Ukulele Pegs

Ukuleles – or ukes – have become extremely popular due to the fun tunes that can be played with them. Even though they are string instruments, just like guitars and violins, ukuleles have a very particular sound to them. They were first manufactured in Hawaii the 1880s, but gained a lot of recognition around 1915. Nowadays, the ukulele is being played all over the United States and the world. Even though the ukulele seems easy to play, it’s highly important to tune them to the right key in order for them to play pleasant music. The correct way to tune them is by turning the ukulele pegs. Every time the peg or knob is turned, the string is tightened or loosened.

Tuning Your Ukulele

Ukuleles are pretty much like guitars: in order to play the instrument right, the strings need to be tight enough to play the correct notes. Depending on the type of ukulele you have, there are different keys that need to be tuned. For example, the baritone ukulele is usually tuned to key G and the soprano to key C.In order to tune your instrument, it’s important that you know how to manipulate the ukulele pegs. These pegs will pull the strings, and therefore, they will bring them to the right key. The entire tuning process can be quite a difficult task if you’re a beginner. However, you shouldn’t be discouraged by this because after you practice, you will be able to master it.

Types of Tuning Pegs

There are different types of ukulele pegs. When the first ukulele was built, it included a tuning peg made of wood. It was used to pull the strings, but as time went by, the pegs started to break. This is what led ukulele manufacturers to try to improve the tuning pegs. Today, you will find different types of tuning pegs, even though not all of them are readily available. The following are the types of ukulele pegs:

  • Wood pegs –original tuning pegs, which were included in the first acoustic ukulele
  • Friction pegs –the first friction pegs are referred to as vintage. The friction created by the pegs is what helped the ukulele get tuned. However, they were made with plastic that eventually broke. This made manufacturers create a modern type of friction ukulele pegs; they were made with bigger shafts and don’t rely solely on the friction.
  • Geared pegs – they can be open or sealed and they require a recess on the upper section of the headstock.

Different Types of Ukuleles

Certainly, you are aware that there are acoustic ukuleles and electric ukuleles. Regardless of the type, all of them are built with ukulele pegs. This is because they need to be tuned properly before being played. There are different types of acoustic ukuleles, which are:

  • Soprano – these are the original ukuleles, which were made with wood ukulele pegs. They are small and easy to carry.
  • Concert –they are a bit bigger and can sound louder.
  • Tenor –using the ukulele pegs, the tenor ukuleles are tuned to key of C.
  • Baritone–the largest of all the ukuleles and it’s tuned to the key of G.

 

 

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