The Ultimate Guide to the 6-String Ukulele (Guitalele) and How to Tune It Online

When most people think of a ukulele, they picture the classic four-string instrument—compact, breezy, and instantly evocative of a Hawaiian beach. But if you’ve ever picked up an instrument that looks like an oversized ukulele with six strings, you’ve likely encountered a 6-string ukulele, more commonly known as a guitalele (or sometimes a tenor 6-string ukulele, depending on the string configuration).

Combining the portability and tuning intervals of a classical guitar with the fun, miniature scale of a baritone or tenor ukulele, the 6-string variant is a secret weapon for guitarists and adventurous players alike. However, keeping those six strings properly pitched can be tricky without the right tools.

Here is everything you need to know about the 6-string ukulele, its unique tuning, and how you can use online tuners to get it sounding pristine in seconds.

What Exactly is a 6-String Ukulele?

To understand how to tune a 6-string ukulele, you first need to understand what kind you have, as “6-string ukulele” usually refers to one of two distinct instruments:

1. The Guitalele (Guitar-Ukulele): This is the most common 6-string hybrid. It is essentially a 1/4-size classical guitar tuned up a fourth. It features six single nylon strings, and because it uses standard guitar intervals, any guitar chord shape you already know will work instantly—it will just sound higher in pitch (in the key of A).
2. The 6-String Tenor/Baritone Ukulele (Doubled Strings): Some traditional ukuleles add doubled courses (similar to a 12-string guitar or a charango) on the C and/or A strings. These add a shimmering, chorus-like resonance to the traditional re-entrant or linear ukulele tuning.

For the sake of this guide, we will focus primarily on the Guitalele style (6 individual strings), as it is the most widespread 6-string configuration requiring specialized online tuning approaches.

Standard Guitalele Tuning: The “A” Tuning

If you try to tune a 6-string guitalele like a standard guitar (E-A-D-G-B-E), the strings will either feel entirely too loose and floppy or risk snapping under the tension of a short scale length.

Instead, a 6-string guitalele is tuned up a fourth from standard guitar tuning. Think of it as putting a capo on the 5th fret of a standard guitar.

From lowest-pitched (thickest string) to highest-pitched (thinnest string), the standard tuning is:

• 6th String (Lowest): A2
• 5th String: D3
• 4th String: G3
• 3rd String: C4
• 2nd String: E4
• 1st String (Highest): A4

Notice the intervals between the strings: A – D – G – C – E – A.