13 ways to tune a ukulele? Online Ukulele Tuner with 13 tuning types
Before you start any ukulele play session, it is important that your ukulele is fully tuned up. Therefore, you need to know how to tune a ukulele. This will ensure that your music sounds brilliant. Honestly, most of the time people complain that they do not enjoy playing the ukulele. It is down to the fact that it is not tuned properly. Thankfully, getting that instrument into tune is not that difficult.
Uke tune is an advanced online ukulele tuner to help you keep your ukulele always in tune without the need of an electronic tuner. By default, this online ukulele tuner is using standard ukulele tuning G C E A, and supports 13 tunings — standard ukulele tunings and most popular alternate ukulele tuning types as well.
Ukulele tuning types are identified starting with the top string (the fourth string), which is nearest your head. The groups of letters included in a particular ukulele tuning indicate the pitch to which each string is tuned. You can read more about different ukulele tuning types below.
Common ukulele tunings
Standard Ukulele Tuning is gCEA and is the most common ukulele tuning. Note, that the top G string is actually higher than the C string below it. This is known as re-entrant tuning, or also “High G on top.” or just High G tuning. It’s also known as GCEA tuning and Standard C tuning. Many players who came to the ukulele from the guitar prefer Low G tuning, however. Most soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles will be tuned to standard ukulele tuning or re-entrant ukulele tuning.
Low G tuning — for fuller and deeper sound of your ukulele. Low G is the same as the Standard G-C-E-A, tuning except the G-string which is tuned an octave down. However, if you want to tune your ukulele to low G tuning, you need a special low G string set for your ukulele.
Baritone Ukulele Tuning is D3-G3-B3-E4. Baritone ukulele is, in fact, tuned the same as the four highest guitar strings. The result is a nice and deep sound. The problem, however, is that the sound is not going to be as crisp and as bright as some of the other uke tunings. The baritone can be alternatively re-entrant tuned to G-C-E-A.
High D Baritone Tuning. The baritone can be alternatively tuned with the D string an octave higher than non-re-entrant tuning. High-D baritone ukulele tuning requires a different D-string.
Alternate ukulele tunings
You do not need to know what these are right now (if you are new), but it is probably worth thinking about them ‘just in case’ you continue to learn the instrument. These tunings are always taken from the top string down to the bottom while you are holding the ukulele.
Low G ukulele tuning: Same as the standard ukulele tuning g, C, E, A but g-string is tuned down an octave.
Slack-key tuning: G, C, E, G
English Tuning: A, D F#, B. You may also find that this type of tuning is referred to as D tuning.
Canadian tuning: low A, D F#, B. This is the same as the English tuning, but you put the A lower than the D and F#.
High D Baritone Ukulele Tuning: Same as Baritone tuning D, G, B, E, but D string an octave higher.
Slide Ukulele Tuning: Slide tuning is G, C, E, A#. When strummed open, you will hear C7 chord.
Half Step Down Ukulele Tuning from Standard ukulele tuning. Just drop the pitch of each string down to the next note so your strings become F#–B–D#–G#.
Full Step Down Ukulele Tuning: A full step down from standard ukulele tuning. Just drop the pitch of each string a whole step lower so your strings become F–A#–D–G.
Half step up ukulele tuning: In order to tune your ukulele half step up from Standard G–C–E–A ukulele tuning, just change the pitch of each string up to the next note so your strings become G#–C#–F–A#
Full step up ukulele tuning: In order to tune your ukulele full step up from Standard ukulele tuning, just change the pitch of each string a whole step higher so they become (A D F# B) .