Ukulele tuning
Open C (G-C-E-G)
Open C tunes the ukulele to G-C-E-G, a C major chord with the fourth string on a low G — linear rather than reentrant: that G sounds an octave below the one on the first string. Open, it rings a full C, which makes it a very comfortable open tuning for accompaniment.
🎸 Open the tuner in this tuningThe tuner opens already preconfigured; you only need to allow microphone access.
Strings and frequencies
| String | Note | Hz |
|---|---|---|
| String 1 | G4 | 392.00 Hz |
| String 2 | E4 | 329.63 Hz |
| String 3 | C4 | 261.63 Hz |
| String 4 | G3 | 196.00 Hz |
How it sounds
Dropping the fourth string an octave gives the chord a floor the reentrant tuning does not have, and to that it adds the ease of an open tuning: straight one-finger barres give major chords all over the neck. It is ideal for simple strumming and first slide explorations.
Styles and genres
Recommended string gauges
It depends where you are coming from. If the ukulele is already in Low G, only the first string moves — A down to G — and whatever set is on it will do. Coming from the reentrant standard, two strings move, and the one that matters is the fourth: it drops a full octave, down to the same low G as Low G tuning, and an octave costs it three quarters of its tension. The usual reentrant string will not carry that note properly, so swap it for a Low G string, wound or heavy gauge.
Tuning tip
Learn the one-finger barre: in Open C, holding all strings at a single fret gives major chords you can slide around, a very fast way to accompany songs.
Related tunings
- Standard reentrant: the tuning it comes from, changing the first string and dropping the fourth an octave
- Traditional Hawaiian (G-C-E-G): another open tuning, ringing a G major chord
- D tuning: standard reentrant raised a whole step, another traditional variant
- Guitar Open C: the same C major chord, but with the biggest string drop on the site
Updated