Ukulele Tuning Methods

Recently, the small ukulele has become a very popular instrument, because it is quite easy to learn how to play it, and the melodies turn out to be beautiful. Imagine that the moment has come when you have acquired the instrument of your dreams, but it does not sound as good as you would like. Don't be in a hurry to get upset: to start playing some melodies on the ukulele, you first need to tune the strings.

To tune the instrument, there is no need to go to a music school and carefully study musical notation - thanks to modern technologies, even a beginner can adjust the sound at home. In this article, we'll show you how to tune a four-string guitar yourself using special programs, as well as give some tips on how to determine if it sounds right by ear.

The structure of the notes on the ukulele is the same as the standard six-string guitar tuning, but only from the 1st to the 4th strings. And also the tonality of the ukulele is slightly higher than the first four strings of a classical guitar. Therefore, even taking into account the fact that the four-string and the six-string have a lot in common; tuning them in one way will not work.

Therefore, in order not to get confused in the models, let's take a closer look at each of them.

• Soprano. The most common type of ukulele, which is often called "baby" due to its small size. This baby is really quite small - its length from the beginning of the body to the tip of the neck is no more than 53 cm. The classic tuning of such a guitar is GCEA or "G-do-mi-la", if you start with the thickest - fourth - string (top).Quite a simple structure, but there is a small feature in it that will seem unusual to classical guitarists - the first three strings are tuned in the same octave.
• Concert. This type of ukulele differs from the soprano in a slightly larger size - the instrument reaches a maximum of 62 cm in length. Thanks to the new parameters, the instrument sounds louder without losing the high key of notes. The guitar tuning of a concert instrument does not differ from a soprano - it should be tuned in GCEA notes from the fourth to the first strings, respectively.
• Tenor. This kind of four-string appeared in the 20s of the last century, its size is 66 cm. The variant is universal, since it can be tuned either to exactly the same tuning as the soprano and concert models (GCEA), or to lower it lower in key - DGBE or "re-sol-si-mi" (tuning of the first strings of a classical guitar). Even if you decide to set the sound of the strings according to the second method, there will be no problems - the tuning is normal, however, now the second, third and fourth strings (top three) are within the same octave.
• Baritone. The youngest type of ukulele, which appeared in the 40s of the XX century, and became popular in the early 2000s. The four-string is the largest member of the ukulele series, measuring 76 cm. The standard tuning of the instrument cannot be higher than the DGBE, where the first string is tuned to the first octave 'E' sound.

It will be quite difficult for a beginner to understand the correct sound of the instrument, so we offer you instructions for tuning in several ways: using special programs, online tuners, and also by ear. For a beginner musician, modern technologies are most suitable - programs and online services. They will greatly simplify the process of tuning a four-string. But there are situations when there is no way to get to modern innovations, so it would be wise to learn how to tune the instrument by ear.

When purchasing a musical instrument, you must be prepared for the fact that it will need to be tuned before each lesson. This can be done by downloading the application to a smartphone or using an online tuner, in which the sound is perceived by the equipment through a microphone. It is very important to remember that tuning a ukulele is done in a different way from tuning a regular guitar.

Let's first consider the simplest and most common tuning method - using an online tuner. The program will help novice musicians to adjust the key of the ukulele to any of its varieties - soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. It is quite easy to set the desired sound for each string - you just need to bring the ukulele to the microphone and extract the sound from the string being tuned. The tuner will determine the frequency of the sound and display on the screen what needs to be done - tighten or loosen the peg.

So, let's take a look at the step-by-step instructions for tuning a Hawaiian instrument using an online tuner.

• Connect the microphone to your PC, give the program permission to use it.
• Start tuning the strings one by one. Start with the tallest one, the first (A).
• Select the desired sound on the note scale.
• Bring the neck of your guitar up to the microphone and pick up the sound with confidence.
• An indicator will appear on the screen, which can be green or red. Green indicates that the string is tuned correctly. Red indicates that the peg is loose or overtightened - in this case, pay attention to the tilt of the indicator. If the arrows of the red sensor are directed to the left, then the peg must be tightened. In the event that the sensor points to the right - the peg is too tight, it needs to be released a little.
• After each peg manipulation, re-check the sound of the string - this way you will achieve the highest quality result.
• Tune the remaining strings (E, C and G) one at a time.
• Turn the tuning pegs slowly and carefully so as not to injure the strings. There are usually slight clicks when pulling on the strings, so don't be intimidated - this is normal.
• With the instrument tuned, slide gently and slowly over the strings from top to bottom to check the clarity of the sounds.

The mechanism is equipped with an arrow, which is very sensitive to vibrations of the string after plucking. If the sensor deviates to the left, then it is necessary to turn the peg a little more to increase the tension, and if to the right, the string must be released. Such a device is most often used in music stores - the tuner is mobile and very easy to use.

Another modern way to tune your ukulele is with online programs. Let's take a look at several applications that are suitable for tuning a ukulele.

• Tuner Pocket. This program helps you tune not only the soprano - with the Pocket you can tune 7 more different string tunings. The app can be found in two flavors: free and paid. They practically do not differ from each other, but there are no ads in the paid tuner, and there are also more additional functions.
• Tuner GuitarTuna. Even experienced musicians use this program, as it has a professional mode with many subtle nuances. But the app is great for beginners as well, and it also has other essentials for beginners - a metronome for creating rhythm, a store of chords and tablatures, about 100 different tunings and a chromatic tuner.
• Ukulele Tuner app. A very sensitive program that will perfectly tune every string. Due to its peculiarities, it is necessary to use such a tuner in the quietest possible room - extraneous sounds can disrupt the operation of the program.

Tuning a ukulele by ear is not the easiest thing to do, and is often done by experienced musicians. But with a little preparation, even a beginner will be able to tune the strings to the desired sounds quite well. However, this method is best used in cases where it is not possible to use the tuner and get an accurate sound on the first string. It is from this sound that the tuning of all other strings on the ukulele begins.

Let's take a closer look at tuning a ukulele by ear.

• First of all, it is necessary to set the sound of the upper string as accurately as possible - it has the sound "la" of the first octave. To compare how this note sounds, you can listen to it on a piano or other well-tuned instrument. And you can also use different tuning forks - fork, wind or electronic. As a last resort, stretch the string approximately, but so that it has elasticity and a clear sound.
• After tuning the first string to the desired pitch, move on to the second. Further tuning is easier because you already have the base tone tuned. To tune the second string to the E (first octave) note, press it down with your finger at the fifth fret and play the sound. Pluck the free first string at the same time and compare the sound - a properly tuned second string, clamped at the 5th fret, sounds the same as the open first one. If the sound is different, determine in which direction: a too low tone must be corrected by rotating the peg towards the tension of the string, otherwise, on the contrary, release the string by turning the peg towards weakening. Sometimes you have to tinker a little to get the same sound of the compared strings.
• The third string is tuned in a similar way, but it is necessary to compare its sound with the second open string. To get the C (first octave C) note on the third string, you must play it down at the fourth fret. Then play the resulting sound and compare with the sound of the open second string - they should sound in unison (the same).Add or loosen tension with a splitter if necessary.
• The last string is tuned to the note G ("G" of a small octave), for this it is again necessary to compare the clamped string with the open first string. To correctly tune the lowest pitch of the ukulele, press down on the fourth string at the second fret. Extract the sound from it and compare it with the sound of the open first string - if they match, then the string is tuned correctly. Just take into account: these sounds are completely different in pitch, they are separated by a whole octave. But since they are both called "la", their sounds merge into one whole, it is felt well by ear.

After finishing the tuning process, try playing some chords. - it will help you hear the clarity of the sound. In addition, playing chords allows you to notice possible errors in the tuning of the ukulele, so we recommend that you do this immediately after tuning.

For how easy it is to tune your ukulele using your phone, see the next video.