Standard ukulele tuning is re-entrant: the 4th string, G, is higher than the 3rd. In low G tuning that string drops an octave to G3 (196 Hz), so the notes run straight from low to high: G C E A. You gain a deeper bass note and a wider range for melodies and fingerstyle arrangements, at the cost of some of the bright, classic uke strum.
A tuner set to high G would say your low G is an octave off. This low G ukulele tuner is our ukulele tuner with Low G selected, so the 4th string's target is G3.
How to use it
- Make sure a low G string is fitted: it is thicker and often wound. A regular G string tuned an octave down would be floppy.
- Tap Turn on microphone and play the 4th string: tune it to G3.
- Tune the 3rd string to C, the 2nd to E and the 1st to A, the same as standard.
- Retune often during the first days: new strings stretch.
High G or low G?
Low G is most popular on tenor and concert ukuleles, especially for solo fingerstyle, jazz chords and singing in lower keys. High G gives the bright, rolling strum most people associate with the uke. Switching only takes a string change: to come back, fit a regular G string and choose Standard (high G) in the Tuning menu.
Tips
- By ear, the low G at the 5th fret matches the open C string.
- Wound low G strings can squeak under the fingers; fluorocarbon ones are quieter but stretch longer.
- Check the nut slot: a thick low G string can bind and make tuning jumpy.
Frequently asked questions
What notes is a low G ukulele tuned to?
G3 C4 E4 A4: the usual G C E A, with the G an octave lower.
Can I put a low G string on any ukulele?
Most concert and tenor ukes take one easily; some sopranos have a nut slot too narrow for a thick string.
Do chords change with low G?
No. Shapes and chord names stay the same; only the voicing changes, with the G string now the lowest note.
Why does the tuner say my G is wrong?
With a high G string fitted, it should be G4: choose Standard (high G). With a low G string, keep Low G selected.
Is low G the same as baritone tuning?
No. Baritone ukes are tuned D G B E; see the baritone ukulele tuner.