A guitar has six strings: E A D G B E. A baritone ukulele has exactly the four highest of them: D G B E. Everything you’ve learned on these four strings sounds the same on guitar – same frets, same chord names.
Your chords on the guitar
On the guitar you fret the four high strings just as you’re used to. For a full sound you often add notes on the two low strings:
- G: just like on the baritone, plus the low E string at fret 3 and the A string at fret 2.
- C: just like on the baritone, plus the A string at fret 3. Don’t play the low E string.
- D, D7 and Dm: exactly like on the baritone. Don’t play the two low strings.
- Em: just like on the baritone, plus the A string at fret 2; the low E string rings open.
- Am: just like on the baritone, plus the open A string. Don’t play the low E string.
What’s new
- The neck is wider and longer, so your fingers have to stretch a little further.
- A steel-string acoustic guitar presses harder on your fingertips at first than the nylon strings of a baritone. A classical guitar has nylon strings and feels more familiar.
- Some chords need a barre: your index finger presses several strings at once. You may already know that from F on the baritone.