How to Tune a Baritone Ukulele Like a Tenor
The ukulele is a four-stringed instrument that originated in Portugal but gained widespread popularity in Hawaii. Although the ukulele is traditionally associated with Hawaiian music, it is also used in other genres such as folk music. There are four types of ukuleles: baritone, tenor, concert and soprano. The baritone ukulele is the biggest instrument of the group and has the lowest pitches. You can, however, alter the tuning of the baritone ukulele so that it mimics the tuning of the tenor instrument. You may want to use this alternate tuning to achieve a specific sound for certain songs.
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Instructions
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Pluck the D string (the lowest one and the one closest to your face when holding the instrument in playing position). Watch your electronic tuner as you tighten the tuning key and continue to pluck the string. Tighten the string until you reach the pitch of G.
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Tighten the tuning key for the next string (the G string typically) until you reach the pitch of C.
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Tighten the tuning key for the third string (the B string) until it registers an E pitch.
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Tighten the tuning key for the last string (E string) until it reaches the pitch of A.
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Tips & Warnings
Although this method arranges the strings' pitches in the same order as that of a tenor ukulele, it also places greater tension on the neck of the instrument since all of the strings are tuned considerably higher. If you want to reduce the tension of the neck of the instrument, you can leave the second and last strings as they are (pitches G and E). Then tune the first string up from D to E and the third string up from B to C. The strings won't be in the same order as a tenor ukulele's, but they will have the same pitches.
References
- Photo Credit tuning the ukulele image by Shirley Hirst from Fotolia.com
