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LESSONSeries : Common Ukulele Tunings
Tuning Your Ukulele
From tuning by ear to using an electronic tuner. The lesson goes over the various tuning methods for tuning your ukulele. You ALWAYS need to play in tune.
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Basically just BUY an electronic tuner and use it or use an app on your phone. However, also learn to tune your ukulele to itself when no external tuning reference is available, or, you just don't have you tuner around. Both valuable skills to learn.
- A dedicated page on Tuning Your Ukulele
- A dedicated page on Common and Not So Common Ukulele Tunings
Tuning by Ear
This is tuning by using a reference note and comparing each string to this note. A tuning fork, piano or other instrument can be used as the reference note.
Using the open string as your reference note, in the case of "C" tuning, an A note and using an A440Hz tuning fork or other instrument. Tune the open string one to this reference note. Adjust the string higher or lower to match the reference note. I listen for any wobble or oscillation between the pitches and tune until this goes away. If I get lost and I'm not sure if I'm too sharp or flat, higher or lower in pitch to the reference note. I loosen the string until I know it is flat, or lower in pitch and start over.
Compare string ② fret (5) to string ① open. These are the exact same note and pitches.
Now this is where most people make an error in tuning. They then compare string three to two. If you didn't string two just right, any error will be introduced to string three.
Compare string ③ fret (9) to string ① open. This is the same note. String one might even vibrate on its oven when you play the note on string three if it is tuned.
Compare string ④ fret (2) to string ① open. If using a high "G" tuning this is the same note. If using a low "G" tuning, this note is one octave lower and still a pure interval.
NOTE: Only compare pure intervals, unison and octaves.
Musical Intervals, Frequency, and Ratio
In order to really understand tuning, the harmonic series, intervals, and harmonic relationships, it is very useful to understand a little bit about the physics of sound and to be comfortable discussing ratios, fractions, and decimals. This lesson is a short review of some basic math concepts for students who want to understand some of the math and physics principles that underlie music theory.
Tuning Systems
Here are two tuning systems, names that you might encounter in you travels in ukulele circles.
The Pythagorean System
Pythagorean tuning is a system of musical tuning in which the frequency relationships of all intervals are based on the ratio 3:2. Its name comes from medieval texts which attribute its discovery to Pythagoras, but its use has been documented as long ago as 3500 B.C. in Babylonian texts. It is the oldest way of tuning the 12-note chromatic scale. ( source Wikipedia )
Equal Temperament
In musical tuning, a temperament is a system of tuning which slightly compromises the pure intervals of just intonation in order to meet other requirements of the system.( source Wikipedia )
Equal Temperament IS the tuning system that we use in western music.
The Problem with Tuning Using Harmonics
The music we play and listen to, which is based on the 12-tone scale, uses equal temperament tuning (see Equal Temperament
above).
A Harmonic, a pure interval. Equal Temperament tuning does not use pure intervals. As such, the ukulele, which uses the Equal Temperament tunings, is not tuned using pure intervals. So unless you are comparing the same pitches or octaves, the only pure intervals — you will get tuning errors.
You can use harmonics to get close then use octaves and unison notes for final tweaking.
Relative Tuning
If you have a good Relative Pitch and can recognized melodic intervals. You can tune your ukulele by comparing one note to another. Using the open strings the comparison intervals are:
High "G" - C Tuning (gCEA) and High "A" - D Tuning (aDF#B)
- Compare string ② to string ①, a perfect fourth
- Compare string ③ to string ②, a major third
- Compare string ④ to string ①, major second
Low G
– C Tuning (GCEA), Low A
– D Tuning (ADF#B), and G tuning (DGBE)
- Compare string ② to string ①, a perfect fourth
- Compare string ③ to string ②, a major third
- Compare string ④ to string ③, perfect fourth
Note:: The Low G
tuning is the same relative intervals as the thins four strings of the guitar.
To develop Relative Pitch visit the Ear Training lesson page .
Using Electronic Tuner
The greatest invention since Sliced Bread
.
There a lot of electronic tuners available that can be used for tuning your ukulele. There are foot pedals, clip-one tuners. LED tuners, built-in instrument tuners, and strobe tunes. Visit the LearningUkulele.com page on Electronic Tuners for listings of manufactures and information on these types of tuners.
I recommend getting a chromatic tuner that can tune a string to anyone of the 12 notes of the chromatic scale. A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# .
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A Selection of Books & Reference Charts that are recommended for creating a solid foundation with your chosen instrument and music in general.
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Reference Charts
Key Signatures — Circle of Fourths and Fifths – ANSI A & A4 sizes
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