Why New Ukulele Strings Don’t Snap ‘For No Reason’ 🎻😄

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again (because apparently it needs saying): brand new strings do not snap for no reason.

Strings break for a reason. Every time.

After decades of changing strings, building relationships with luthiers, and answering countless emails, the causes always come back to the same two things:

A. Overtightening by missing the octave
B. Binding in the nut slot

That’s it. No mystery. No defective-string conspiracy.

The Real Culprit: Missing the Octave

This is where most problems begin.

In-built tuners and clip-on headstock tuners (yes, even the popular ones) do not show frequencies. They only tell you the note name, not the octave you’re in.

And here’s the critical part:

Tuners don’t care what octave you’re in. Strings do.

If a string feels extra tight while tuning, that’s not a sign of “strong fingers” or “high tension strings.” That’s a sign you’ve missed the octave.

If a new string feels really tight and then breaks?
You guessed it — missed octave.

Imagine a Piano Keyboard

Middle C of a piano is the same frequency as our C string open note on our ukuleles, the A note is 440 Hz.  The picture above shows you each string on the uke, and how it corresponds to the same note on the Piano or Keyboard.

What you are looking at is a repeating pattern of 12 notes, each of he 12 notes is an octave. 

On the left is the lowest octave, frequencies are low, as you move right the notes increase in frequency.  

If your A string is really tight, so tight it breaks you have missed the octave.  You have missed the 440 Hz frequency and are trying to tune your A string to the next octave up, 880hz, 

“But I Can Tune By Ear…”

Sorry, but unless you’re in the 0.01% of the population with perfect pitch, you can’t reliably tell octaves by ear alone.

How sure am I?

👉 99.99% sure you didn’t win that genetic lottery.

And that’s okay — most of us didn’t.

That’s exactly why knowing the actual frequency is the only reliable way to ensure you’re tuning to the correct octave.

Without seeing the frequency, you simply don’t know.

Why I Always Use a Frequency-Showing Tuner

Even after 40 years of changing strings on guitars and ukuleles, I still use a tuner that shows frequencies.

Every professional luthier does the same.

Not because we lack experience — but because:

• Experience doesn’t override physics

• Strings don’t forgive missed octaves

• Frequencies don’t lie

This is so important that I include this exact advice in the instruction sheet sent with every set of strings.

Free Tools (Because There’s No Excuse)

For those of us not genetically blessed with perfect pitch, I’ve made it easy:

• On the navigation bar of my website, there’s a link to a FREE online tuner that shows frequencies.  Use the online Tuner Ninja and become a Tuning Ninja

• You can also download a free app to your phone — I personally like Pano Tuner on my phone 

👉 Visit: https://ukuleletradingcoaustralia.com.au/

Correct Ukulele Tuning Frequencies

Please tune to the frequencies below:

• G (Low G): 196 Hz
  (High G is 392 Hz)

• C: 262 Hz

• E: 330 Hz

• A: 440 Hz

If your tuner isn’t showing these numbers, you’re tuning blind.

A Few Final Clarifications (Because They Keep Coming Up)

• P.S. Oh, it’s a Snark tuner? Good on you — you paid more than you needed to… and it still doesn’t show frequencies.

• P.P.S. No, you can’t tune ordinary baritone strings to GCEA.

• P.P.P.S. No, you cannot use tenor strings on a baritone.

• P.P.P.P.S. Since 99.99% of the population doesn’t have perfect pitch, using a tuner that shows frequencies isn’t optional — it’s essential.

It’s the only way to know your ukulele strings are in the correct octave.

Cheers,
CC

(Yes, this is tongue‑in‑cheek. But the advice is deadly serious — and it’ll save your strings.)