How to Tune a Ukulele: Standard GCEA, Low-G & More

A ukulele that is in tune sounds bright and happy. A ukulele that is out of tune can make even a simple song feel wrong, and that is discouraging when you are just starting out. The good news is that tuning is a quick habit, and once you learn it you will do it in under a minute. Let's walk through it slowly.

Standard tuning: g-C-E-A

Most ukuleles are tuned to g-C-E-A. Those four letters are the notes of the open strings, from the top string (nearest your face) to the bottom string (nearest the floor). The strings are numbered 4-3-2-1, so string 4 is g, string 3 is C, string 2 is E, and string 1 is A.

Here is the part that surprises new players. Standard ukulele tuning is reentrant, which means the strings do not go simply low to high. The top string, that little g, is tuned high — higher in pitch than the C and E strings next to it. It is not the lowest note on the instrument.

That high-g is the whole reason a ukulele sounds like a ukulele. When you strum, the notes do not stack up in a neat low-to-high order, so the chords ring out with that bright, jangly, close-together shimmer. It is a cheerful sound, and it comes straight from that reentrant tuning.

Three ways to get in tune

1. With a clip-on tuner or a tuner app

This is the easiest way, and it is what most players use every day. A clip-on tuner attaches to the headstock and reads the vibration of each string. A tuner app, like the one built into Ukulele Buddha, listens through your device's microphone. Either way, you pluck one string at a time and watch the display tell you whether you are flat (too low), sharp (too high), or right on the note.

Turn the tuning peg slowly. Tighten the string to raise the pitch, loosen it to lower the pitch. Sneak up on the note from just below it, so the string stays under a little tension and holds better.

2. By ear against a reference

Tuning by ear trains your listening, which is worth doing even if you own a tuner. Play a reference note — a piano, another ukulele, or a note from an app — and turn the peg until your string matches. Start with the C string, since it is a friendly middle note, then tune the others against it. Over time your ear will start to notice when a string has drifted, which is a lovely skill to have.

3. To a piano or keyboard

If you have a piano nearby, you can match each string to its key. Middle C on the piano is your C string (string 3). From there, find the other notes and tune each open string to match.

A string-by-string reference

Common ukulele tunings

Standard high-g is where nearly everyone begins, but you will hear about a few others. Here is how they compare.

Low-G is the popular alternative to standard. Instead of the high-g, you fit a low G string that sits below middle C, so the strings run in order from low to high. That gives you extra low notes and a rounder tone, which many fingerpickers love. It does trade away some of that signature reentrant sparkle. A tuner app with a Low-G mode will happily guide you there when you are curious.

How often to tune, and why it drifts

Tune every time you sit down to play. It only takes a moment, and a quick check at the start of each session keeps your ear honest. You may also need a small touch-up partway through, especially in your first weeks.

If your ukulele will not stay in tune, the most common reason is brand-new strings. Fresh strings stretch and settle for the first several days, so they drift out of tune again and again. This is normal and it is not a fault. Keep tuning, and gently pull each string away from the fretboard a little to help it stretch. Within a few days it will calm down and start holding.

A couple of small stability habits go a long way. Tune up to a note rather than down onto it, so the string ends under tension. Make sure the string is seated properly at the nut and wound neatly around the peg. And give brand-new strings a few days of grace before you expect them to behave.

That is really all there is to it. Once your ukulele is singing in tune, you are ready to play. If you would like a next step, try some easy chords for beginners or a gentle strumming pattern to go with them.