Tuning Your ukulele: A Comprehensive Guide
Tired of sounding like a squirrel in a blender when playing your ukulele? You might need to tune it! Here’s a step by step guide on how to tune the strings on your ukulele to start sounding like a pro!
For this task, all you need is your trusty ukulele, and a tuner of some kind. You can purchase physical devices called digital tuners, or download an app on your smartphone. There are several options in the app stores. Once you have your tuner, you are ready to go! But first, some info you should know:
Before Starting:
Before you attempt to tune your ukulele, you should be familiar with the note name of each string, so you will not accidentally tune the strings to the wrong notes. Making that mistake can end up with you breaking a string and needing to go buy a new pack. Nobody wants to do that! Here is a diagram that you should continue to refer to until you have memorized the notes for each string.
Step 1: Prepare your tuner
Most tuners come with various modes to choose from, which usually indicates what type of instrument it will help you tune. If your tuner has a ukulele mode, you can switch to that mode. Otherwise, chromatic mode will also work and is the most common style of tuner. Generally, the layout should look something like this:
Here’s why it's important to know what mode you are using:
The tuner will listen to the notes you play and then display what they are back to you, with a visual element to showcase how far you are away from your target note. Using the ukulele mode will only select the specific notes that the ukulele should be tuned to, and will only display your current pitch relative to those notes. Chromatic mode displays all of the 12 notes as you play them, including the ones that we wouldn’t use for the ukulele. Here’s an example:
If you use the ukulele mode, and want to tune your A string, but it is currently tuned too high at a B, the tuner will display A and indicate that your note is too high to be an A. In the same scenario, a chromatic tuner will instead display B and indicate how close you are to that B. You just need to know that there is no B string on the ukulele and that you need to tune down to A.*
*Note: Musical notation has notes ranging from A to G ascending in alphabetical order. Then it repeats. This means that B is a higher sounding pitch than A, C is higher than B, and so forth until it repeats. This also means that A is higher than G.
Now you are ready to begin!
Step 2: Find the Low C String
Identify the thickest string: The C string is the thickest string on your ukulele. It's the 2nd to closest string to your head when you're holding the ukulele in a playing position. (The closest string to you is the G, You can tune this string last. Yes, it is supposed to sound higher than the C string. Dont let that freak you out!) Follow the C string with your eyes to find the tuning peg it goes to. Refer to the chart above to double check.
Step 3: Tune the C String
Use your tuner: Play the C string loudly and without accidentally hitting any of the other strings. Your tuner should light up and display what note you are playing. Remember the alphabetical rule. Your goal is C. If your tuner says B, you need to tune up. If it says D, you need to tune down. IMPORTANT: Use small adjustments of the tuning peg when doing this. Slow and steady wins the race. Fast and careless breaks the string.
Fine tune the note: Once you have reached the point where it displays C, youre not done yet! This just means you are getting close. There will be an indication of how close you are in either direction to the correct pitch, usually in the form of a lever-like image, a dot on a sliding scale, or red/green lights on either side. If the display shows your note to be to the left of C, then you need to slightly tune up. The right side means you need to slightly tune down.
Tip: In order to make sure the tuning is stable, you should first tune slightly flat (under the pitch) and then slowly raise the tuning to the correct pitch. Doing it the other way around usually causes the tuning to slip a little after you are done, forcing you to do it all over again.
Step 4: Tune the Other Strings
Rinse and Repeat: After you finish tuning the C string, move on to the next string, and repeat step 3 for each remaining string, targeting the notes corresponding to each string. Keep referring to the chart to make sure you are tuning the right string to the right note. In order (lowest to highest, but starting with that high G string), you should be tuning to these notes: G C E A
Double check all the strings when you’re done: Sometimes, tuning all the strings can make the ones you started with slip out of tune. It’s best to make sure they all held stable when the process is complete.
And that's it! Now all you have to do is strum out your favorite chord, and revel in how good it sounds now! With a little practice, tuning your ukulele will become second nature. Happy strumming!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@kcfresthop.com
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