Standard ukulele tuning is G C E A, starting from the string nearest your chin. Here's the part that surprises guitar players: that G is usually tuned higher than the C next to it. It's called re-entrant tuning, and it's why a uke strum sounds bright and close together instead of deep. So if your tuner app keeps insisting your G is an octave off, it might be right, and so might you.
| String | Note | Pitch |
|---|---|---|
| 4th (top, nearest your chin) | G | G4 (high G) |
| 3rd | C | C4, middle C |
| 2nd | E | E4 |
| 1st | A | A4 |
Get the C string right first, from a piano or any reference. Then:
Tune up to the note, never down to it. New uke strings stretch a lot for the first week or so, so retuning every few minutes in that stretch is normal and not a sign the uke is broken.
Low G keeps the same notes but drops the G an octave, so the strings run low to high like a guitar. It needs a thicker G string made for it. Baritone ukulele is a different animal: D G B E, like the top four strings of a guitar. There's a baritone chord chart for that.
The Chartless tuner has ukulele targets for high G, low G and baritone, and once you're in tune it'll chart the chords of whatever song is playing as uke shapes. Handy for the "what's the chord at 1:14" moments.
More: free online tuner · ukulele chord chart · how to tune a mandolin · all guides.