Have you been wanting to try something new and spice up your ukulele collection? You have plenty of six string ukuleles to choose from! Did you know you have different options? You can choose between a Guitarlele or a traditional ukulele that has a couple of extra strings on it.
Keep reading and I’ll explain the differences below! By the end of this article, you will be able to make an informed decision on which ukulele you might want to add to your collection!
The Guitarlele
A guitarlele (also known as a guitalele or guilele), has six strings equally spaced apart. They are tuned to ADGCEA. It has the same intervals as a guitar but it’s as if there is a capo on the fifth fret of the guitar. Cool, right? It actually does sound very cool! I’ve played one of these fine instruments and it is very unique. It is more closely related to a ukulele than a guitar, but everyone will have differing opinions on that! It’s really its own instrument in its own class.
Terry Carter dives into an explanation of the Kala KA-GL Guitarlele here. You can hear what it sounds like and get a feel for the creativity you can have with it. It has a nice low end because of the two low strings, yet has that traditional ukulele sound, too. This particular model has a nice two inch wide neck which should be plenty of room for your fingers.
Because the Guitarlele has two extra strings, you will need to learn different chord shapes in order to play it. They are similar to guitar chords so if you are a guitar player, you will see some similarities.
Read more: Can the Ukulele Be Self-Taught?
The Guitarlele Course
You might be thinking that it would be hard to learn how to play the Guitarlele since there aren’t as many resources for it as a traditional ukulele, but have no fear! Terry Carter has a great course, just for the guitarlele. In fact, he has designed two courses! The first course is a basic guitarlele course for both guitar and ukulele players.
So no matter what instrument you’re coming from, he will break down everything you need to know to play the guitarlele. And because the Blues sound so cool on a guitarlele, he has even designed a Blues course. You can find these great courses at ukelikethepros.com.
The Other Six String Ukulele
You might wonder what the point of having two more strings on a ukulele is. Simply put, it offers more unique sound variety. You will play it the same as a traditional four string ukulele and won’t need to learn any new chord shapes. It is tuned to GCCEAA. Yes, that’s right, you will have two strings that are tuned to C and two strings that are tuned to A but the key difference is that they are an octave apart. And you will only need one finger to press down the doubled-up strings since they are so close together.
The six string ukulele can be another great option for someone looking for a fuller, more robust sound from their ukulele. Just remember that with both the guitarlele and the more traditional six string ukulele, you will need to take a couple of extra minutes to tune the other two strings. If you would like to hear what this ukulele sounds like, check this out:
Conclusion
If you haven’t tried playing a guitarlele yet, now may be a good time if you want to add that extra spice to your ukulele world. If you’re feeling bored with your ukulele sound, try the other six string ukulele that has the repeated cords an octave apart. If you have any questions or want to check out others’ experiences with these instruments, check out the Community Forum on ukelikethepros.com. You can also check out the great membership packages, available in monthly and yearly subscriptions.
