Ukulele Tuner Online: Tune Your Ukulele Easily
Tuner settings
🎶 Tune by ear 🎶
Need to tune your ukulele 🎶? You're in the right place. This free online ukulele tuner from OnlineTuner.org works straight from your browser — no app, no download, no sign-up. Just click “Start tuner” above, pluck your strings one at a time, and the tuner tells you instantly whether each string needs to go up or down. Prefer to tune by ear? Play the four notes of standard ukulele tuning (G–C–E–A) on our tuner synthesizer and match them. Below you'll also find the exact string frequencies, alternate ukulele tunings, and answers to the questions ukulele players ask most.
Standard ukulele tuning: G–C–E–A
Soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles are all tuned the same way: G4–C4–E4–A4, known as standard C tuning or re-entrant tuning. It's called re-entrant because the 4th string (G) is higher in pitch than the 3rd string (C), which gives the ukulele its bright, jumping sound. Baritone ukuleles are the exception — see the alternate tunings below.
| String | Note | Frequency (A4 = 440 Hz) | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | G4 | 392.00 Hz | Top string when you hold the ukulele |
| 3rd | C4 (middle C) | 261.63 Hz | Lowest string in pitch |
| 2nd | E4 | 329.63 Hz | Second from the bottom |
| 1st | A4 | 440.00 Hz | Bottom string, highest in pitch |
Our tuner is set to this standard arrangement by default, and alternate tunings are covered further down for different playing styles and songs.
How to use our online ukulele tuner
Scroll down to the tuner and follow these four steps:
- Find a quiet spot. Background noise makes pitch detection harder, so the quieter the room, the more precise your tuning. Sit with your ukulele in front of the device you're using.
- Click “Start tuner” and allow OnlineTuner.org to use your device's microphone. Nothing is recorded or uploaded — the audio is analysed in your browser.
- Pluck one string at a time. The tuner displays the closest note to the pitch it hears and tells you whether to tune up (the string is flat) or tune down (the string is sharp).
- Turn the peg until the note turns green. The note above the meter turns green once the string is in tune. Repeat for all four strings, then go around a second time — tightening one string slightly changes the tension on the others.
The tuner uses a precise pitch-detection algorithm and a simple interface, so it works just as well for a first-day beginner as for a gigging player doing a quick check before a set.
How do I tune a ukulele string up or down?
Find the tuning peg that matches the string you're adjusting — the picture above shows which peg controls which string. Pluck the string, then hold the peg and turn it slowly while watching the tuner:
- Tune up (raise the pitch) by tightening the string.
- Tune down (lower the pitch) by loosening it.
Which physical direction that means depends on your headstock and which side the peg sits on, so trust the tuner rather than a rule about clockwise or counter-clockwise: turn a little, pluck again, and see which way the reading moves. Always adjust in small increments and check the tuner often — over-tightening is the most common way to snap a string. If a string is very flat, come up to pitch gradually rather than in one large turn, and if you overshoot, drop below the target note and come back up so the string settles under tension.
Ukulele tuning variations
Standard C tuning covers the vast majority of ukulele songs, but these alternatives are all in regular use. You can tune to any of them with this tuner by matching the notes listed below.
| Tuning | Notes (4th → 1st string) | Frequencies | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard C (re-entrant) | G4 – C4 – E4 – A4 | 392.00 / 261.63 / 329.63 / 440.00 Hz | Soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles; the default for most songbooks and chord charts |
| Low-G (linear) | G3 – C4 – E4 – A4 | 196.00 / 261.63 / 329.63 / 440.00 Hz | Fingerstyle, solo arrangements and melody playing; adds five lower notes without changing your chord shapes |
| Baritone | D3 – G3 – B3 – E4 | 146.83 / 196.00 / 246.94 / 329.63 Hz | Baritone ukuleles; matches the top four strings of a guitar, so guitar chord shapes transfer directly |
| D tuning | A4 – D4 – F♯4 – B4 | 440.00 / 293.66 / 369.99 / 493.88 Hz | A whole tone above standard; a brighter, sweeter sound favoured in older Hawaiian and vaudeville repertoire, and on small sopranos |
| Bass ukulele | E1 – A1 – D2 – G2 | 41.20 / 55.00 / 73.42 / 98.00 Hz | U-bass and bass ukuleles; same tuning as a bass guitar |
Tuning your ukulele by ear
If your microphone isn't available, or you simply want to train your ear, use the tuner synthesizer below. It plays each of the four ukulele notes on demand: listen to the reference pitch, play the same string, and adjust until the two sounds blend into one without any wavering. That pulsing “beat” you hear when two pitches are close but not identical slows down as you get nearer — when it disappears, the string is in tune. Ear tuning is less precise than the microphone tuner, so it's worth confirming with the meter afterwards.
Understanding the tuner's settings
This tuner is built to suit beginners and experienced musicians alike, with settings you can adjust for your instrument and your environment. Each one is available directly on the tuner, or under “Advanced settings”.
Adjusting the A4 reference frequency
The A4 frequency is the reference pitch from which every other note is calculated, and it's the most consequential setting here. The default is the international standard of A = 440 Hz, but many musicians prefer alternatives such as A = 432 Hz or A = 442 Hz. Being able to move this reference means the tuner works for historical temperaments — pitch standards were generally lower in the past — as well as for modern experimental tunings, and for playing alongside an ensemble or a recording tuned to something other than 440.
Setting the tuner's sensitivity
Sensitivity is controlled through the algorithm's probability threshold. Raising it makes the tuner more selective, so it only reports a note when it's confident about the pitch; lowering it makes the tuner respond more readily to quiet or unclear signals. A higher threshold suits ultra-precise tuning and clean acoustic signals, while a lower one helps with soft nylon strings, older strings that don't sustain well, or a ukulele played through effects.
Tuning in noisy environments
The noise gate is your ally in acoustically difficult rooms. Whether there's an air conditioner humming in the background or other musicians warming up in a rehearsal space, the noise gate lets you set a volume threshold below which sounds are ignored. Only your ukulele gets picked up and analysed, which keeps the reading stable instead of jumping between notes.
Meter tuner vs slider tuner
This one is purely a matter of taste. The meter tuner shows a needle moving either side of centre; the slider tuner shows your pitch travelling along a horizontal scale. Switch between them at any time with the “Display the slider tuner” toggle.
Ukulele tuning tips
- Brand-new strings won't hold pitch. Nylon and fluorocarbon strings stretch for the first few days to a week. Expect to retune several times a session at first — gently pulling each string away from the fretboard helps them settle faster.
- Tune before every session, and again after ten or fifteen minutes of playing once the strings have warmed up.
- Temperature and humidity move your tuning. A ukulele carried in from the cold, or left near a radiator or in direct sun, will need retuning once it acclimatises.
- Always approach the note from below. Coming up to pitch leaves the string seated properly at the nut and holds better than arriving from above.
- Check your intonation too. If open strings read in tune but fretted chords sound off, the problem is usually string height, worn strings, or pressing too hard rather than your tuning.
- Change strings every few months if you play regularly. Old strings go dull, drift out of tune quickly and become difficult for any tuner to read cleanly.
Frequently asked questions about ukulele tuning
What are the four ukulele strings tuned to?
In standard tuning, a ukulele's strings are G4 (392 Hz), C4 (261.63 Hz), E4 (329.63 Hz) and A4 (440 Hz), running from the top string to the bottom string. The C string is the lowest in pitch and the A string the highest.
Is a soprano, concert and tenor ukulele tuned the same?
Yes. All three use standard G–C–E–A tuning, so chord shapes and songbooks transfer between them — the difference is body size, scale length and tone, not pitch. Baritone ukuleles are tuned D–G–B–E instead.
Can I tune my ukulele online without a microphone?
Yes. Use the tuner synthesizer on this page to play each reference note and match your strings by ear. It's a good fallback if your device has no microphone or you've declined the permission prompt.
Why does my ukulele go out of tune so fast?
Most often because the strings are new and still stretching, or because the instrument has moved between different temperatures or humidity levels. Slipping tuning pegs, badly wound strings and strings that need replacing are the other usual culprits.
How often should I tune my ukulele?
Every time you pick it up, and again after your first few minutes of playing. It takes under a minute with this tuner, and playing an in-tune instrument is the fastest way to train your ear.
Is this online ukulele tuner accurate?
It is. The tuner analyses your microphone signal in the browser with a precise pitch-detection algorithm, and you can fine-tune its behaviour with the A4 reference frequency, probability threshold and noise gate settings described above. For the best results, tune in a quiet room and pluck each string cleanly, one at a time.
All our online ukulele tuners
Different songs call for different tunings. Below you will find every free online tuner we offer for this instrument, from standard tuning to alternative options such as drop, open and half-step tunings. Each tuner runs directly in your browser and listens through your microphone. There is nothing to install and nothing to pay. Choose the tuning you need and start playing in seconds.
