How to Know When You Tuned It Right

Learning the ins-and-outs of how to tune your instrument and knowing the differences betwixt each ukulele tuning is one of the virtually important things to piece of work on when you lot're offset.

Ensuring you are in the right ukulele tuning will make a world of difference in what comes out of the ukulele. If information technology's off simply a picayune bit, music y'all play won't sound very nice.

Basics

What are the four strings of a standard ukulele tuned to?

A uke is commonly tuned: K C E A from the summit cord (closest to the ceiling) to the bottom string (closest to the floor).

I tell my students who accept a hard fourth dimension remembering this to recall of it like, "Yardoats Can Eat Anything."

Each cord is numbered for like shooting fish in a barrel reference. The G-string is called the 4th string. The A-cord is called the 1st string. The C and E-strings sit respectively betwixt.

This tin seem backwards at first so just recall of it similar the stories in a building.

G - 4 C - iii E - 2 A - 1

The One thousand-string can either be a "high-g" or a "low-G".

A high-g is traditional and is tuned to the G to a higher place middle C (called "re-entrant"). This makes the strings sound high-low-higher-highest – "my dog has fleas."

A low-One thousand is a more contemporary sound and is tuned to the G below middle C which keeps the string in an ascending order: low to loftier (called "linear").

The interval distances between the strings are: a perfect 4th (Grand to C), a major 3rd (C to E), and a perfect quaternary (E to A).

Ukulele Tuning Methods

There are several different ways y'all tin tune your ukulele. Each has its pros and cons and can be used in dissimilar situations.

Learn one that will aid you in everyday playing and become your go-to method for ukulele tuning, but too study the others so you have options and alternatives in example your tuner breaks.

How to Tune Your Ukulele With an Electronic Tuner

The easiest method of tuning your ukulele is to employ an electronic tuner. This is the simplest, almost cinch manner to tune for beginners.

There are three types of electronic tuners: clip-on, app/"listening" tuners, and pedal tuners. All work in a similar fashion.

A clip-on tuner clamps onto the headstock of your ukulele and "feels" sound vibrations. This allows you to tune in a roomful of noise without any problem. These are the most popular kind of tuner due to ease of use and practicality.

I use a Planet Waves NS Micro. It's amazingly small and accurate.

The alternative is an app on your smartphone device or a dedicated tuner with a microphone. Both piece of work similarly past listening to the pitch (and so it can be troublesome to tune if you lot're in a loud room), merely an app is and then much more convenient that it makes sense to get that road instead of a bulky defended tuner.

I use the BOSS Tuner on my telephone. It'southward gratuitous, accurate, and elementary.

A more than professional tuning option is a pedal tuner that yous plug your ukulele into. This is usually only applied if you are using an amp and have another pedals. Merely information technology's very authentic and works independent of noise like a prune-on.

Step 1: Preparing the tuner

To get started, clip the tuner onto your ukulele, identify it somewhere close to soundhole so that the microphone can choice up a strong sound, or plug your uke into information technology.

The readout style for all electronic tuners is pretty universal. Merely pick a string and the note is displayed on the tuner.

If the needle floats to the left, the displayed note is flat and needs to go college in pitch (the cord needs to be tightened).

If the needle floats to the right, the displayed note is sharp and needs to be lowered (the string needs to exist loosened).

If it'south dead center, the cord is in tune.

Right Tuner Settings

Many tuners these days come with lots of options and settings that tin can exist very disruptive at showtime.

Some tuners have guitar, uke, and chromatic modes. The guitar and uke modes limit the display range, only showing those notes in the tuning. This means if your K-string is at an F# note, the tuner shows "1000," which is the closest in pitch.

To me this is confusing, which is why I adopt to set my tuners to the chromatic setting. This way I tin can run into all the notes and always know exactly where I'm at on the spectrum.

The reference pitch is also usually adjustable. Unless y'all have a actually proficient reason for irresolute information technology and know what you're doing, this should always be set to 440hz.

Tune the G-string

Pluck the G-string (the ane closest to the ceiling) and wait at the tuner.

If it says "G," you lot're close to the right note and tin can just arrange the tuning peg and follow the indicator needle up or downward until information technology'southward correct in the middle.

If it says something other than "G," you have to assess whether the note is college or lower than G. Every note sits in the middle of a chromatic scale that radiates outwards infinitely. It looks kind of like this (just a small-scale portion of it):

...E - F - F#/Gb -                      Chiliad                    - K#/Ab - A - A#/Bb...

Your goal is to get the needle centered on the G note, but sometimes if your uke is really off, you'll accept to melody through a number of these other notes before you lot get to Thou.

If you encounter: D, D# or Eb, E, F, F# or Gb, try tuning Upwards.

If you see: Grand# or Ab, A, A# or Bb, B, C, effort tuning DOWN.

Once y'all move the string far enough, yous'll see the note name change and the needle jump to the opposite side of where information technology was. This is considering the high pitch of i note is the low pitch of the side by side note, and vice versa.

This is the hardest office of learning to melody.

Exist cautious with how tight you current of air the strings. If you end upward tuning the string fashion college than it's intended to be, information technology can snap. Not merely is this painful if information technology hits your paw, but you lot usually won't be able to reattach it and you lot'll have to buy new strings.

Use your sentence and if y'all think the string might exist as well tight, tune downward until you get the notation yous were looking for. If at this indicate the string sounds bad and seems extra flabby, you lot were probably on the right track to begin with and should go back up the octave.

Cypher bad will happen if you detune too much.

Tune the C-string

Tuning the C-string of your ukulele is nearly exactly the aforementioned as tuning the M. The only difference are the surrounding notes you might see. If you're already on C, great – simply follow the needle. Only…

If you see: G, Ab or G#, A, A# or Bb, B endeavour tuning Upwards.

If y'all see: C# or Db, D, D# or Eb, E, F attempt tuning Down.

Tune the East-string

Again, the East-string is mostly similar, but now yous are reaching effectually the underside of the headstock. And so be extra mindful of the direction you are turning the peg.

Instead of E…

If yous see: B, C, C# or Db, D, D# or Eb try tuning UP.

If y'all run into: F, F# or Gb, G, G# or Ab, A try tuning DOWN.

Melody the A-cord

One more to go! Aforementioned exact idea, but now you're on the final peg.

Instead of A…

If y'all see: Eastward, F, F# or Gb, G, Thou# or Ab try tuning Up.

If you meet: A# or Gb, B, C, C# or Db try tuning DOWN.

Recheck the tuning

Many times (particularly when you're starting out and going slow) you'll notice that the offset strings you tuned have drifted off pitch by the time you lot cease tuning the concluding string.

All you demand to do is quickly repeat steps 2-5 to bring everything dorsum into tune. If you continue to accept trouble with the strings slipping out of tune, check the section on why won't my uke stay in melody?

Play!

That's information technology! go forth and play music on your freshly tuned uke!

It may seem painfully slow to melody your ukulele at commencement, but one time you lot get the hang of information technology you'll be tuning much, much faster.

Relative Ukulele Tuning:

The old-school style of tuning (and arguably all-time) is to pitch the strings relative to each other. You use your ear to friction match the pitch of 1 cord to the adjacent.

This frequently yields a sweeter tuning because it will exist adapted to what sounds all-time to your ears.

Tuning relative is fine if you are playing by yourself, but if yous try to jam with your friend, yous might notice that your "my dog has fleas" volition be higher or lower than his/her "my dog has fleas."

A clever person would start by tuning 1 of his ukulele's strings to that of his friend's and then tune out from there.

I recently did a whole live lesson well-nigh how to tune past ear:

Here'due south how to tune your ukulele relative to itself. You can approach information technology several ways, merely this is the virtually common:

Tune everything to your bottom A cord. If you are going to use a reference pitch, be certain you lot tune your A cord to information technology.

1. Hold the fifth fret of the E-string. This should exactly match the sound of the open up A-cord. Play both Eastward and A-strings simultaneously and accommodate the E-cord's tuning peg until information technology's the same pitch as the open A string.

With geared tuners, turning the peg clockwise will loosen the cord. Turning counter-clockwise will tighten it. This is true for standard or slotted headstocks.As long every bit you are looking downwardly the tuning peg the orientation will be the aforementioned.

With friction tuners, turning the peg clockwise for the top ii strings and counter-clockwise for the bottom ii strings volition tighten the cord.

ii. Now agree the 4th fret of the C-string. This should exactly friction match the open up E-string. Play both C and Due east-strings and adjust the pitch of the C-cord so that information technology matches the pitch of the open E-string.

3a. If you lot have a high-g string:

Concur the 2d fret of the G-string. This should exactly match the open A-string. Use the ukulele tuning pegs to adjust the pitch of the G-string then that it matches the pitch of the open up A-cord.

3b. If you tune your ukulele with a low-One thousand cord:

Hold the fifth fret of the G-cord. This should exactly match the open C-cord. Utilize the tuning pegs to adjust the pitch of the 1000-string so that it matches the pitch of the open C-string.

When you play two of the same notes simultaneously (like the fifth fret, E-string to an open-A) and they are a bit out of melody, at that place is a "chirapsia" sound that happens. It's like a pulse; kind of hard to hear.

The farther the two notes are out of tune, the faster and more noticeable the chirapsia sound. If your two notes are perfectly in tune, it goes away.

You tin listen for this to go your unison notes very close in pitch, but it takes some practice.

Tricks for fine-tuning by ear

By verifying your tuning several different ways you tin can get the strings even closer to the proper pitch.

Ane of my favorites is playing the octave C with the open C-cord and tertiary fret, A-string and also the octave G on the G-string and third fret, E-string. If you play high-yard your octave G will be a unison, but volition serve the same purpose.

Since y'all are skipping a cord y'all take a chance to get the overall temper in tune better. If you tune to the A-string and piece of work up, whatever fault is reflected in the following string. By cantankerous-checking the tuning in this way y'all tin eliminate the possibility of these long-range, accumulative errors.

Another play a trick on is to play harmonics on the two outside strings on the 5th and seventh frets. By matching these two high pitches y'all can hear the beating effect discussed to a higher place better.

Why Won't My Ukulele Stay in Melody?

A common problem beginners have when trying to tune their uke is that information technology simply won't stay on pitch.

This is frustrating because fifty-fifty though you get the string to the right note, you can't play whatever nice-sounding music for very long – or at all – because it quickly goes out of melody.

It IS normal for an ukulele to drift out of tune if you:

• Oasis't played information technology in a while
• Just changed strings
• Only switched environments (temperature or humidity)

Some ukuleles simply stay in tune meliorate than others.

I had a low-budget Hula Ukes ukulele that I had to tune all the fourth dimension. My Moore Bettah on the other hand rarely goes out of melody. Instrument stability has as much to with information technology as the strings. If you lot have a uke that has joints and parts that shift around when the temperature changes, naturally the strings will migrate out of melody.

Stock/Incorrectly Installed Strings:

A huge percentage of the time, strings slipping tin can be attributed to wrong installation.

On budget ukuleles, strings are almost ever installed hastily (time = money). This usually manifests in ane of two means:

1. The string doesn't exert enough friction on itself and really slides through its pigsty in the tuning peg.
2. The string is wrapped around the tuning peg many more times than it needs to be and actress slack hidden in the winds slowly releases over time.

Unless you are on a very tight budget, I always recommend replacing stock strings ASAP to avert these problems. Y'all'll as well find that new strings sound better than their counterparts that accept been sitting in a warehouse for months or years.

They Need to be Stretched:

New strings or strings that are affected past #2 above often demand to take the slack stretched out of them.

More than about pre-stretching strings.

Slipping Pegs:

Friction tuning pegs that stick straight back from the headstock often loose their grip on the hole they live in. This leads to endless down-tuning that'due south acquired by the peg actually turning in its hole.

Most friction pegs accept a screw on the dorsum that you tin can tighten with a screwdriver. Conform this small amounts at a time until the string stops falling flat.

Over-tighten the spiral and it volition exist hard to plough the peg at all!

A popular alternative to traditional friction pegs are Gotoh planetary geared tuners. They preserve the look of the straight-dorsum style, but take a four:1 ratio for more precise tuning and are less prone to slipping.

Proper Tuning Technique:

The way y'all approach getting your strings to pitch has a lot to practise with how well the uke stays in tune.

Y'all always want to tune upward to the desired notation.

This prevents unwanted slack from being trapped between the nut and tuning peg. Since a nut slot isn't a perfectly slippery surface, the tension difference between the reverse side of the string and the side that you play on are rarely equal.

If you melody down to a annotation, the tension of the long, ringing length of cord will be college than that of the brusque, unplayed portion. As yous play, the weight of your fingers on the frets will even out the tension between both sides of the string, causing it to become flat.

Ukulele Tunings:

Depending on where yous are in the globe, there are usually two chief ukulele tunings:

Standard (GCEA) and baritone (DGBE).

A tuning can as well exist named by the chord it is made up of. Since the notes of GCEA brand a C6 chord, standard ukulele tuning is ofttimes called "C6 tuning."

Baritone tuning is the same as standard, but it's tuned down a perfect fourth lower to a G6 chord. This is the same as the lesser iv strings of a guitar.

The other main variant is the D6 tuning. This tuning is A D F# B and is a whole pace college than standard. It'south common in England, only also in Canada where D6 is the tuning ofttimes taught in schools.

Any ukulele can be tuned to about any tuning, but you have to be careful with the gauges of strings y'all use.

Co-ordinate to D'addario, a standard high-one thousand tenor prepare tuned to Thou C E A exerts 49.61 pounds of tension on the ukulele. Changing the tuning up to A D F# B jacks the tension up to 62.62 pounds – a 23% increase.

This is playing with fire in my book so a tool like String Tension Pro is invaluable for figuring out safe tensions across different tunings and scale lengths.

Alternate Ukulele Tunings

Slack Key

An open-C slack-key tuning is really the only variation that has whatever kind of post-obit. It's nice because a straight barre across the fretboard becomes a major chord. This makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to play sure Hawaiian style runs with.

You lot can tune any ukulele to slack key without changing strings. Simply lower the pitch of the A-string a whole footstep downward to Chiliad.

One-half Step Down

I've been playing solo a lot recently and ordinarily fell like my sound is thin when playing in standard tuning. Information technology IS only a uke and a vocalization, after all.

So I began looking around for alternative ways to audio "bigger." It occurred to me that many of the great guitarists tune down a half pace to Eb. On an ukulele it's a B6 tuning: F# B D# G#.

The moment I tried this on ukulele I knew I was on to something. The sound was fatter and had a squeamish deep ring to information technology. It actually brought out a dark vibe in my ukulele that I really liked the sound of. And it sounded more epic on its own.

More about tuning downward a half-step.

Octave-Down on a Baritone

Just out of curiosity I put the bass strings from a heavy classical guitar set on my baritone ukulele and tuned it to low-GCEA, but an octave lower than standard pitch. The results were interesting, equally you can hear for yourself:

Tuning Ukuleles With Additional Strings

When an ukulele has more 4 strings things can get confusing really fast.

For more than on ukuleles with doubled courses like 5, 6, and 8-cord ukes, check out my in-depth tuning guide specifically for those tunings.

Tuning 5, half dozen, and eight-Cord Ukuleles

Guitalele: low-A – low-D – low-K – C – Due east – A. Tuned like guitar with a capo on the 5th fret.

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Source: https://liveukulele.com/lessons/tuning-your-ukulele/

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