UkuleleLessons

by Curt Sheller 20051012.1.1 • UL08 • $9.95

Created: September 2005 • Updated October 2005

ALL LEVELS

Re-Entrant and Common Ukulele Tuning

Just what is this re-entrant ukulele tuning?
Here is my take on the ukulele’s common Re-entrant tuning. If coming from the guitar where
the strings are tuned low to high. It
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can seem a little strange at first with an���������������������
instrument like the
ukulele and a re-entrant tuning where the lowest note of the instrument might not be the lowest
string.
Here is how the common re-entrant “C” tuning of gCEA would look if it was represented as a
graph. A lower bar indicates a lower pitched note and higher bars indicate higher pitched note.
Not a steady ascending or descent series of notes.

A
G
E
C

1 2 3 4
Here are the common “C” tunings for the ukulele shown in concert pitch.

C Tuning, High “G”

& œ œ œ
C Tuning - High “G” - For Soprano, Concert œ
and Tenor ukulele. The same as the higher G C E A
four strings of a standard tuned guitar with a
capo at the fifth fret but with string four “G”,
one octave higher. This is sometimes called
Standard tuning.
This is the most common tuning in Hawaii and & œ œ
the mainland USA. œ œ
C Tuning, Low “G” G C E A
C Tuning - Low ‘G’ - For Soprano, Concert
and Tenor ukulele. Same as “C” Tuning but
with string four one octave lower. This is the
same as placing a capo at the fifth fret of a
standard tuned guitar.

© 2005 Curt Sheller - www.UkuleleChords.net • www.UkuleleResources.com

 UkuleleLessons by Curt Sheller 
UkuleleChords.net • UkuleleResources.com

What does this mean for the ukulele?

For Chords
High “G”, Re-entrant C Tuning allows for close chord voicings. A close chord voicing is where
all the notes of the chord are contained within one octave. The first C7 example below is a close
chord voicing. The second C7 chord is in low “G”, C tuning and called an open voicing.
In music theory the first C7 is in root position with the root of the chord (C) being the lowest
note. The second could be notated as C7/G, a slash chord .

C7 C7

& b ˙˙ b˙
˙˙ ˙˙
˙
In Low “G”, C Tuning the intervals of this tuning are the same intervals as a standard tuned
guitar with a capo at the fifth fret (A D G C E A). This tuning produces open voicings or drop
2 chord voicings. The second C7 chord above is an example of a drop 2 chord voicing where the
second note from the top is dropped one octave.
Close voicings are typically harder to finger for each inversion of a 4-part chord on the ukulele in
low “G” tuning. You get them for free with the re-entrant tuning. Impossible on a guitar but just
hard on a uke.

For Single Notes

C7 C7

& b œœœ œ bœ
œœ œ
œ œ
High “G”, Re-entrant Tuning allows you to play the G melody note in measure one of the
above example using the open string 4. It could also be played like the example in measure two
above. You have two options as it is the same note and pitch.
Low “G”, C Tuning extends the range to G below middle C, a perfect fifth lower. This allows
you to cover a wider range of songs when creating melody and chord solo arrangements. In the
above example in low “G” tuning, string 4 can not be use to play the G as in measure one.
 UkuleleLessons by Curt Sheller 
UkuleleChords.net • UkuleleResources.com

C Major Scale
Here is a C major scale played two ways that demonstrates the effects of the ukulele’s re-entrant
tuning when playing single notes.

C Tuning, High “G”

° 4
A C D E F G A B C C D E F G A B C

&4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
44
¢⁄
0 2 3
0 1 3
0 2 4 5 0 2
0 2 4 5

This examples shown one possible fingering solution. Alternate fingers are possible
This is very useful for adding single notes with chords when playing chord melody style.
A little strange to our normal way of thinking that ascending notes will be on higher strings.

QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele

Volume I, Key of C Tuning
Six essential scales for ukulele.
Covers the Blues, Pentatonic,
Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and
Ionian scales for a standard “low G”
tuned (G C E A) Soprano, Concert
and Tenor ukulele.
Scale Fingerings for Ukulele is a
highly organized, efficient system
of scale fingerings. Each fingering
pattern is shown with a fingerboard
shape, TAB and standard music
notation. Related chords are also
explained for each scale.
Master these fingerings and unlock
your potential as a ukulele player.
For More Information visit
www.UkuleleChords.net
 UkuleleLessons by Curt Sheller 
UkuleleChords.net • UkuleleResources.com

Key of G - II V I Chord Example

Here is an example melody that will be used for examples using both tunings.

Am7 D7 Gmaj7
4 œ œ œ œ w
& 4

The above melody harmonized with 4-part chords using “C” tuning, High “G” and
“C” tuning, Low “G”
High “G”, C Tuning - re-entrant tuning and close voicing of chords.

Am7 D7 Gmaj7 Am7 D7 Gmaj7

5fr 5fr 5fr 5fr

° 4 œœ
A B
œ #œœœœ œ œœ œ œœ œ
& 4 œœ #w
ww
w œ
œ #œœ #w
w
w
w
Am7 D7

¢⁄
7 5 2 7 3 5 3 2
5 5 2 5 5 2
7 6 2 7 6 2
5 5 5 5 0 5 5 0

Low “G”,C Tuning - Drop-2 chord voicings.

Am7 D7 Gmaj7 Am7 D7 Gmaj7

5fr 5fr 5fr 5fr

° 4 œœ
A B
œœœ #œœœœ œœœ #w œœ œœ œœ œœ #w
& 4 œœ œ œ www œ œœ #œœ œœ w
w
œ w

¢⁄
7 3 5 3 2 7 3 5 3 2
5 3 5 2 2 5 3 5 2 2
7 4 6 2 2 7 4 6 2 2
5 2 5 2 0 5 2 5 2 0
 UkuleleLessons by Curt Sheller 
UkuleleChords.net • UkuleleResources.com

Common Ukulele Tunings

In addition to the “C” tuning, both high “G” and low “G” variations there are several common
ukulele tunings.

D Tuning
“D” tuning - For Soprano, Concert and Tenor
& œ #œ œ
ukulele. The same as the higher four strings œ
of a standard tuned guitar with a capo at the
seventh fret with string four “A” one octave A D F# B
higher.
This tuning and the low “A” varioation to follow
is popular in Europe and Canada.

D Tuning, Low “A”

“D” tuning , Low ‘A’ Tuning - For Soprano, & #œ œ
Concert and Tenor ukulele. The same as the œ œ
higher four strings of a standard tuned guitar
A D F# B
with a capo at the seventh fret.

G Tuning
“G” tuning - For Baritone and Tenor ukulele. œ œ
The same as the higher four strings of a & œ œ
standard tuned guitar. So you already know D G B E
how to play the Baritone and Tenor Ukulele.
String 4 can also be tuned up one octave.
œ œ œ
& œ
D G B E
Summary
Beyond the above tunings and the “C” tuning other tunings are possible but not as common. Just
like the guitar the ukulele can be tuned to any note as long as the string gauge and construction
of the ukulele can support it.
Bottom line is your need several ukes for the various tuning variations and different sized ukes.
They all don’t have to be great ukes to experiment with the tunings.
 UkuleleLessons by Curt Sheller 
UkuleleChords.net • UkuleleResources.com

Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard

Finally learn the notes of the neck...
Beyond knowing the names of the open strings most ukulele players
find it hard to learn the whole fingerboard.

If your goal is to finally learn the names of

the notes on the ukulele fingerboard for your
favorite tuning or all three common tunings,
including the low tuning variations of each.
Then “Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard” is your
answer. “Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard” has
a step by step approach to finally mastering the
ukulele fingerboard.

Covers the three common ukulele tunings: “C”,

“D” and “G” tuning.
For More Information visit
www.UkuleleChords.net

20050910.1.0