Intro

There are four common sizes of uke. From the smallest down (in pitch):

• Soprano or Standard, with a scale (string sounding length) of about 33cm.
• Concert, with a scale of about 38cm.
• Tenor, with a scale of about 43cm.
• Baritone, with a scale of about 48cm.

All but the baritone are commonly tuned in a reentrant tuning. However non-reentrant tunings for all four also exist, and also slack-key open tunings. Generally, the larger the uke, the more likely it is to be tuned non-reentrant.

Soprano or Standard ukulele

The most common size and standard student instrument.

Standard tuning is C tuning (reentrant), also know as high-G or high-4th tuning:

• g' - c' - e' - a'

Also common is the slightly brighter D tuning:

• a' - d' - f# ' - b'

Non-reentrant D tuning is known as Canadian tuning:

• a - d' - f# ' - b'

Non-reentrant C tuning is known as low-G tuning or low-4th tuning:

• g - c' - e' - a'

Concert ukulele

Just two common tunings, high or low 4th, also known as high or low G, respectively:

• g' - c' - e' - a'

• g - c' - e' - a'

Yes, these are just the two C tunings for the smaller Soprano! The Concert is just louder and more full-bodied than the Sop, and less suited to D tunings.

Tenor ukulele

Low-4th:

• g - c' - e' - a'

High-4th:

• g' - c' - e' - a'

D tuning:

• d' - g - b - e'

Canadian:

• d - g' - b' - e'

Baritone ukulele

Rarely tuned to anything other than non-reentrant:

• d - g - b - e'