Ukulele tuner
Standard G C E A with the high G. Tap Start tuner and play a string, or tune by ear with the reference notes.
Play a string
Tune with your microphone
We listen through your microphone to hear the pitch. Audio stays on this device: nothing is recorded or sent.
Allow the microphone
Your browser is asking for permission. Choose “Allow” in its prompt and the tuner starts listening.
The microphone is blocked
The browser did not let the tuner hear you. You can allow it again in a few taps, or tune by ear with the reference notes.
Chrome or Edge on a computer
Click the icon to the left of the address bar (a slider or a padlock), switch Microphone to Allow, then reload the page.
Safari on a Mac
Open Safari › Settings for This Website (or Safari › Settings › Websites › Microphone), set this site to Allow, then reload.
iPhone or iPad
Open Settings › Safari › Microphone and choose Ask or Allow. In Chrome for iOS: Settings › Chrome › Microphone. Then come back and tap Try again.
Android
Tap the icon next to the address, open Permissions and allow Microphone. If it is still blocked, open Android Settings › Apps › Chrome › Permissions › Microphone.
Firefox
Click the microphone icon with a slash in the address bar, remove the block for this site, then reload the page.
No microphone found
Plug in a headset or use a phone or laptop with a built-in microphone. Until then, the reference notes let you tune by ear.
Another app is using the microphone
Close the call, recorder or other tab that holds the microphone, then try again.
The microphone needs a secure page
Browsers only open the microphone on https pages. Open this page via https to use the tuner.
All strings in tune. Happy playing!
Reference notes
Tap a note, play the same string and turn the peg until the two sounds stop “beating” against each other.
Ukulele tuning: notes and frequencies
Soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles are normally tuned G C E A, and the G is the special one: it is tuned higher than the C next to it (G4 at 392 Hz above C4 at 261.63 Hz). This “re-entrant” tuning gives the ukulele its bright, close-voiced strum. The C is the lowest string, the E sits at 329.63 Hz and the A, the thinnest string, at 440 Hz, the same A that orchestras tune to. A low-G set replaces the high G with one an octave lower, and the baritone ukulele uses D G B E, like the top four strings of a guitar.
| String | Note | Frequency (Hz) | MIDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | G₄ | 392.00 | 67 |
| 3 | C₄ | 261.63 | 60 |
| 2 | E₄ | 329.63 | 64 |
| 1 | A₄ | 440.00 | 69 |
Frequencies in equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz. If you calibrate A4, the tuner shifts every target with it.
How to tune a ukulele, string by string
- Hold the ukulele as you play it. The string nearest your face is the 4th (G), then C, E and the 1st string, A, nearest the floor.
- Start with the A string (440 Hz): it is the easiest note to check against any other instrument. Then tune the E (329.63 Hz).
- Tune the C (261.63 Hz), the lowest string in standard tuning even though it sits in the middle.
- Tune the G. In standard tuning the target is G4 (392 Hz), the higher G; if your ukulele has a thick wound G string, choose Low G above so the tuner expects G3.
- Strum a C major chord (just the 3rd fret on the A string). It should ring sweetly; if not, run through the four strings once more.
Tips for the ukulele
- Nylon and fluorocarbon strings stretch a lot. A new set can need retuning every few minutes for the first days; that is normal.
- If the tuner reads the G as G3 instead of G4, do not tighten it an octave up: check that you selected the right tuning (standard or low G).
- Friction pegs slip if turned too freely. Turn in small steps and tighten the screw on the end of the peg slightly if it will not hold.
- Ukuleles are quiet; hold the phone 20 to 30 cm in front of the sound hole and keep the room quiet while tuning.
Other ukulele tunings
Low G gives a fuller bass line for fingerstyle; baritone is a larger ukulele tuned like the top of a guitar. Each page shows the notes and opens the tuner set to that tuning.
If the tuner does not react
- Nothing happens after Start: look for the browser’s permission prompt (top of the screen on a computer, bottom on Android) and choose Allow.
- The note jumps around: play one string at a time, let the others ring out or mute them, and pluck a little harder.
- It shows the right note an octave off: that is the second harmonic. Pluck over the neck rather than at the bridge, and wait half a second.
- Blocked by mistake? The panel that appears tells you how to allow the microphone in your browser.
Questions and answers
Why is the G string higher than the C string?
That is re-entrant tuning, the traditional way to tune a ukulele. It keeps all four strings within a narrow range so chords sound bright and close together, which is the classic ukulele sound.
Can I tune a ukulele with a guitar tuner?
Yes in Chromatic mode, but the Ukulele setting is easier: it knows the four target notes, including the high G, and shows you which string you are playing.
Is a tenor ukulele tuned differently from a soprano?
No. Soprano, concert and tenor all use G C E A. Some tenor players use a low G string. Only the baritone uses a different tuning, D G B E.
Is my audio recorded or sent anywhere?
No. The sound from the microphone is analysed in your browser, a few thousandths of a second at a time, and thrown away. Nothing is recorded, stored or uploaded. The microphone switches off when you tap Stop, when you leave the page and after two minutes of silence.