How do I tune my guitar like a ukulele?
April 8, 2010 
3 Comments
I’m trying to learn a ukulele song on my standard 6 string electric. If I capo fret 5, the top four strings are GCEA – which is like a ukulele, except the G (on the guitar’s D string) is an octave lower.
How high can I tune my D string before it breaks? Is there a way to capo only my D string on fret 17 so it’s the ‘correct’ G when played open?
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It may be “possible” to tune a guitar string an octave above what it was intended, but I sure wouldn’t recommend it. That string is bound to snap. You also don’t want to put that much tension on the bridge.
You want a uke, play a uke. Otherwise, just play with the D string tuned as it is. You could achieve that tuning with two capos, but then you wouldn’t be able to play chords unless you have two left hands. Got two left hands?
Kabum
Have you considered just building a ukulele? Then you wouldn’t have to mess with the weird guitar tuning. I’ve made cigar box ukuleles and cookie tin banjoleles (among other stringed instruments). Both are a lot of fun to play and not very difficult to build. I actually have one of each in the works right now, but I’m waiting on strings to finish them up.
You can see one of my banjolele’s here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/resistzine/2479188334/in/set-72157603324916027/
and some of the other instruments I’ve built here:
http://www.myspace.com/hobonickelmusic
If you need some help building your instrument, feel free to join my musical instrument building group
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/homemade_musical_instruments/
Actually, many ‘ukulele artists these days are using what is called a “low g” string (Bruddah IZ did). A low g string gives an ‘ukulele a more balanced sound. The low g is the same as the G that you get from capoing on the fifth fret. So that means unless you want the re-entrant twang, you can just play with a capo at the 5th fret. But no, I wouldn’t recommend tuning the D string up.