Although historically the ukulele has known many ways of tuning the instrument, today the most common tuning and one that has become part of standard tuning is the HIGH G – G4 C4 E4 A4. This type of tuning has an important peculiarity (especially for guitarists approaching the ukulele): the notes are not tuned from the highest to the lowest note, but use a fourth string tuned to the same octave as the other notes, sounding in fact like a re-entrant G. This makes the ukulele unique and easily identifiable.

But is it possible to tune the ukulele in stepped tuning?
Certainly, many ukulelists to extend the range of notes they can play use the fourth string (thought to be the same octave as the other strings) tuned an octave below the standard tuning presented above. This specific tuning is called Low G – G3 C4 E4 A4.

Other tunings
Two other tunings are used in ukuleles the first is designed primarily for baritone ukuleles but is also often used for tenor ukuleles and takes the last four strings of the guitar
D3 G3 B3 E4.
Another tuning used is the so-called Canadian tuning, also popular in this state, which is the standard tuning raised one tone A4 D4 F#4 B4.

Fifths tunings are special sets that allow mandolin and violin tunings to be played. Due to the special nature of these strings, they are specially designed for soprano G3 D3 A3 E4 or concert sizes C3 G3 D3 A4 and cannot be installed on sizes other than those for which they are designed.

Another set designed for sopranino size only is tuned an octave above the standard GCEA one octave higher – G5 C5 E5 A5.

You can find ukuleles of different sizes on the market, the sizes considered standard are SOPRANO, CONCERT and TENOR while the less common but still sold sizes are SOPRANINO and BARITONE.

Figuring out which size your ukulele is is the first step to figuring out which string is best for you.

But how to recognise the size of your ukulele?
If you’re not sure of the size of your instrument, your best bet is to measure the scale length of your instrument. Each ukulele has a different shape and size of sound box, so the only certain datum for determining the size is the measurement of the space in which the string is free to vibrate after you play it, , i.e. the distance between the bridge and the capo, which is a datum that will always be the same for all instruments of a given size. Once this distance has been measured, it will be sufficient to compare the datum with this table:

Please note: ‘special’ instruments such as uke banjos, resophones, solid bodies or others follow the same size definition principle as above, it does not matter the shape of the instrument but only the scale length to determine the size of the instrument.

The last step is to determine your tone, as each set varies the density of the plastic material resulting in a more or less metallic sound. Generally the sweeter, mellower sound is perfect for strumming while the more metallic sound is perfect for virtuosic techniques such as fingerstyle.

Here is a legend of the sets we sell: