Ukulele tuner – Baritone (DGBE)
D-G-B-E · Standard
Press “Start tuner” – the browser will ask for microphone access. Sound is analysed on this device and never uploaded.
This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows how close each string of your Ukulele is to Baritone (DGBE) tuning (D-G-B-E). Play a string, watch the needle, and turn the peg until the meter glows green. If you prefer tuning by ear, tap any string card to hear its reference tone.
About Baritone (DGBE) tuning
Compared with Standard (GCEA), Baritone (DGBE) moves 4 strings. Every change is downward, the largest by 17 semitones, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Standard (GCEA).
| String | Standard (GCEA) | Baritone (DGBE) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G4 | D3 | down 17 semitones |
| 2 | C4 | G3 | down 5 semitones |
| 3 | E4 | B3 | down 5 semitones |
| 4 | A4 | E4 | down 5 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound D-G-B-E – from D3 at the bottom to E4 at the top, a span of 1 octave and 2 semitones. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fourth, a major third, a fourth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
Left open, the strings together spell G6. That is a by-product of how the intervals are laid out rather than the point of the tuning, but it does mean some chords need very few fingers here. See G6 shapes in this tuning →
The baritone ukulele is tuned DGBE – exactly the top four strings of a guitar. A guitarist can pick one up and already know every chord on it, which is most of the reason the size exists.
It is not re-entrant and it sits a fourth below the standard ukulele, so it sounds warmer and closer to a small guitar than to a soprano. Chord charts written for standard ukulele still work, but they will sound in a different key.
History
Where the Baritone (DGBE) tuning comes from
The baritone ukulele, tuned D-G-B-E like the top four strings of a guitar, appeared in the late 1940s. It is associated with the entertainer Arthur Godfrey, who promoted it on radio and television in the 1950s; it was manufactured by Vega and later by many other companies.
Other Ukulele tunings
Alternative
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my Ukulele to Baritone (DGBE)?
Allow microphone access, pluck a string, and the tuner will detect it automatically. The needle shows whether the string is flat or sharp – adjust until the reading is within ±5 cents (D-G-B-E).
Which notes are used in Baritone (DGBE) tuning?
Baritone (DGBE) tuning for Ukulele uses the notes D-G-B-E, listed from the lowest string to the highest.
Can I tune without a microphone?
Yes. Every string card plays a reference tone – tap it and match your string to the sound by ear.