8 String Ukulele Tuning COMPLETE Tutorial


The 8 string ukulele is the model with the highest number of strings commonly available.

But with so many strings, it’s easy to get lost when trying to get your instrument tuned.

In this article, I’ll attempt to cover every possible aspect of 8 string ukulele tuning, including the standard tuning notes, step-by-step instructions, tuning frequencies, 8 string baritone uke tuing, etc.

8 string ukulele tuning diagram

8 String Ukulele Tuning Summary

The traditional tuning for the 8 string ukulele is GGCCEEAA. This is similar to the standard 4 string uke tuning, except that the strings are doubled in pairs. The G and C string pairs are also typically tuned in octaves with a low string and a high string, while the E and A string pairs are usually tuned in unison.

Unlike tuning for 4 string, the tuning for 6 and 8 string ukuleles is much less standardized and you will find variation between different manufacturers for how their instruments are set up, particularly when it comes to which string pairs are tuned in octaves and the order of those string pairs.

8 String Baritone Ukulele Tuning

Baritone Ukuleles with 8 strings are tuned similarly to other 8 string ukes as far as the strings being in pairs and 2 of the pairs being in octaves and 2 being in unison, except that the pairs are DDGGBBEE instead of GGCCEEAA.

The D and G string pairs are those which are tuned in octaves, similar to the G and C strings from the other sized ukes.

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8 String Tuning Pitches Video

Here’s a video showing the tuning pitches which you can tune your uke to.

Tuning Frequencies for 8 String Ukes

The following is a table of the frequencies typically used for tuning an 8-string ukulele tuning in GGCCEEAA tuning.

String PitchFrequency
G4392 Hz
G3196 Hz
C5523 Hz
C4262 Hz
E4330 Hz
E4330 Hz
A4440 Hz
A4440 Hz

What’s the Point of Putting 8 Strings on a Ukulele?

The purpose of doubling up the strings on the ukulele is to give the instrument more volume and a more robust sound.

By having more strings and especially having some of the string pairs tuned in octaves, the musical effect can be similar to 2 ukuleles playing simultaneously.

Double the sound from a single instrument, you can’t beat that!

Tuning Pitches Video with Staff

Here’s another video demonstrating the tuning pitches, except this one also has the music staff which might come in handy for some players.

The video is in spanish, but it shouldn’t matter.

What is an 8 string ukulele called?

An 8-string ukulele can also sometimes be called a taropatch or taropatch ukulele, but they could technically be considered 2 different instruments. It’s really a matter of semantics.

Low G 8 String Ukulele Tuning

Because the typical 8-string ukulele tuning setup already includes a low G string, there isn’t a separate tuning system for low G.

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I suppose it could be said that the standard 8 string tuning is low g tuning and that replacing the low G string with a high G could be considered “high G 8-string ukulele tuning.”

One thought on “8 String Ukulele Tuning COMPLETE Tutorial

  1. Suppose I were to buy a Kala KA-ABP8-CTG Solid Cedar Acacia Baritone 8-String Ukulele. Could I use Aquila 117U LAVA SERIES Ukulele BARITONE High-G Tuning – GCEA or an Aquila 23U Nylgut Baritone Ukulele String Set – GCEA – High G Tuning (with a low G instead of the high G) and pair them in the courses with low tension classical guitar strings 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd tuned to low GCEA, an octave lower that standard ukulele. That way all 4 strings would be in octaves, not just the G and C. Would that be possible/feasible?

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