How to tune a ukulele: GCEA, high-G vs low-G and why new strings slip

TUREFF• •0

An out-of-tune ukulele makes every chord sound wrong, and it is the most common reason beginners think they are playing badly when they are not. Tuning takes a minute once you know the pattern.

Standard tuning: G C E A

On soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles, the strings are tuned G, C, E, A. Holding the ukulele in playing position, the string nearest your chin is the G (the fourth string) and the one nearest the floor is the A (the first string). The unusual part is that G string. In standard tuning it is a high G, pitched higher than the C next to it. This is called re-entrant tuning: instead of the strings running from low to high, the pitch drops back down and then climbs again. It is why the open strings sound so bright and why the ukulele has the sound it does. The old memory aid "my dog has fleas" follows the four open strings from G to A.

High-G or low-G?

High-G is the standard. Every beginner chord chart, tutorial and songbook assumes it.
Low-G uses a thicker string tuned an octave lower, giving the instrument a deeper range that some players like for fingerpicking and solo arrangements. You cannot simply tune a high-G string down: it needs its own low-G string. Chord shapes stay exactly the same; only the sound changes.

Start with high-G and try low-G later if you are curious.

Baritone ukuleles are different

The baritone is usually tuned D, G, B, E, the same as the top four strings of a guitar. That means a chord shape on a baritone has a different name from the same shape on a smaller ukulele. If you are following lessons written for GCEA, make sure the instrument you have matches.

Ways to tune

Clip-on tuner: it clips to the headstock and reads the vibration of the wood, so it works in a noisy room. The easiest option for most people.
Tuning app: uses your phone's microphone. Fine in a quiet room, less reliable with background noise. Make sure it is set to ukulele and to the right tuning.
By ear from a reference note: tune one string to a piano or recorded note, then tune the others relative to it.

Tuning relative to one string

Once the A string is right, you can tune the rest from it:

Press the E string at the 5th fret: it should match the open A.
Press the C string at the 4th fret: it should match the open E.
Press the G string at the 2nd fret: it should match the open A (in high-G tuning).

This is useful when your battery dies, and it trains your ear.

Tune up to the note

If a string is sharp (too high), loosen it to below the note and then bring it back up. Tuning up to pitch leaves the string held firmly against the tuner, so it is less likely to slip flat while you play. Check the tuning after a couple of minutes of playing too. Strings settle, and a ukulele that was right when you started may drift.

Why new strings will not stay in tune

Nylon and fluorocarbon strings stretch a lot when they are new. For the first few days, a fresh set will go flat again and again, sometimes within minutes. This is normal. To speed things up:

Tune the string to pitch, then gently pull it away from the fretboard along its length, a little at a time.
Retune and repeat several times.
Play normally and retune often; within a few days the strings settle.

Do not yank the strings hard or near the saddle, and never tune a string far above its note to stretch it faster; that is how strings snap.

When it still sounds wrong

If open strings are in tune but chords higher up the neck sound off, the problem may be intonation or string height, not tuning. A music shop can check the setup. Ask your tuning questions, or share the trick that finally made it click for you, in the comments.