8/3/2019 Anatomy of a Ukulele

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4

3

2

1

G

C

E

A

6 KIWI UKULELE l MIKE DICKISON l WWW.KIWIUKULELE.CO.NZ

The anatomy of a ukuleleFour strings, a dozen or so frets, and a classic “tiny guitar”shape.■

You strum a ukulele about halfway along the strings, roughly where the■

neck attaches to the body.

The fourth string is usually not the lowest. Most ukuleles have the G■

string tuned an octave higher than you’d expect.

Headstock

Key Tuning pegs

Nut.

You can also think of it as “fret zero”:

the place where the string is held

down if your nger isn’t there.

Neck

Fretboard.

Each fret makes

the string sound a

semitone higher.

5th

7th

10th

These are

the frets that

are usually

signposted with

inlaid markers, tohelp you nd your

place.

Face

SoundholeWaist

Bridge

G  C  E  A

4  3  2  1 

Peg tuners are traditional, but unless

they are well made it can be hard to

keep strings in tune with them.

(This is the

most common

tuning for all

but baritoneukuleles.)

Strumming area

Fingerpicking area

Note how the numbering of 

the strings works, counting

upwards towards you.

Geared tuners make it much easier

to stay in tune, but they increase the

weight of the ukulele’s head and can

unbalance it.

The strings are numbered from■

from bottom to top when you

hold the instrument, with the

highest-pitched string being #1.