Nothin’ But a ‘G’ Thing—Pro Ukers Sound Off on Low-G vs. High-G Tuning
BY STEVEN ESPANIOLA | FROM THE SPRING 2025 ISSUE OF UKULELE MAGAZINE
Coke versus Pepsi. Edison vs. Tesla. Team Jacob vs. Team Edward. There have been many epic rivalries throughout modern history, but perhaps none greater than the ukulele rivalry that is low-G vs. high-G tuning, aka linear vs. reentrant. The ukulele community is typically a friendly one and is as inclusive a group as you’ll find anywhere—except when you enter this discussion. It can be a very polarizing topic, and those players who find their preference typically latch onto their choice and can be quite vocal about why their G is the one and only “correct” G.
I interviewed a handful of professional uke players to get their take on which tuning they prefer and why. (Mahalo nui to all participants in this article for being so candid and honest with your answers.) And just for fun, I asked some of them about their particular string brand of choice. If you’re just starting out on your ukulele journey, you may find the information here helpful in nudging you to try one way or the other.
My goal for this article was to capture a wide range of artists representing a nice cross-section of playing styles and genres, including traditional Hawaiian, jazz, pop, and bluegrass. We may not be able to declare a clear winner, but we’ll certainly keep things G-rated and have fun trying. In the immortal words of Snoop Dogg, “it ain’t nuthin’ but a G thang, baby!”
My G Preference
My personal introduction to ukulele began in the Hawaii public school system as a kid. I jokingly tell people that I was “forced” to play ukulele in grade school. Some of my earliest recollections and connections with the instrument were through my grandmother, Lapaz Espaniola, and her beautiful 1960s koa concert Kamaka (high-G), which I now have. This was the uke I would noodle around and play on, trying to figure things out while making random sounds.
Later, as I became more proficient, I would start to experiment with the low G string, listening to artists like Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and Kahauanu Lake. As soon as I made that switch, I was hooked! This was back in the days when low G strings were offered only as a wound option, which made them overpower the other strings when you played amplified. Now, we have unwound low G strings, and I see no way of returning to reentrant. So, I guess you can say I’m a low-G guy.
I like hearing the bassy-ness of the low G when I strum. I feel it balances well sonically as a backdrop against the higher timbre of my falsetto singing voice. I also think my preference for hearing that low end comes from my background playing upright bass and slack-key guitar. My string brand of choice is PhD, made by friend and fellow ukulele player Jason Arimoto. To me, they bring out the natural voice of my ukuleles and offer great clarity—and I like the tension for both picking and strumming.
Danielle Anderson (Danielle Ate the Sandwich)
I’m on Team High-G! This choice comes partly from the instrument that raised me. The first ukulele I played was tuned high-G, and most of my original songs use fingerpicking patterns or melodies that sound best with the higher octave’s ability to add a fresh breath. My singing style is melodic and lilting, and the higher notes help me bring forward unexpected emotional moments. I do currently have a uke tuned low-G and I also love the baritone, so let it be known that I have a record of crossing the aisle to work with players from both sides.
Craig Chee
To me, high-G really is one of the most unique qualities of the ukulele. Coming from piano, cello, and guitar, it was neat to have something tuned so different. Most of the Hawaiian music I listened to at the time featured high-G players, so my ear was attuned to hearing those really tight voicings.
Matt Dahlberg
High-G all the way! It facilitates unique concepts such as campanella picking and ghost-note strumming that are unique to the mighty reentrant ukulele. For strings I use Jake’s set, D’Addario EJ65T. It’s the gold standard. Although I’ve also been really pleased with Uke Logic high tension strings.
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Ledward Kaapana
I love the low-G ’cause of the bass string. It’s good for my slack-key playing. Actually, I love both high and low. They both have their own sound. But you know, it doesn’t matter—I jus’ press ala-way down and ala-way up!
Walt Keale
Low-G! Mainly because of Uncle Moe [Keale] and Israel [Kamamakawiwo’ole]. It’s the only sound I really know. And with guitar in my background, I feel closer to that low root note. I love Worth strings, though I always wanted to throw on the red harp strings Bill [Griffin] used to put on his mandoleles.
Aaron Keim
I like high-G for soprano and concert for a traditional sound that is great for playing rhythm in a band. The reentrant tuning just sounds right for both the down- and up-strum. It also is the best setup for playing banjo and fiddle tunes. On baritone and tenor, I prefer the richer sound of the low-G (or low-D), especially if I am playing in a duo with Nicole [Keim]. I like playing bass runs and passing chords that benefit from the low string. We use our own mix of fluorocarbon plain strings and D’Addario wound strings.
Victoria Kolasinski (Jiggy with Viggy)
I would consider myself more of a high-G player. When I arrange songs using chord melody, I like to place notes on the open strings to help with transitions and chord jumps, and I use the high G string a lot for stuff like that. I do like low-G for that extra octave, of course, but I think high-G is able to capture and translate more of the sounds I hear in my head. Strings of choice are Uke Logics, both hard- and soft-tension fluorocarbon, as long as they’re the pink colored ones.
Abe Lagrimas, Jr.
I play high-G because it’s what I started on when I first learned to play ukulele. Initially approaching it as a jazz instrument, I realized early on that you can use the high G to play melodies and for making some very interesting and beautiful chord-melody arrangements. Campanella style is also a technique I use with the high G to play single-note lines while maintaining a lot of sustain, which results in a very legato sound. As an added bonus, I love the way certain chords sound when you play voicings that have a lot of “rub,” or dissonance, due to the closeness of the E, G, and A strings. For strings, I like Ko’olau Mahana for the first, second, and fourth strings, and a flat-wound Thomastik-Infeld for the third string.
Herb Ohta Jr.
Low-G. The instrument sounds fuller. I use my own Worth string set made of fluorocarbon (Worth Clear Fluorocarbon Signature).
Brittni Paiva
Low-G is the best! I love having the option of the lower notes for fingerstyle melodies or for adding more dimension into a funky strum. It’s also super old-school! My choice of string is the smooth-wound low-G Uke Logic tenor set.
Anthony Pfluke
I like low-G for the tonal range, and I like wound ones best for my bass octave. Although, I do like to play high-G occasionally to explore the different ideas it brings. I recently tried Uke Logic strings and they’re my favorite right now, but I also really like PhD strings.
Lenny San Jose (Ukulenny)
I love high-G tuning and the cool, quirky melodic possibilities when you have the G and A strings so close together. My reggae strumming style cuts through the mix more on high-G, especially when paired with the low end of my U-Bass. My strings are D’Addario.
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Taimane
I prefer two low Gs for my performance playing [Taimane plays a 5-string uke], but for recording, it depends on the song. I love high-G for the signature old-school ukulele sound, but sometimes one low G is nicer so it doesn’t overtake the other string sounds. And sometimes the calming baritone is what’s needed. It all depends on the song. I don’t have a preference on string brand at the moment. I’m experimenting, but find myself using D’Addario a lot.
Bryan Tolentino
I get five lower notes with low-G. I can run simple bass line/movement and “K. Lake” (Kahauanu Lake) chord voicings. But I get tighter harmony with high-G voicings for chord melody (although chord melody can be done on both), and I can run melody on the high G and A strings. I use low-G as my go-to, but I’ll play both and have recorded with both. I don’t discriminate! Whatever you choose, just do it well. As for strings in general, all my ukuleles have different sets on them according to what sound works best for each instrument. Every ukulele has certain strings that make it sound the best, which is subjective of course. If you have the time and resources, you just have to try different sets, strings, and gauges to make your ukulele sound the best.
It’s a Tie!
Well, there you have it: 14 different artists, not counting myself, with seven for high-G and seven for low-G. For kicks, I also ran an informal poll on social media, and as you might expect, the results were also split right down the middle. Some straddled the line saying they use both, but the outcome was pretty much even.
So, I guess we’ll never really know for certain which G is better. No matter which you prefer, though, one thing remains true: When you’re creating music, you’re essentially painting with sound. The ukulele is your brush, and strings are like subtle hue changes to the colors on your palette. In the end, it truly makes no difference if your G is high or low; the important thing is that those strings make beautiful music, because somewhere that music is making someone happy!
