Ukulele tuner – Soprano in D (ADF#B)
A-D-F#-B · Alternative
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 Soprano in D (ADF#B) tuning (A-D-F#-B). 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 Soprano in D (ADF#B) tuning
Compared with Standard (GCEA), Soprano in D (ADF#B) moves 4 strings. Every change is upward, the largest by 2 semitones, so the strings pull tighter than in Standard (GCEA).
| String | Standard (GCEA) | Soprano in D (ADF#B) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G4 | A4 | up 2 semitones |
| 2 | C4 | D4 | up 2 semitones |
| 3 | E4 | F#4 | up 2 semitones |
| 4 | A4 | B4 | up 2 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound A-D-F#-B – from D4 at the bottom to B4 at the top, a span of 9 semitones.
Soprano in D (ADF#B) is re-entrant: the strings do not rise steadily in pitch, so the string nearest your thumb is not the lowest note available. That is deliberate, and it is a large part of why the instrument sounds the way it does.
Left open, the strings together spell D6. 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 D6 shapes in this tuning →
D tuning – ADF#B – is the older ukulele standard, a whole tone above the modern GCEA. Sheet music printed in the first half of the twentieth century generally assumes it, and it is still common in Canada and among players of vintage sopranos.
Small sopranos often sound better here: the extra tension brings out the top end on a short scale. Everything transposes by a tone, so chord charts for standard tuning work if you rename the chords.
History
Where the Soprano in D (ADF#B) tuning comes from
A-D-F#-B, “D tuning”, was the usual ukulele tuning in the United States and Britain in the 1920s and 30s; sheet music of the time printed ukulele chords for it, and the mnemonic “My dog has fleas” fits its intervals. It is slightly brighter than C tuning and is still used by some players of soprano instruments.
Other Ukulele tunings
Alternative
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my Ukulele to Soprano in D (ADF#B)?
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 (A-D-F#-B).
Which notes are used in Soprano in D (ADF#B) tuning?
Soprano in D (ADF#B) tuning for Ukulele uses the notes A-D-F#-B, 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.