Getting to Know the Baritone Uke

The 20BM, baritone ukulele is a unique addition to the Córdoba ukulele line. Not quite as big as a 1/8 size guitar, but much bigger than the tenor ukulele, we thought an intro to this cool instrument was in order. The “bari uke” is one of the most approachable instruments for beginners. Its size and tuning also makes it an easy crossover instrument for a guitar player at any skill level. Perfect for a traveling musician, the baritone ukulele is a portable and lightweight alternative to a guitar and its longer scale length offers the most flexibility and chord selection when compared to other ukulele sizes.

The 4-string baritone uke is tuned to D-G-B-E (same as the top four strings of a guitar’s standard tuning). As the name suggests, this size of the ukulele offers the strongest, most booming sound, while still maintaining a lightness that is characteristic of the ukulele family. We prefer the standard D-G-B-E (tuned from low to high tones), but you may tune your baritone ukulele up to G-C-E-A (similar to a soprano, concert or tenor uke) for a more uke sound. To achieve this, make sure you’re using baritone uke strings that are made specifically to accommodate this higher tuning.