Ukulele · Chapter 19 of 24
Low-G Tuning
Same notes, same chord shapes, one string an octave lower. Low-G tuning gives the ukulele a deeper voice and five more notes at the bottom.
In standard tuning the 4th string is a high G, the G above middle C. In low-G tuning (also called linear tuning) that string is replaced with a thicker one tuned an octave lower, the G below middle C. The strings then go from low to high in order: G, C, E, A.
Standard (high G)
Low G
What changes
- Chord shapes stay the same. C is still 0003 and G7 is still 0212; the chords just sound fuller, with a lower bass note.
- New low notes. The open G string and its first four frets give G, G♯, A, A♯ and B below middle C, notes a high-G ukulele doesn’t have. Tunes that dip below middle C can be played as written.
- Tab can change. A tune written for high G may use the open 4th string for the G above middle C; on a low-G ukulele that note is at the 3rd fret of the E string instead. Songs on this site say which tuning they use.
C and G7, high G:
C and G7, low G:
Low G is more common on tenor and concert ukuleles than on sopranos. A low-G string is a different, thicker string: you can’t simply tune the regular G string down an octave.
Practice. If you have a low-G ukulele, play Ode to Joy: in bar 12 the tune drops to the open low G. If you don’t, press the two sets of open strings and the two pairs of chords above, and notice how the C chord gets a deeper bottom note in low G.
Remember
- Low G: the 4th string is tuned an octave lower, so the strings run low to high.
- Chord shapes don’t change; tunes gain five low notes, G to B below middle C.
- Check which tuning a tab was written for.