Ukulele Tricks Online Ukulele Lessons
  • Lessons
    • How to Play Ukulele
    • Free Lessons
    • Books
  • Courses
  • Songs
  • Tools
    • Online Ukulele Tuner
    • Ukulele Chord Library
    • Baritone Chord Library
  • Blog
  • More
    • About
    • Ukulele Buying Guide
    • Contact
  • Log In
  • Log In
  • Sign Up

Using Your Baritone Ukulele to Follow Along with My Standard-tuned Lessons

by Brett McQueen

Baritone ukulele

Cordoba 20BM baritone ukulele

At the moment, I do not have any songs or lessons that specifically pertain to the baritone ukulele. I realize this may be disappointing for you baritone players, and I want you to know that I plan to create some baritone ukulele lessons in the future.

Until then, I want to show how you can use your baritone ukulele to still follow and play along with me in my standard-tuned lessons on UkuleleTricks.com. Many of my students in my Strumming Tricks course, who own a baritone ukulele, use these tips to follow along and improve their strumming right with me.

1. Figuring Out Chords on the Baritone Ukulele

If you don’t know already, soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles are commonly tuned to standard tuning: g-C-E-A. A baritone ukulele is tuned lower like the bottom four strings of a guitar: D-G-B-E. A baritone ukulele has a deeper, lower-pitched sound. Learn more about the differences between ukulele types here.

Because of the differences in tuning, at the moment, the chord diagrams I present in the course material sound in a different key when played on a baritone ukulele. This means, in order to strum along with me in my video lessons, you are required to figure out the chord positions separately on your baritone ukulele.

The easiest way to figure out chords on a baritone ukulele is to use the Ukulele Tricks Baritone Chord Library.

When you’ve figured out the chord positions on your baritone ukulele, you can play and strum those chords along with me in my video lessons, or anyone else that is playing a standard tuned ukulele. The finger positions for the chords will be different between the ukuleles, but if played correctly, they will sound together in the right key.

This is the main way to follow along but you can also use another way to use your baritone ukulele to play along with standard-tuned ukuleles.

2. Use a Ukulele Capo to Transpose Your Playing to Standard Tuning

Shubb ukulele capo

Shubb L9 ukulele capo

One of the easiest ways to follow along with me in my videos is to use a ukulele capo on the 5th fret of your baritone ukulele’s neck.

A ukulele capo is a small device that barres (that is, holds down) all of the strings at whichever fret you place the capo. By placing the capo at the 5th fret, you transpose your baritone ukulele’s tuning to G-C-E-A, which are the notes in standard linear tuning.

This means with the ukulele capo you can play the same chord positions on your baritone ukulele that I am using in my ukulele lesson videos, and your playing and my playing will sound together in the same key.

I recommend the Shubb L9 ukulele capo because of the ability to adjust how hard the capo clamps around the neck of your ukulele. The Kyser banjo capo is a cheaper and worthwhile alternative, but in my experience, if you’re not careful with how you place the Kyser capo, it can sometimes pull your strings out of tune relative to one another.

Moving Forward

My intention is to give you baritone ukulele players some love and provide you all with some really great baritone ukulele lessons in the future. Until then, hopefully this can help you bridge the gap that can sometimes exist with playing along with standard-tuned ukuleles.

Are you a baritone ukulele player? What questions do you have about playing your baritone ukulele with standard-tuned ukuleles? Tell me by posting your comment below.

Not sure where to go next? Grab the free ukulele lesson book.

Your First Ukulele Lesson And Then Some Book

Join over 50,000 people and get our free ukulele lesson book Your First Ukulele Lesson and Then Some. Learn new tricks like:

  • How to properly tune, hold, and strum your ukulele
  • The most essential "must-know" ukulele chords
  • How to play 3 extremely versatile strumming patterns
  • How to play "I've Been Working On the Railroad"

To get a free copy of the digital lesson book delivered to your inbox, enter your email below:

    Start Here

    Join over 50,000 people and get the free ukulele lesson book

    Your First Ukulele Lesson And Then Some

      100% privacy. We promise to keep your
      email safe. Learn more.

      Courses

      Strumming Tricks course

      Perfect for beginners. Become proficient in strumming, rhythm and chord changes on the ukulele, improving your skills while learning actual songs.

      Fingerpicking Tricks course

      For players beyond the basics. Take your fingerpicking skills to the next level on the ukulele, learning fingerpicking pieces in four distinct styles.

      View More Courses →

      Books

      Ukulele Exercises For Dummies by Brett McQueen

      Written by Brett McQueen, founder of UkuleleTricks.com.

      Learn More

      View More Books →

      Popular

      • Ukulele Sizes: Soprano, Concert, Tenor & Baritone
      • How to Play Ukulele: The Ultimate Guide to Learn to Play Ukulele Today
      • Somewhere Over the Rainbow Ukulele Chords & Lesson
      • Tuning Your Ukulele to Low G
      • 3 Best Ways to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele
      • 5 Effective Strumming Patterns for Beginners
      • Ukulele vs. Guitar: Complete Guide to Decide Which to Learn
      • How to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele the Easy Way
      • My Free Ukulele Lesson Book is Finished!
      • How to Play a C Major Scale on Ukulele
      • 5 Best Ukuleles to Buy for Beginners
      • How to Play the 12-Bar Blues On Ukulele
      • Ukulele Blues Fingerpicking Lesson for Beginners: Pattern #1
      • Ukulele Tuning: The Ultimate Guide For How to Tune Your Ukulele
      • 5 Different Ways to Play a C Major Chord on Ukulele

      About

      Brett McQueen
      Brett McQueen is the founder of Ukulele Tricks and author of the internationally-published book Ukulele Exercises For Dummies. He teaches thousands of people from around the world to play ukulele in a non-intimidating, easy-to-follow style. Read more.

      Copyright © 2025 Ukulele Tricks – a McQueen Machine, LLC website.
      Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Links