What is Baritone Ukulele tuning?
The baritone is the largest of the common ukuleles and the one that is tuned differently: D–G–B–E, a fourth below the G–C–E–A of the other three sizes. Those are exactly the notes of a guitar’s four highest strings, at the same pitch.
It is normally strung with a low 4th string, so the strings run low to high with no re-entrant string. The consequence people run into is chord names. The shapes are the same shapes a soprano uses, but every one makes a chord a fourth lower: the shape that is C on a standard ukulele is G on a baritone, and F becomes C. A guitarist, on the other hand, already knows every baritone chord — they are guitar chords with the two bass strings left off.
The highlighted strings are the ones that move. Tap a string to hear its target.
String notes and frequencies
The exact pitch of each open string at concert pitch, A = 440 Hz — the numbers a strobe or a frequency counter would show. The tuner above works from the same targets.
| String | Note | Frequency | From standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | D3 | 146.83 Hz | G4 → D3, 17 semitones down |
| 3rd | G3 | 196.00 Hz | C4 → G3, 5 semitones down |
| 2nd | B3 | 246.94 Hz | E4 → B3, 5 semitones down |
| 1st | E4 | 329.63 Hz | A4 → E4, 5 semitones down |
Tuning a baritone ukulele
- Tune the 4th string to D3. The lowest note: the D below middle C. On most baritones this and the 3rd string are wound.
- Tune the 3rd string to G3 and the 2nd to B3. Each is higher than the last — there is no high string out of order on a baritone.
- Tune the 1st string to E4. The E above middle C: the same note as a guitar’s open 1st string.
Where the notes are
The first five frets of every string in this tuning. Each fret is one semitone, so this is also how to check a string against its neighbour: find the fret where the lower string plays the higher string’s open note.
| String | Open | Fret 1 | Fret 2 | Fret 3 | Fret 4 | Fret 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A |
| 2nd | B | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E |
| 3rd | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | C |
| 4th | D | D♯ | E | F | F♯ | G |
Frequently asked questions
Is a baritone ukulele tuned like a guitar?
Like the top four strings of one, yes: D–G–B–E at the same pitches. That is why it is the easiest ukulele for a guitarist to pick up and the easiest step from ukulele to guitar.
Can I tune a baritone ukulele to G–C–E–A?
Not with its own strings — they would need to rise a fourth, which is too much tension. Sets of strings made to put a baritone in G–C–E–A exist, and a capo at the 5th fret does the same job in a moment.
What does a C chord shape make on a baritone?
A G chord. Every standard ukulele shape sounds a fourth lower on a baritone: the C shape is G, the F shape is C, the G shape is D and the A minor shape is E minor.
Does a baritone ukulele ever use a high D string?
Yes. Some players fit a high 4th string, tuned to the D above middle C, to get the re-entrant sound of the smaller ukuleles at baritone pitch. The chord shapes are unchanged. The targets on this page are for the usual low D.
For everything else about tuning the instrument itself — strings that slip, pegs, and what the dial is telling you — see the ukulele tuner and the standard ukulele tuning this one is measured from.
Common chord shapes in Baritone Ukulele tuning
Where the everyday chords fall on a ukulele tuned this way. Each shape is found by searching this tuning’s own strings for the frets that sound the chord — nothing here is copied from a standard-tuning chart — and each plays when you press it.
- C2010
- F3211
- G0003
- Am2210
- Dm0231
- Em2000
- G70001
- D0232