Baritone Ukulele
The baritone ukulele is the biggest standard ukulele. Besides being the biggest, it is also the youngest model as it was created in the 1940s. The origins of this ukulele model are pretty vague. Also, it is not completely clear who the actual designer is. The typical length of the baritone ukulele is 29 inches, with the 19 inches scale. Due to its bigger body, it is louder than the other ukuleles.
Most Common Ukulele Wood Types
Mahogany
Mahogany is, practically, reserved for medium-priced ukuleles. This type of wood offers almost the same level of durability, but it provides better acoustics and resonance. This means that Mahogany ukuleles have a fuller sound characterized with less buzz and extra brightness.
Ukuleles made of this material are generally treated as good in terms of quality, although even some of the more expensive models are often made from it. Mahogany works great when combined with rosewood or maple materials.
Plywood/Laminate
Plywood and laminate are commonly used in the construction of the cheapest quality ukuleles. These materials are moderately durable, but they provide horrible acoustics, hence ukuleles made from such materials don’t sound too good.
In most cases you’ll see a combination of laminate (or plywood) and other tonewoods, such as, for example spruce. Most brands that look to cut the construction cost use plywood or laminate materials as base and look to compensate for the bad sound with better tonewoods (spruce, rosewood, or such).
Koa
Koa is the type of wood used to make traditional ukuleles – the original inventors of this instrument used this material, so it’s only normal that this is the best type of wood available.
Koa is as sturdy as can be and provides the highest level of acoustics and resonance. If you spot a Koa ukulele, it means that you’ve found a model that’s worth considering, to say the very least. Note that these ukuleles often cost quite a lot.
Types of Ukulele Tunings
Standard G tuning – G-C-E-A
The standard ukulele tuning (or standard G) is, well, the most common ukulele tuning. It’s commonly used for Sopranos, Concert ukuleles, and Tenor ukuleles, but alternative tunings are possible for each one.
Soprano alternate tuning – A-D-F#-B
- Concert alternate tuning – G-C-E-A
- Tenor alternate tuning – D-G-B-E
These “alternate” tunings can be used to play different songs by fretting the notes differently. The “alternate” tunings correspond to “guitar alternate” tunings (open tunings, dropped tunings, and such).
Ukulele D tuning – D-G-B-E
The only ukulele type that uses a different tuning from the common G is Baritone ukulele. Apart from being the biggest of the four types, Baritone uses a guitar-like tuning called “Standard D” tuning which goes by D-G-B-E.
The alternate tuning for baritone ukulele type is C-G-B-E. That means that you’ll only have to drop the D string by two semitones – the rest remain the same.
Common Ukulele Chords
G chord
The G chord is, perhaps, the easiest chord you can play on ukulele apart from the C chord. It’s to be fretted like this – put your finger in a bar chord (just place it across the entire fret) over the second fret on D, G, and B strings while fretting the G string on the third fret.
C chord
C chord is, without any doubt, even easier to play than the G chord. Simply fret the lowest strings openly and hold the “C” note which is located on the third fret of the last string. Even though it’s a sort of an “open chord”, it got the name after the only fretted note – C.
D chord
D chord is relatively easy to grasp. Place your fingers in a bar chord across the last three strings and fret the first one openly. The D chord got its name after the second fretted note, as it’s the root note around which the notes A and F# accompany it, making it sound a bit fuller.
Em chord
E minor is one of the most melodious, gloomy chords in both ukulele and guitar worlds. Fret the B note (second fret on the last string), the G note (third fret on the B string), and the E note (fourth fret on the G string).
Baritone Ukulele 30 inch Uke Mahogany With DGBE String Strap Ukulele picks From Kmise.
- Gorgeous Looks: KMU30B baritone ukulele is part of Kmise’s mahogany series, providing you with stunning looks. One look at its beautiful figured mahogany top, back, and sides, it a special uke.
- Stable Tuning: This baritone ukulele come with a set of 18:1 high-quality tuners, so you know this uke is working well to stay in tune. Pick up this amazing uke and enjoy a quality playing experience!
- Premium Strings: The high-quality strings of this baritone ukulele produces is further proof of Kmise’s quality workmanship. It strung with premium metallic & nylon strings, offer you lush and warm sound
- Adjustable truss rod: Kmise baritone ukulele installed adjustable truss rod, the player can adjust the action according to their need. Rare ukuleles have such feature so this baritone uke worthwhile to own
- Play Comfortably: Baritone ukulele is bigger than other size ukuleles, so we design the smooth fretboard and neat fretwire more carefully, also lower the action so you can play it safer without buzzing.
Product description
Size:Baritone | Color:AcousticKmise KMU30B Acoustic Baritone Ukulele Features:
Natural Finish
Mahogany Body
20 Silver-nickel Frets
Walnut Fingerboard and Bridge
Okoume Neck
18:1 Sealed Geared Tuners
Premium Metallic & Nylon Strings
Tech Specs
Size: Baritone
Number of Strings:4
Color: Natural
Finish: Satin
Top Material: Mahogany
Back & Sides Material: Mahogany
Neck Material: Okoume
Fingerboard Material: Walnut
Fingerboard Inlay: Dots
Number of Frets:20
Scale Length:20.25″
Tuners:18:1 Sealed Gear tuners
Nut Material: Bone
Nut Width:1.5″
Strings: Premium Metallic & Nylon Strings
Overall Length:30″
Body Length:14″
Upper Bout Width:7.7″
Lower Bout Width:10.23″
Waist Width:6.7″
Body Depth:3.21″
Manufacturer Part Number: KMU30B
Caramel CB103 30 Inch High Gloss Zebra Wood Baritone Acoustic-Electric Ukulele With Truss Rod.
Product description
Specifications:
Model NO: CB103
Baritone size
Zebrawood body
Mirror polished by hand
Walnut fretboard/bridge
Buffalo bone nut & saddle
18 frets
Closed geared tuners
Aquila string
A Truss rod is embedded in the neck for the neck adjustment
***Tighten the truss rod adjusting nut to straighten a neck that has an up-bow. Loosen the nut if the neck is back-bowed.
Size:
51CM Scale length
76CM Overall body length
8CM Body depth
3.9CM At Nut
Electronics:
3 Band EQ controls: Bass, Middel, Treble
Chromatic tuner with LCD color display
Low battery indicator
Power supply : 3V (CR2032)X2 (not included)
- Zebrawood body
- Mirror polished by hand
- A Truss rod is embedded in the neck for the neck adjustment
- 3 Band EQ built-in tuner
- Walnut fretboard & bridge
Soprano Ukulele History
It’s quite peculiar that Soprano is the center point in this musical family – only one ukulele type is smaller from it, whereas there’s a bunch of larger ukulele types, including Concert, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, and Contrabass ukulele.
We should consult with history on this one if we are to find a proper answer.
Namely, one of the first ukuleles that appeared in print can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Catalogue of the Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments of All Nations – The year 1907.
You could easily see in this catalog that one of the two ukes bears much semblance to modern Soprano ukuleles.
It was made popular in Hawaii by King Kalakaua whose support and invaluable promotion of this fine instrument earned ukulele’s place in the musical history books.
Other parts of the world have contributed too. For instance, Canada’s Chalmers Doane – a Canadian educator has brought ukuleles on the scene by using this instrument to teach musical literacy.
His main drive was ukulele’s affordability and practicality, meaning that people could take it up as a hobby easier than a guitar, per se.
Approximately 50,000 children and adults had learned to play the ukulele by following Doane’s program.
Soprano Ukulele History
It’s quite peculiar that Soprano is the center point in this musical family – only one ukulele type is smaller from it, whereas there’s a bunch of larger uke types, including Concert, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, and Contrabass ukulele.
We should consult with history on this one if we are to find a proper answer.
Namely, one of the first ukes that appeared in print can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Catalogue of the Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments of All Nations – The year 1907.
You could easily see in this catalog that one of the two ukes bears much semblance to modern Soprano ukuleles.
It was made popular in Hawaii by King Kalakaua whose support and invaluable promotion of this fine instrument earned ukulele’s place in the musical history books.
Other parts of the world have contributed too. For instance, Canada’s Chalmers Doane – a Canadian educator has brought ukuleles on the scene by using this instrument to teach musical literacy.
His main drive was ukulele’s affordability and practicality, meaning that people could take it up as a hobby easier than a guitar, per se.
Approximately 50,000 children and adults had learned to play the ukulele.
It’s quite peculiar that Soprano is the center point in this musical family – only one ukulele type is smaller from it, whereas there’s a bunch of larger uke types, including Concert, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, and Contrabass ukulele.
We should consult with history on this one if we are to find a proper answer.
Namely, one of the first ukes that appeared in print can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Catalogue of the Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments of All Nations – The year 1907.
You could easily see in this catalog that one of the two ukuleles bears much semblance to modern Soprano ukuleles.
It was made popular in Hawaii by King Kalakaua whose support and invaluable promotion of this fine instrument earned ukulele’s place in the musical history books.
Other parts of the world have contributed too. For instance, Canada’s Chalmers Doane – a Canadian educator has brought ukuleles on the scene by using this instrument to teach musical literacy.
His main drive was ukulele’s affordability and practicality, meaning that people could take it up as a hobby easier than a guitar, per se.
Approximately 50,000 children and adults had learned to play the ukulele by following Doane’s program.
look outside
There are a few good ukuleles in the $100 range, but you can almost be sure that a ukulele under $50 is not that good. The main issue you will have is that it won’t be able to stay in tune. I speak from experience. This is the most important one of all when you are serious about wanting to learn how to play the ukulele. I’ve bought a cheap soprano ukulele once and it couldn’t keep the E string in tune.
Learn how to hold the ukulele.
it can help you a lot in the future! try some positions either sitting and standing. When you are sitting, you can let the body of the ukulele rest on one of your legs and rest your strumming arm on the top of the ukulele. That way the ukulele neck should “float” in the air. When you are standing you can hold it against your chest and keep it there with your strumming arm. In my opinion, a strap is unnecessary and it just adds bulk to the ukulele. I had some trouble at the beginning, but nowadays I’m walking around the house with my ukulele. Small note.
First, learn the basics.
When looking on YouTube and other websites you will quickly learn that amazing things can be done with the ukulele, but like every skill in life, you’ll need to learn the basics first. Don’t try to play some big fancy tab when you are just starting. Start with the majors, minors, and then go on with other chords.
correct strumming makes the difference.
At the start, you’ll probably only be doing simple up and down, up and down, up and down. But after a while, you can try to add some slapping and palm muting to get that chunky, funky and groovy feeling.
Have fun.
The ukulele is a fun instrument. Some may call the ukulele a toy, so what, toys are fun to play with! But it isn’t a toy at all, it’s a true instrument and you can do wonderful things with it. Also, don’t make the mistake by thinking that it is an easy instrument, you will need to practice a lot to master it, but even when you only know the basics it is already so much fun!
ukulele types: soprano, concert, tenor, baritone, acoustic, bass, electric, guitarlele, resonator, banjolele.
body material: Mahogany, Maple, Acacia, Basswood, Plastic, Okoume, Zebrawood, Sapele, Mango, Bocote, Koa, Ebony, Polycarbonate, Walnut, Spruce, Rosewood, Okoume, Ovangkol.
ukulele brands: Alulu, Alvarez, Amati, Amigo, aNueNue, APC, Aquila, Aria Ashbury, Banjira, Black Diamond, Bridge, Bruce Wei, Bruno Brunswick, Bushman, caramel, Carlo Robelli, Cecilio, ClearWater Collings, Concertone, Cordoba, Countryman, D’Addario, Dean, Dean Guitars Deering, Dunlop, Ebony, Eddy Finn, eMedia, Epiphone, Favilla, Fender First Act, Fishman, Fluke, Giannini, Gibson, Godin, Gold Tone, Gretsch, Guardian, Harmony, HOHNERHORAIbanez Johnson Kahuna, Kala, Kamaka, Aloha, kay, Kent, Kohala, Kona, Kumalae L.R. Baggs Bella, LANIKAI, Leolani, LUNA, Lyon & Healy, MAHALO, Malani, Martin, Mitchell, Gear, Ohana, Oscar Schmidt, Ovation, Paramount, Peavey, Pono Pro-Tec, Rally, Recording King, Regal Road, Runner, Rogue, Roosebeck Rotosound, Saga, Samick, Savannah, Shadow, Silvertone Slingerland, Spectrum, SS Stewart, String, Swing, Tanglewood, Tempo TKL, Vox, Waverly, Weber, Weymann, Yamaha, Yinfente
Accessories: capo, case, strap, tuner, pick