Tuning is a must-have skill for those who own, or are thinking of owning, an instrument. So many instruments require tuning- guitar, ukulele, violin, and many more! Today, let's explore how to accurately tune our ukulele!
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There are several types of tuning methods- by ear, using a pitch pipe, tuning fork, or electronic tuners. Nowadays, you can even download tuning apps on your phone!
For this tutorial, we will be using our very own line of ukulele- Alegria UK27C (concert-sized) - and an electronic tuner, which measure vibrations.
This means you can tune your ukulele very accurately, even in a noisy room! Other electronic tuners (including apps) measure via speakers/sound, which can be affected by noise, which is inevitable.
Here, you see a few words, which stand for the various settings to tune different instruments. Chro stands for chromatic, Guitar for guitar, Bass for bass guitar, Violin for violin and Ukul for ukulele.
For this tutorial, we'll use the Ukulele setting.
The standard tuning for soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles is the same – G C E A. You can remember this via the acronym “Good Cooks Eat A lot”, or Singaporean teenagers’ worst nightmare- the GCE A Levels.
You’ll know the string is accurately tuned when the needle is at the centre. If the needle is slanted to the left, the pitch is flat. If the needle is slanted to the right, the pitch is sharp.
Step One
Clip your tuner to the headstock and turn it on. Since the tuner detects vibrations, keep on strumming the string you are tuning!
Step Two
To tune the G-string, turn the knob anti-clockwise. It is in tune when the needle is at the centre like so:
The same applies for the next 3 steps! As the E-string and A-string is on the opposite side of the headstock. You have to look at the knob from the side, so that you can face it front-view.
Then turn the knobs anti-clockwise for both E-string and A-string until the needle is accurately at the centre.
Here's also a picture of how the battery and how it looks like when taken out.
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
#1: They don’t feed a constant vibration.
For instance they strum once, turn the knob and strum once again to check the pitch. You will use up a lot of time to tune just one string! Just strum the string and turn the knob at the same time, until the needle is at the middle.
#2: They “ignore” the note of the string and just tune to the middle.
For example, they may tune the G-string to an “E” instead of a “G”. This could be because they play the string and see the “E” note. It is important to tune to the note specific to the string itself!
And there you have it! With our little guidance, we hope you find it easier to tune your ukulele or instrument! Also, if you are on the lookout for quality ukuleles, check out our online shop- we are certain you can find the one for you!