Ukulele tuner

How to tune a ukulele with this tuner

1. Choose the tuning in the menu: Standard (high G) for most soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles, Low G, D Tuning or Baritone.
2. Press Start, allow microphone access, and hold the ukulele close to the microphone of your phone or computer.
3. Pluck string 4, the string closest to your face when you hold the ukulele to play, with the side of your thumb. With Detect String on, the tuner recognizes which string you played.
4. Turn the peg until the reading is centered. If the string is sharp, go a little below the note and tighten back up to it.
5. Tune the C, E and A strings in the same way, then play every string again in the final recheck.
6. With new strings, repeat the whole process several times a day for the first few days.

Ukulele string notes and frequencies

These are the target notes for the selected ukulele tuning, listed in the order the strings sit on the neck, from string 4 to string 1. Standard tuning is G4 C4 E4 A4.

Standard tuning and why it is re-entrant

Soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles share the same standard tuning, G4 C4 E4 A4. String 4 is tuned higher than string 3, so the pitch does not rise steadily across the strings. This is called a re-entrant tuning. The lowest note is the C on string 3, and the G on string 4 is pitched between the E on string 2 and the A on string 1. Re-entrant tuning gives the ukulele its bright, close-voiced strum.

The tuner shows octave numbers, so check them. High G is G4 and low G is G3. If your G string reads G3, you either have a low-G string fitted or the string is very slack. Never try to tighten a low-G string up to G4, because it will break.

Low G, D tuning and baritone

Low G tunes string 4 an octave lower, to G3, which gives the ukulele a fuller bass and a continuous range from low to high. It is most common on concert and tenor ukuleles. It needs a thicker low-G string, often a wound one, and the slot in the nut may need to be widened to fit it.

D tuning, also called traditional or Canadian tuning, is A4 D4 F♯4 B4. Every string is one whole step above standard, which gives a brighter sound and is used mostly on soprano ukuleles. It raises string tension, so make sure your strings are made for it before you tune up.

Baritone ukuleles are tuned D3 G3 B3 E4, the same notes as the four highest strings of a guitar. This tuning is not re-entrant, and guitar chord shapes work on it directly.

New ukulele strings stretch for days

Nylon and fluorocarbon strings stretch far more than steel guitar strings. A new set can keep going flat for several days and needs retuning every time you play. This is normal and does not mean the pegs are slipping.

To speed it up, tune each string to pitch, pull it gently away from the fretboard along its length, and tune again. Repeat this a few times and leave the ukulele in tune overnight. A new string can start far below its note, so turn Detect String off and tap the peg you are tuning until the string is close to pitch.