The Basics of Tuning a Ukulele

Tuning a Ukulele pic
Tuning a Ukulele
Image: takelessons.com

Dr. John Chiu is a well-established endoscopic practitioner who provides a full range of patient-centered surgical spine treatments. Passionate about martial arts and music, Dr. John Chiu plays the Chinese classical musical guzheng (zither). In addition, he enjoys playing the ukulele.

The ukulele has a number of traditional tunings, including A, D, F#, B and fiddle, but since the advent of online lessons and tuning apps, G, C, E, and A have become the most prevalent. These are centered on the piano’s middle C tonal range. For those who truly want to delve into the ukulele, it still makes sense to learn to tune the traditional way using a piano or pitch pipe as a reference.

One thing to be aware of is that a newly strung ukulele will take a few tunings to get properly in tune. This reflects elements that cause strings to contract and stretch, such as humidity and the type of wood in use. Once the basics are mastered, it makes sense to explore the instrument further through alternate tunings.

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