The Bridge to Guitar
The baritone ukulele is the largest of the four standard ukulele sizes, created in the 1940s. At 30 inches (76 cm), it produces a deep, warm tone that sounds more like a small classical guitar than a traditional ukulele.
What truly sets the baritone apart is its tuning: D-G-B-E, identical to the top four strings of a standard guitar. This makes the baritone an excellent choice for guitarists who want to explore the ukulele family without learning new chord shapes.
A Different Voice
The baritone's sound is distinctly different from its smaller siblings. It lacks the bright, trebly "plinkiness" associated with traditional ukuleles, instead offering warm, mellow tones with pronounced bass and excellent sustain.
This makes the baritone particularly suited for jazz, folk, and finger-style playing where a warmer, more guitar-like voice is desired. It excels at accompaniment for vocals and blends beautifully in ensemble settings.
Guitar-Friendly Tuning
The D-G-B-E tuning means guitarists can use all their existing chord knowledge immediately. Every chord shape they know on the top four guitar strings works identically on the baritone ukulele.
- Tuned D-G-B-E (same as guitar's top 4 strings)
- All guitar chord shapes transfer directly
- Warmest, deepest tone of all ukulele sizes
- Most frets and longest scale length
- Perfect for jazz and fingerstyle
- Great for accompanying vocals
- Ideal for guitar-to-ukulele transition
Considerations
Because of its different tuning, baritone music and chord charts are typically separate from those written for soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles. If you learn ukulele on a baritone, you'll need to transpose or relearn chord shapes to play standard ukulele material.
The baritone is also larger and heavier, making it less portable than its smaller counterparts. However, for home playing, recording, or situations where its rich voice can shine, it's an exceptional instrument.