Four Ways to Tune Your Ukulele
You can’t play your ukulele if it’s not in tune! This post shows you four different ways to tune your ukulele, including my clever little tricks that you won’t find anywhere else.
There are so many ways to learn how to tune your uke:
- How to tune your ukulele by ear (see below)
- How to tune a ukulele with a tuner (electronic tuner) (see below)
- Pay someone to do it for you (don’t do this!)
Honestly, keeping your uke in tune is like keeping your axe sharp if you’re chopping down trees — it’s the very first step, without which everything else is impossible!
The EASIEST way to tune your ukulele is with an inexpensive clip-on electronic tuner.
This quick video shows you the model I like, but the principals work for any electronic tuner.
BTW, you do NOT need a special ukulele tuner. The device works by on any instrument, so you can just buy “a tuner.”
I have other videos in this little series showing how to
- tune by ear (matching pitch),
- how to tune the uke to ITSELF (“Desert Island Tuning” :) ), and
- Sneaky Tricks that will help you recognize when you’ve gone out of tune — so you can fix it.
With this method, you can get your ukulele in tune, using only the ukuele itself! No batteries, no other instrument required.
This method works with soprano uke, concert uke, and tenor uke sizes. Of course, a baritone ukulele is a different beast and the string names are different — but the intervals are the same, so you can use this trick, too!
Tuning by ear is easy if you have a sound to compare with — and that’s what I have for you in this simple “how to tune” video.
This is the most boring method — but it’s tried and true, and works any time you have another instrument to compare note sound with: a piano, a harmonica, another ukulele.
In this video, I’ll give you the correct string pitch and you adjust your tuning pegs till you’re perfectly in tune.
The string names / pitches shown here apply to soprano uke, concert uke, and tenor uke sizes. Of course, a baritone ukulele is a different beast.
Which Ukuleles Can Be Tuned Like This?
As you probably know, there are four main sizes of ukulele. The tuning tips above apply to:
- Soprano ukulele tuning
- Concert ukulele tuning
- Tenor ukulele tuning
These *methods* in general WILL work for —
- Baritone ukulele tuning, but —
BUT beware! The actual notes that a baritone uke needs to be tuned to are not the same as the other three sizes. You can use the methods, but if you’re tuning to another instrument or a clip-on tuner, you’ll need to specify those baritone notes.
If you need a hand with tuning for baritone ukulele, drop me a note and I’ll put together a new tutorial.
A Rock-Solid Tip to Make Uke Tuning EASIER:
Every single time you pick up your ukulele, run your fingers across the strings and LISTEN.
Does it sound right? Or does it sound wrong?
It helps to know the name of the ukulele strings as you do this. You’re cementing both the sound and factual knowledge of the names that way. See: Ukulele String Names – all sizes of uke
It won’t take long for you to start to quickly spot the difference and quickly make the adjustments you need. You might surprise yourself and start make corrections without any outside source for comparison–your ears will simply know!
When you can do that it feels like magic, and it’s good show-off party stunt.
(Assuming you party with other ukulele players…)
As Always, Focused on the Fun
Whenever you need to know how to do something, whether it’s how to tune your ukulele, or how to rid the world of all known diseases, your friends at Monty Python are always a great resource.
Focused on the fun,
