How to Tune a Ukulele Using an Online Tuner by Joel Carr

Everyone learns and operates in different ways.

The same concept applies in regards to ukulele players! The most common option for tuning a ukulele is with a digital tuner, yet some players prefer to tune by ear. Tuning by ear takes practice and only those who are quite familiar with the sounds of a ukulele have the ability to do so. While tuning by ear can be very difficult at first, online tuners can work as an awesome transition from chromatic tuners to tuning by ear!

Many ukulele players begin with chromatic tuners and over time develop a natural ear for the standard notes on a ukulele. If you are looking to skip this process all together and learn how to tune by ear, an online tuner may be a great option for you! I personally used many online tuners myself when first starting out playing the ukulele and I found them very useful for learning different notes! Also if you don’t have much practice with hearing what different notes are supposed to sound like, online tuners may benefit you immensely!

Online tuners can be found all over the internet and are very simple to understand. For this reason, they are also great for beginners who are maybe having a difficult time tuning with a digital tuner, or haven’t purchased a tuner yet and are eager to start playing their new ukulele! Whatever your reason is for wanting to use an online tuner to tune your ukulele, they are handy and available virtually anywhere on the web.

So let’s get started!

Step 1 - Search the Internet

Search the internet and find an online tuner that works for you. This may be a ukulele specific tuner, a general, all-purpose instrument tuner, etc. (Note: There ARE tuners that will allow you to change the notes to whatever you want for each string if you happen to be using alternate ukulele tunings)

Step 2 - Get Familiar

Become familiar with all of the possibilities of the tuner! Many online tuners allow you to do much more than simply hear the notes of the ukulele. You should familiarize yourself with all of your tuning options.

Step 3 - Tune Your Ukulele

Adjust the tunings of each string on the online ukulele to your preference should it be standard tuning (GCEA) or an alternative tuning pattern.

Step 4 - Play The First String

Play the first string (note) on the online ukulele. Preferably set the sound on repeat if your online tuner gives you the option. (You will have to listen to it multiple times to get it right!) Listen carefully to what the note sounds like and adjust your tuning keys in accordance.

Step 5 - Identical Notes

Listen to the tuner string by string until all of your ukulele notes sound identical to the ones on your online tuner! There is no reason why the sound should be off at all. Online tuners are very technical and exact. If it sounds a little bit different, then you don’t have it tuned properly)