Details of "Strawberry Fields Forever" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgtzOafdoOQ
Do not be disappointed or unhappy if you find you have been playing your uke "off key", as long as they are in tune relative to each other; that is, if you play a chord on all four strings and it sounds good, it is resonant, and you like the sound. It's nice when playing with other people at the same time to be tuned so everyone is producing the same C chord, but many of us no longer have the luxury to do more than zoom, and playing together (both people hearing each other) is hard on zoom (today).
Some famous songs were recorded "between keys". There is a term called "cent" - there are 100 cents between each semitone: C and C#, or between B and C (on the piano each mechanical key is 100 cents from the next, regardless of black or white key, and there is no black key between B and C). 50 cents above C would make it halfway to C# - most of us won't hear it without a tuner, and if all the strings were "detuned" 50 cents below their Concert tuning it would only make those with perfect pitch suffer (sorry John). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cent_(music)
The video is a tribute to sticky tape and a diagonal cut with a razor blade on magnetic tape. Combined with varispeed and the time they had (55 hours !) to do many re-takes, professional editors, produced a brilliant and beautiful frankensong.
So what does tuning mean, when the actual key is part way between "notes"? our friend jake says there are many https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-tune-a-ukulele#3-ways-to-tune-a-ukulele-with-a-tuner but even if you don't have a tuner, and are by yourself, you can still tune your four strings relative to each other.
Use other ukulele strings as a reference.
You can also tune by ear using your own strings as reference notes for one another. For instance, you can tune your open E string to match the pitch of the C string at the fourth fret. You can tune the open A string (1st string) to match the pitch of the G string (2nd string) at the second fret.
If you want more details send me a note or give me a call and I'll do this with you on your uke.
Ironically, Mitchell's bout with the crippling illness would influence her music in unforeseen ways. Unable to form conventional guitar chords because of weakness in her left hand, the singer experimented with alternate tunings that have since become part of her signature sound. Mitchell, cited by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 best guitarists of all time, has used up to 50 nonstandard tunings, allowing her to explore rhythm, harmony, and melody in unique and innovative ways.
More on different tunings used by Joni Mitchell: https://uniqueguitar.blogspot.com/2013/01/joni-mitchells-guitars-and-tunings.html
What this means to us ukulele players is: if you have a really favorite song you want to play and sing, but the chords are "too hard", you can change to another key so the diminished chord is only two strings instead of four (example: C#dim is 1010, but Cdim is four fingers on four strings. If the change is key doesn't help enough (or makes it hard to sing), be adventurous and try tuning one of the strings so it's easier to play! Of course the other chords will have to adjust too. What else do you have to do when locked in? Use your time inside. Suggestion: use your notebook and pencil, and write down where you start, what changes you make, and sketch out your "chords" and to what note each string is tuned.
