Stretching In New Ukulele Strings
Ukuleles usually come pre-strung with nylon strings which are loosened and detuned for transit, so have never been brought up to pitch. They will go out of tune immediately due to the elasticity of the nylon. Many players will keep re-tuning endlessly until the strings get broken in. This is an excellent exercise to practice. However, it may take 1-2 weeks for the strings to settle, stabilise and keep their pitch.
Here is a simpler and faster way to get these new strings to settle in….
Step 1: Begin by tuning the ukulele up to approximate pitch.
For soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles this is G, C, E, and A. Don’t worry about fine-tuning. For now, as you will need to do this several times until the strings have stretched and settle in.
Step 2: Stretch the Strings
Place the palm of your right hand on the bridge and wrap your fingers around a single string and pivot your fingers upward to apply upward pressure on the string gently (see video above)
IMPORTANT: Be sure to keep your palm on the bridge so that you are not pulling the bridge away from the body of the instrument. You only want to affect the string.
The objective here is to allow the string to stretch without creating unnecessary tension on the body and neck. This action will help lock the bridge knot. Repeat this step for each of the other 3 strings.
Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2
Repeat the approximate tuning and lightly stretching steps until the strings hold their approximate pitch.
Step 4: Fine Tune Your Ukulele
Fine-tune your ukulele. I find using a clip-on digital tuner is the quickest and most accurate method. Most clip-on tuners pick up the tone from vibrations and will not be affected from outside noise.
TIP: It is better to fine tune a string by tuning UP to pitch. Tuning down to pitch requires loosening the peg and makes it possible for the string tension to get hung up at the friction points. If you tune sharp in error (higher than the desired pitch), I recommend loosening the peg and gently pulling on the string to remove any tension, then tuning back UP to pitch.
Contributor:
Sam Marchuk served for 7 years as an Education Consultant for West Music specialising in folk instruments and curriculum for the classroom. He has been playing ukulele since 2005 and is an avid collector of vintage and contemporary…