Guides
How to tune a ukulele
The standard G C E A tuning, why the G string sounds higher than you expect, and how to tune by tuner or by ear. Plus low G, baritone and the old D tuning.
In short
- Soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles use G C E A: G4 C4 E4 A4, with the G string tuned high (re-entrant).
- Tune one string at a time with a chromatic tuner, finishing each string by tuning up to the note.
- New nylon or fluorocarbon strings stretch for a week; expect to retune often at first.
On this page
Standard ukulele tuning: G C E A
Hold the ukulele in playing position. The string closest to your face is the G (string 4), then C, E and A, the one closest to the floor (string 1). Read from top to bottom, that is G C E A.
| String | Note | Pitch | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | G | G4 | 392.00 Hz |
| 3 | C | C4 | 261.63 Hz |
| 2 | E | E4 | 329.63 Hz |
| 1 | A | A4 | 440.00 Hz |
The surprise for guitar players is the G string. It is not the lowest note: G4 sits above C4 and E4, between E and A. This is called re-entrant tuning, because the pitch goes down from G to C and then climbs again. It gives the ukulele its bright, close-voiced strum, and it is why the thickest-looking string is often not the lowest-sounding one.
Tuning with an online tuner
- Open the tuner, tap Start and allow the microphone. Hold the ukulele close; it is quieter than a guitar.
- Pluck the G string with the side of your thumb and let it ring. The tuner should show G; if it shows F♯ or G♯, you are a semitone away.
- Left of centre is flat: tighten. Right of centre is sharp: loosen past the note, then come back up to it.
- Repeat for C, E and A.
- Go round all four strings once more. Ukulele necks are short and light, so changing one string moves the others more than on a guitar.
A tuner works in octaves: it shows G whether you are at G3 or G4. With re-entrant tuning that matters only if you have put a low-G string on by mistake; if the thick G string sounds below the C string, check which string set you have before tightening it an octave, which would snap it.
Soprano, concert, tenor and baritone
Ukuleles come in four common sizes. The three smaller ones share a tuning; the baritone is a different instrument as far as chord shapes go.
| Size | Usual tuning | Strings 4 → 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Soprano (about 53 cm) | G C E A, high G | G4 C4 E4 A4 |
| Concert (about 58 cm) | G C E A, high G | G4 C4 E4 A4 |
| Tenor (about 66 cm) | G C E A, high or low G | G4 C4 E4 A4 · G3 C4 E4 A4 |
| Baritone (about 76 cm) | D G B E | D3 G3 B3 E4 |
Low G (linear tuning)
Low-G tuning drops the G string an octave to G3, so the strings run from low to high like a guitar. It gives a fuller bass and lets fingerstyle players play melodies below middle C. It needs a thicker (often wound) G string; do not try to tune a standard G string an octave down, it will be too slack to play. Chord shapes are the same as in high-G tuning, so every ukulele chord chart still works.
Baritone ukulele: D G B E
The baritone is tuned like the four highest strings of a guitar: D3 G3 B3 E4. Shapes carry over from the guitar, not from other ukuleles: the shape you know as C on a soprano ukulele produces a G on a baritone.
D tuning (A D F♯ B)
Older songbooks and some sopranos use D tuning, a whole tone above G C E A. Shapes stay the same, but every chord sounds two semitones higher. If an old chord book sounds wrong against a recording, this is the likely reason.
Tuning by ear
Get one string right from a reference first, ideally A from a tuner’s reference tone or a piano. Then tune the others relative to it, listening for the wobble (beating) to disappear as the two notes match.
- Tune the open C string. Press it at the 4th fret: that is E. Tune the open E string to it.
- Press the E string at the 5th fret: that is A. Tune the open A string to it.
- Press the E string at the 3rd fret: that is G, the same pitch as the high G string. Tune the open G string to it. (With low G, the open G is an octave below this note.)
If you start from A instead, work backwards: the 5th fret of E must match open A, then the 4th fret of C must match open E.
Why new ukulele strings keep going flat
Nylon and fluorocarbon strings stretch far more than steel. A freshly strung ukulele can drop a semitone in an hour. This is normal and it settles.
- Tune up to pitch, then gently pull each string away from the fretboard along its length and retune. Repeat until it stops dropping.
- Some players tune a semitone sharp overnight for the first two days to speed up the stretch. Bring it back to pitch before playing.
- Expect the strings to be stable after about a week of regular playing.
- Friction pegs (common on cheap sopranos) slip if the screw at the end is too loose; a quarter turn of that screw usually fixes it.
Check the tuning with chords
A tuner gets each string right; chords tell you whether the instrument sounds right where you play. Strum these four. If open strings are in tune but chords sound sour, you may be pressing too hard, which bends the string sharp.
More shapes, with sound, are in the ukulele chord library. If you have never read a chord box before, start with how to read chord diagrams.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of a ukulele?
In standard tuning, G C E A: G4, C4, E4 and A4, from the string nearest your face to the one nearest the floor. Baritone ukuleles use D G B E instead.
Why is the G string higher than the C string?
That is re-entrant tuning, the traditional ukulele sound. The high G keeps the chords bright and close together. Low-G tuning puts G below C for a fuller bass, with a thicker string.
Can I use a guitar tuner for a ukulele?
Yes, if it is chromatic: it shows every note, so G, C, E and A are all there. A guitar-only mode that expects E A D G B E will not work.
Are soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles tuned the same?
Yes, all three use G C E A, and tenors are often strung with low G. The baritone is tuned D G B E, like the top four strings of a guitar.
Why does my ukulele go out of tune so fast?
Almost always new strings. Nylon stretches for several days. Keep retuning and stretching the strings gently; after a week they hold their pitch.