned uke and you want to play it in the same key, then you would have to make a whole new arrangement for baritone.

[@bernardinelermite1133]

Hi Phil, and thanks for this super well explained video ! I'm considering buying a baritone uke some day, and I wish to tune it the lowest possible (to make it very different from my smaller ukes, that are already tuned down half or a full step down for half of them). I have heard that it was possible to tune a baritone G-C-E-A a full octave down. It's called an "octave baritone". Would this make it much lower than a normal D-G-B-A ? Have you any knowledge or experience with this ? I guess I should use special strings ?... I love experimenting with my instruments ! 😁

[@PhilDoleman]

I've never tried tuning an octave down from GCEA, but yea it would be a lot lower than a standard baritone, and you would certainly need a special set of strings. Here's a video demoing the tuning, he uses some strings from a classical guitar set, but I think Guadalupe made a set specifically for uke. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYqxq3epq9qCgck

[@bernardinelermite1133]

@@PhilDoleman Thank you so much ! 🙂🌸 So curious to try !!

[@uknavynige]

Great video, it's a shame more players don't warm to the baritone 😢 for some reason I see it as a completely different animal and rarely get confused transposing on the fly, I think people tend to over think it and worry about it too much, as you state its not as bad as you think. (P. S check your video description for a typo! 😁)

[@PhilDoleman]

Yes, I tend to throw that little switch in my brain over to 'baritone' (the same switch I have to use for tenor banjo, 5 string banjo, lap steel, etc!). You're right, it's very easy to overthink. Ooh, thank you, all sorted now!

[@ukulelehans1959]

IF you play guitar it is even simpler,, dgbe are the four top strings ,so you can play your guitar chord shapes, triads and inversions all over the neck.

[@rainbowfoxmagicgrrrl]

This video just saved me $30. I no longer need to get new strings on my baritone ukulele!

[@ElveyGooch]

The autogenerated closed captioning for this video is hilariously inaccurate - must be Made in America. It sure can't do a British accent.

[@PhilDoleman]

Oh dear, I'd not looked at those before! I'll see if it's possible for me to edit them.

[@PhilDoleman]

It should be a bit better now!

[@ElveyGooch]

@@PhilDoleman I'll give it a go. BTW, I was not using the CC because of your accent, but because I have a slight hearing loss. Thanks!

[@PhilDoleman]

I learned something! I can see the captions and edit them, so thanks for letting me know.

[@ElveyGooch]

@@PhilDoleman I had no idea that could be done. Cool

[@roberthopkins9052]

I've tuned to re entrant , it works fine , at 74 its easier for me.