How to Tune a Ukulele: GCEA Tuning Step by Step

Every ukulele goes out of tune. The nylon strings stretch, the wood moves with the weather, and the pegs settle as you play. Tuning before you play is part of the routine for every ukulele player, and after a few days it takes less than a minute. This guide shows you the notes, the tools and the steps, starting with the easiest way and ending with tuning by ear.

The ukulele string notes

Hold the ukulele facing you, headstock at the top. From left to right, the strings are:

G · C · E · A

Say the four notes in a sing-song voice and you get the old ukulele tune-up phrase, "My dog has fleas." Plucking G, C, E, A in order should sound just like it: down, then up, up, up. If it sounds right to that rhythm, you are close.

All four notes sit within one octave, right around middle C on a piano. That is why the ukulele sounds so light and bright, and why chords on it are so easy to finger.

How to tune a ukulele with a tuner, step by step

This is the method we recommend for every beginner. A clip-on tuner feels the vibration of the ukulele directly through the headstock, so it works even in a noisy room. A phone tuner app listens through the microphone and works well in a quiet one.

1. Get set up. Sit down and hold the ukulele the way you play it, or rest it on your lap facing up. Keep your hand off the other strings so only one rings at a time.
2. Attach and set the tuner. Clip the tuner to the headstock, or open your tuner app. Choose ukulele mode or chromatic mode, and check that it is set to A = 440 Hz (most are, out of the box).
3. Pluck the G string. It is the string nearest your face. Pluck it with your thumb over the sound hole and read the tuner.
4. Read the display. If the tuner shows G and the needle or light sits in the center, the string is in tune. Left of center, or a flat sign (♭), means it is too low. Right of center, or a sharp sign (♯), means it is too high.
5. Turn the right peg, a little at a time. Follow the string up past the nut to its peg. Turn slowly while you watch the tuner. If the note moves the wrong way, turn the other way. On the ukulele in our diagram, the G peg is the lower one on the left.
6. Tune up to the note. If the string is too high, lower it a little below the note, then bring it back up. A string that ends by being tightened holds its tuning better.
7. Repeat for C, E and A. Pluck each string, read the tuner and adjust until it shows C, then E, then A, in the center.
8. Check them all again. Tuning one string changes the pull on the neck a little, so the first string can drift. Go through all four once more, then strum: an open strum of all four strings should sound sweet and settled.

If the tuner shows the wrong letter entirely, the string is far off. Turn its peg slowly toward the right note and keep plucking; the letter will change as you pass through the notes. If it reads correctly but the string sounds much too high or very slack, see "Good to know" below about octaves.

Clip-on tuners are inexpensive and stay on the headstock in the case, ready for every practice. See our ukulele tuners.

How to tune a ukulele by ear (the fret method)

You can tune the ukulele to itself, using one string as a reference. It is handy when the tuner battery dies, and it trains your ear. The idea: press one string at a certain fret, and it plays the same note as the next open string. Tune the open string until the two sound the same.

1. Tune the A string to a reference. Use a piano's A above middle C, a tuning fork, an online tone, another instrument, or simply leave A as it is if you are only tuning the ukulele to itself.
2. E string, 5th fret, matches the open A. Press the E string just behind the 5th fret and pluck it, then pluck the open A string. Turn the E peg until the two notes match.
3. C string, 4th fret, matches the open E. Press the C string at the 4th fret (not the 5th) and match it to the open E string by turning the C peg.
4. G string, 2nd fret, matches the open A. With high-G tuning, the G string pressed at the 2nd fret plays the same A as the open A string. Turn the G peg until they match.
5. Double-check the G. Press the C string at the 7th fret: that is a G, and it should match the open G string exactly.

How to hear "the same." When two notes are close but not quite matched, you hear a slow wobble or "wah-wah" in the sound. Turn the peg slowly. The wobble gets slower as you get close and disappears when the notes match. If you cannot tell whether a note is too high or too low, loosen it a little below and bring it up slowly until it matches.

Tuning by ear gets the ukulele in tune with itself. To play along with other people or recordings, the reference note has to be right, so use a tuner, a piano or an app for that first A.

High G or low G?

Most ukuleles come strung with a high G (G4), the re-entrant tuning described above. Some players switch to a low G (G3), an octave lower. The notes are the same letters, G C E A, and the chord shapes do not change. Only the sound does.

• High G is the traditional ukulele sound: bright, close and sparkly. Strumming sounds full, and it is what nearly all beginner songbooks and lessons expect. It is the right choice for a first ukulele.
• Low G makes G the lowest string, so the strings run low to high like a guitar's. It adds a deeper bass note, which suits fingerpicking and solo arrangements. It is most popular on tenor ukuleles.
• Switching needs a low-G string. A low G is tuned an octave lower than a high G, so it needs a thicker string, often a wound one. Never try to tune a high-G string down an octave; it will be floppy and buzz. A thicker string can also need the slot in the nut widened slightly, which a repair shop can do.
• Tuning a low G by ear: the fret method above still works, but the low G at the 2nd fret is an octave below the open A. Many players find a tuner easier for this one string.

Baritone ukulele tuning: D G B E

The baritone ukulele is the largest common size, and it is tuned differently from the other three: D3, G3, B3, E4, from left to right as it faces you. These are the same notes as the four highest strings of a guitar, and on most baritones the D string is the lowest note (it is not re-entrant).

Because the tuning is different, the chord shapes give different chord names. A shape that makes C on a soprano makes G on a baritone. Guitar players feel at home right away, since the shapes match the top four guitar strings.

To tune a baritone by ear, use the same steps as a guitar's top four strings: tune the E string, press the B string at the 5th fret to match the open E, press the G string at the 4th fret to match the open B, and press the D string at the 5th fret to match the open G.

Not sure which size you have? Our parts of a ukulele guide explains the four sizes.

Why new strings won't stay in tune

A new ukulele, or a ukulele with new strings, goes flat over and over for the first days. This is not a fault. Ukulele strings are made of nylon or similar materials that stretch a long way before they settle. Each time you tune up, the string stretches a little more and the note drops again.

• Expect about a week or two of frequent retuning, sometimes in the middle of a song. It gets better every day.
• Gently stretch the strings to speed it up. Tune a string, then hook a finger under it over the sound hole and pull it gently away from the top, moving along its length. Retune, and repeat a few times. Pull gently: the goal is to stretch the string, not to strain the bridge.
• Play it. Regular playing settles new strings faster than leaving the ukulele in its case.
• Weather matters too. Big changes in temperature or humidity move the wood and the strings. A ukulele brought in from a cold car needs a few minutes to warm up before you tune it.

How to string a ukulele

Ukulele strings last a long time, but sooner or later one breaks, or they start to sound dull or will not play in tune. Here is the short version of a restring. Change one string at a time, so you always have the others as a guide to where each string goes.

1. Note how the old string is attached. Look at the bridge. Most ukuleles use one of three kinds: a tie bridge, where the string passes through a hole and is tied around itself; a slotted bridge, where a knot or bead on the string's end slips into a slot; or a pin bridge, where a knotted end is held in a hole by a small bridge pin, like on a steel-string guitar.
2. Remove the old string. Loosen the peg until the string is slack, unwind it from the post, and free it from the bridge.
3. Attach the new string at the bridge. For a tie bridge, pass the string through the hole from the front, loop it back, and wrap the short end under itself two or three times so the pull of the string locks the knot. For a slotted bridge, tie a knot in the end and slide it into the slot. For a pin bridge, tie a knot in the end, drop it into the hole, and press the pin back in firmly, then pull the string gently so the knot seats against the pin.
4. Feed it through the peg. Thread the other end through the hole in the matching tuning post. Pull it nearly tight, leaving enough slack for two or three wraps around the post.
5. Wind it neatly. Turn the peg so the string winds down the post, toward the headstock, with each wrap below the last. Keep light tension on the string with your other hand as you wind. On a slotted headstock, like a classical guitar's, the string goes through the hole in the roller inside the slot and winds neatly around the roller.
6. Seat it in the nut and tune up. Make sure the string sits in its own slot in the nut, then tune it to its note. Trim the spare end near the post, leaving a short tail.
7. Stretch and retune. Gently stretch the new string as described above, and expect to retune it often for the next several days.

Keep the order G, C, E, A. In a standard high-G set the G string is a thin one, so it is easy to swap it with the A or E by mistake. Most string sets are labeled by note and by ukulele size, so match the set to your ukulele: soprano, concert, tenor or baritone. Shop ukulele strings.

Tuning a child's first ukulele: a guide for parents

• Get a clip-on tuner. You do not need to play to keep a ukulele in tune. Clip it on, pluck, and turn the peg until the display shows the right letter in the center.
• Tune it for them at first. Young children cannot hear small differences yet. A ukulele that sounds right makes practice more fun, and that keeps them playing.
• Expect new strings to stretch. A brand-new ukulele needs retuning every day for the first week or so. That is normal and settles down.
• Keep it in its bag or case, away from heaters, sunny windows and hot cars. Steady conditions keep it in tune longer.

Good to know

• The tuner does not show the octave. Many tuners show only the letter. A string tuned an octave too high would read correctly but be dangerously tight, and could break. On a standard ukulele, all four strings should feel similar in tension. If one is very tight or very slack, it is in the wrong octave.
• Small turns only. On geared tuners, a small turn makes a small change. Pluck and check after each turn rather than spinning the peg.
• Some players tune a whole step higher, to A D F♯ B, often called D tuning. You may see it in older songbooks. G C E A is the standard today.
• Check the intonation after a restring. Play the open A, then press the A string at the 12th fret. It should play the same note an octave higher. A small difference is normal on any fretted instrument; a large one is worth showing to a repair shop.
• Tune before every practice. It takes a minute and makes everything sound better.

Ukuleles that are ready to play

Every ukulele below comes ready to tune and play. Prices and stock update automatically.

See every ukulele we carry on our ukuleles page, or shop by size: soprano, concert and tenor. For tuners, strings, bags and more, see our ukulele accessories. Learning piano too? Our guide to piano keys and notes shows where G, C, E and A sit on the keyboard. Moving on to guitar? Start with guitar string names.

Frequently asked questions

What are the ukulele strings tuned to?

Standard tuning is G C E A: G4, C4, E4 and A4, with A at 440 Hz. With the ukulele facing you, the strings read G, C, E, A from left to right. Soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles all use it; the baritone is tuned D G B E.

Why is the G string higher than the C string?

Standard ukulele tuning is re-entrant: the G string is tuned to the G above middle C, so it sounds higher than the C string beside it. That high G is what gives the ukulele its bright, chiming strum.

How do I tune a ukulele without a tuner?

Use the fret method. With the A string as your reference, press the E string at the 5th fret and match it to the open A; press the C string at the 4th fret and match the open E; press the G string at the 2nd fret and match the open A.

Should a beginner use high G or low G?

High G. It is the standard ukulele sound, most ukuleles come strung that way, and nearly all beginner lessons and songbooks expect it. Low G is a fun option to try later, especially on a tenor.

Why does my new ukulele keep going out of tune?

New nylon strings stretch for a week or two before they settle, so they keep slipping flat. Retune often, gently stretch each string, and keep playing. It gets steadier every day.

Is a baritone ukulele tuned the same as a guitar?

It is tuned D G B E, the same as the four highest strings of a guitar. Guitar chord shapes work on it and give the same chord names they do on a guitar's top four strings.