What is Low G Ukulele tuning?
Low G tuning changes exactly one thing about a standard ukulele: the 4th string is tuned to the G below middle C instead of the G above it — an octave down. The other three strings are untouched. The strings then run in order from low to high, the way a guitar’s do.
The chord shapes do not change at all, because the string is still a G. What changes is the sound and the range. Chords gain a bass note; the lowest note of the instrument drops from middle C to the G below it, which adds five notes at the bottom for melodies; and the bright, close strum of the re-entrant tuning becomes fuller and more guitar-like. It is most common on tenor ukuleles.
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 | G3 | 196.00 Hz | G4 → G3, an octave down |
| 3rd | C4 | 261.63 Hz | unchanged |
| 2nd | E4 | 329.63 Hz | unchanged |
| 1st | A4 | 440.00 Hz | unchanged |
Tuning to low G
- Fit a low-G string. A standard high-G string cannot be slackened an octave — it would be too loose to sound. Low-G strings are sold singly and in sets: either a thick plain string or a thinner wound one.
- Tune it to G3. Watch the octave on the dial. G3 is the same pitch as a guitar’s open 3rd string.
- Check it against the C string. The low G fretted at the 5th fret should match the open C string.
- Tune the other three as usual. C, E and A, exactly as in standard tuning.
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 | A | A♯ | B | C | C♯ | D |
| 2nd | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A |
| 3rd | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E | F |
| 4th | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | C |
Frequently asked questions
Are chords different on a low-G ukulele?
No — every chord shape is identical. The 4th string is still a G, only an octave lower, so each chord contains the same notes with one of them moved down. The chords sound fuller; you do not have to relearn anything.
Can I tune my existing G string down to low G?
No. Dropping a high-G string a full octave leaves it far too slack to play. Low G needs a different, heavier string made for that pitch.
Wound or unwound low G?
An unwound low-G string is thick and has a soft, round tone that blends with the other three. A wound one is thinner — so it fits the nut slot more easily — brighter, and squeaks slightly under the fingers. Both are tuned to the same G.
Which sounds more like a ukulele, high G or low G?
High G. The re-entrant string is what gives the instrument its traditional close, bright strum. Low G trades some of that for range and a bass note, and suits fingerpicked and melody playing.
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 Low G 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.
- C0003
- F2010
- G0232
- Am2000
- Dm2210
- Em4432
- G70212
- D2220