For ukulele players curious about expanding into the world of guitars, the four-string tenor guitar offers a fascinating and surprisingly natural next step. Deeply rooted in the history of traditional jazz, the tenor guitar once played an important role in early rhythm sections, though today it’s rarely seen or heard. This is a deep dive into “Chicago tuning” (DGBE)- exploring the tuning theory behind the instrument opens up new ways of understanding why this transition is such a fantastic choice — all while keeping the approachable simplicity that draws so many people to the ukulele in the first place. Join me in rediscovering this overlooked instrument and why it may be one of the best choices for trad jazz music.
