Tuning a Guitarlele Like a Guitar: Here’s What Changes

guitalele guitar tuning Apr 04, 2025

What Is a Guitarlele?

A guitarlele (also spelled guitalele or guitar-lélé) is a hybrid instrument that combines the portability of a ukulele with the six strings of a guitar. It's tuned higher than a regular guitar, giving it a unique voice in the string family.

Standard Guitarlele Tuning

Typically, a guitarlele is tuned A-D-G-C-E-A, which is like placing a capo on the 5th fret of a standard guitar. This gives it a brighter, higher-pitched tone that's perfect for compact, melodic strumming and fingerpicking.

Why Tune It Like a Guitar?

Some players wonder what would happen if you tuned a guitarlele like a standard guitar—E-A-D-G-B-E. The goal is usually to make switching between instruments more seamless, especially for guitarists exploring new sounds.

Dropping the Tuning: What Actually Happens

To match standard guitar tuning, each string on the guitarlele must be tuned down a fourth. That means significantly reducing string tension, which leads to noticeable changes in sound and playability.

Here’s the New Tuning Compared to Standard

Standard guitarlele tuning: A-D-G-C-E-A
Guitar tuning: E-A-D-G-B-E
Adjustment needed: Tune each string down a fourth

This transition shifts the instrument's tonal character and feel dramatically.

Immediate Effects on String Tension

After tuning it like a guitar, the strings feel extremely loose—almost floppy. While this might sound fun at first, it reduces note clarity and makes the strings harder to control while playing. Transitioning back can feel like a relief.

How Does It Sound?

Although some might enjoy the mellow, bendable string feel, the overall tone becomes dull and less defined. The lack of tension causes a loss of the crisp, punchy sound that guitarleles are known for.

Unexpected Surprises

Interestingly, even with the reduced tension, the instrument managed to stay surprisingly in tune for a while. However, consistent tuning stability is unlikely, especially with extended playing sessions.

Is It Worth Trying?

If you're curious, tuning your guitarlele like a guitar can be an interesting experiment. Yet for most, it won’t be practical for regular use. The loss in tension and tonal quality outweighs the potential convenience.

Alternatives to Consider

Instead of fully retuning your guitarlele, try these options:

Use a capo on your guitar's 5th fret to match guitarlele tuning.
Practice transposing chord shapes.
Reserve each instrument for its natural tuning style.

Final Thoughts

Tuning a guitarlele like a guitar is certainly possible—but it's not ideal. The resulting playability and sound quality are compromised due to string tension loss. While it's a fun experiment, sticking with standard tuning keeps the guitarlele sounding its best.