Picking a Ukulele Tuner

Playing an out of tune instrument can be one of the most annoying things in the world.  It can even cause physical pain for some people.  Maybe more annoying than that, is tuning an instrument by ear.  While learning to tune your ukulele by ear is a very important trait, even more important is spending your free time with your uke actually practicing a song...not just sharpening your tuning skills.  There are a wide variety of electronic tuners on the market (some catering specifically to the ukulele) and for the most part they all do the same thing.  But before you go rolling the dice on one that you're not sure about, here's a couple of very trusted tuners to take a look at...

Snark SN-2 All Instrument Clip On Chromatic Tuner

This little Snark clip on tuner is a good choice if you're worried about misplacing your tuner.  I can't even count how many I have lost over the years.  Of course, as the name implies it is chromatic.  It has a built in flash metronome, a bright display, a transpose function, and it rotates 360 degrees.  The best part is the price tag.  You can grab one for around the $10 mark (plus
shipping) on Amazon.

Korg CA-1 Chromatic Tuner

Korg has been a trusted tuner brand for a long time, and this basic chromatic tuner is no exception.  I've had two of these.  The first one I owned for 5 years and never had any trouble with it.  Of course, I lost it and bought another one which also has not failed me.  If you're looking for a very basic and very dependable electronic tuner, then pick up one of these.  You can grab one on Amazon for right around the same price as the Snark.

Mahalo Ukulele Pitch Pipe

How could we talk about all these electronic tuners and not mention a simple pitch pipe?  The notes on this Mahalo pitch pipe are the standard GCEA.  While the above electronic tuners will always be faster and easier, the importance of developing your ear can't be understated.  This one is only $2.50 + shipping on Amazon.