GCEA tuning in a nutshell
A soprano, concert or tenor ukulele is tuned G, C, E, A, from the string closest to your face to the one closest to the floor. The quirk: the G string is higher than the C string. This is called "reentrant" tuning, and it's what gives the ukulele its light, bright sound. Strummed open, the four strings already make a chord, an Am7.
To check your tuning by ear, start from the C string:
- C string at the 4th fret = open E string;
- E string at the 5th fret = open A string;
- C string at the 7th fret = open G string.
Fredon's tuner works in GCEA, low G and baritone: it draws the ukulele's headstock, lights up the string you're playing and tells you whether to tighten or loosen it.
Reading the fingerings
In this guide, each chord is written as four numbers, one per string, in the order G, C, E, A. The number is the fret to press; 0 means an open string. Fingers are numbered: 1 for the index, 2 for the middle, 3 for the ring finger, 4 for the pinky. If chord charts look cryptic, see how to read chord diagrams.
The first four chords: C, Am, F, G
C: 0003
Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string, the other three strings open. The easiest of all, and the starting point of nearly every method book.
A minor (Am): 2000
Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. One finger, a darker sound than C.
F: 2010
Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, index on the 1st fret of the E string. It's Am with the index added: to switch between them, leave your middle finger where it is.
G: 0232
Index on the 2nd fret of the C string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, ring finger on the 3rd fret of the E string. The three fingers make a small triangle. It's the first chord that fights back a little: take the time to curve your fingers so you don't mute the A string.
With these four chords, you've got the most-used progression in popular music: C, G, Am, F, in one order or another.
The next four: G7, Em, D, B♭
G7: 0212
Index on the 1st fret of the E string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the C string, ring finger on the 2nd fret of the A string. The G triangle, flipped. G7 pulls toward C: it gives a real sense of coming home at the end of a phrase.
E minor (Em): 0432
Index on the 2nd fret of the A string, middle finger on the 3rd fret of the E string, ring finger on the 4th fret of the C string. It shares two notes with G: only the C string changes, from the 2nd fret to the 4th.
D: 2220
Three fingers side by side on the 2nd fret of the G, C and E strings, with the A string open. It's a tight fit: lots of players angle their index, middle and ring fingers, others use a mini barre with the index. Try both.
B♭ (Bb): 3211
Index laid flat across the 1st fret of the E and A strings, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the C string, ring finger on the 3rd fret of the G string. It's your first barre chord, the short version. Give it a few days. Keep your index straight, your thumb in the middle of the neck, and press close to the fret rather than hard.
First chord changes to practice
Play each chord for four beats, strumming down with your index finger or thumb. Once the change feels smooth, move on to the classic strumming pattern: down, down-up, up-down-up.
- C – Am – F – G. The ballad progression. Am → F is the easiest change: the middle finger doesn't move.
- C – G – Am – F. The same chords in a different order, the sound of today's pop.
- C – F – G7 – C. The basic pattern of folk and traditional songs. G7 leads back to C.
- G – Em – C – D. The same kind of progression, in G major, for lower voices.
- F – B♭ – C – F. To work B♭ into some actual music, rather than drilling it on its own.
A tip for fast progress: the one-minute change drill. Pick two chords, start a timer and count how many times you can switch between them in one minute. Do it every day: you'll see the improvement quickly. To put chords to a song you love, see how to find chords by ear.
Beginner mistakes
- A muted string. In F and G, the underside of a finger often touches the next string. Play the chord one string at a time: the one that sounds dull tells you which finger to fix.
- Pressing in the middle of the fret space. Put your fingertip just behind the fret: you'll press half as hard for a cleaner sound.
- Squeezing the neck. Your thumb stays relaxed behind the neck. If your hand gets tired after five minutes, you're squeezing too hard.
- Stopping to change chords. An imperfect chord on time beats a perfect chord that's late. Keep your strumming hand going, no matter what.
When you practice a single chord, Fredon can listen to what you play: the app tells you if the chord is right and, if not, which note is missing and on which strings. Handy for finding the muted string without guessing.
FAQ
Do guitar chords work on the ukulele?
The shapes do, but not the names. The ukulele's four strings match the four highest strings of a guitar with a capo at the 5th fret. So the shape that makes a D on guitar makes a G on ukulele. To understand that shift, see the capo guide.
What about low G, or a baritone ukulele?
In low G, the G string is tuned an octave lower: the fingerings in this guide stay the same, the sound is deeper and fuller. The baritone is tuned D, G, B, E, like the four highest strings of a guitar: the same shapes take the guitar chord names (see beginner guitar chords).