Ukulele Tuning

.

This is one of the easiest, yet most important skills, you need to learn. If you don't/can't do this then it turns out to be really bad for your listeners and you'll get quickly disheartened.

Different ukuleles will hold their tuning better than others and new strings will always stretch more and go out of tune quickly so it's always worth tuning up before playing, or even part way through it something sounds a little hinky.



GCEA is the most common tuning for soprano, concert and tenor ukes and is also known as "C tuning". In the picture above, you see the notes of each string. The top string or fourth string of the ukulele is tuned to a G. The third string is tuned to a C. The second string is tuned to an E. The bottom, or first string, is tuned to an A.

It’s worth noting that the G string is commonly tuned to the G note above the C and E strings (reentrant/high 4th tuning). If you’re used to playing guitar, the pitch of the strings on the ukulele don’t always go from lowest to highest. This tuning gives you the most even tone because the strings are kept in a smaller range, which makes it a very popular tuning for the smaller soprano uke. 

How To Tune Your Uke

There are two ways you can tune your ukulele: by ear or by using a chromatic tuner. I recommend using a chromatic tuner. Although some people have an extraordinary sense of pitch, a chromatic tuner will always give you the most accurate tuning no matter what. A chromatic tuner is a device that automatically detects the pitch of your strings and gives you a reading so you can adjust your tuning to the right spot.The majority that you'll find in the shops clip onto the head and quite simply indicate what note your string is tuned to, at which point you just twist the tuners to alter and fine tune.

What to do when you have no tuner

If all else fails and you are out and about without a tuner then take a tip from good 'ol Ukulele Mike.