· Marisol Vance
Ukulele Strap Buttons Explained
Strap buttons cause more confusion than anything else about ukulele straps, mostly because ukuleles are inconsistent — some have two buttons, some have one, many have none. Here's exactly what they are, whether you need one, and your options if your ukulele didn't come with one.
What a strap button actually is
A strap button is a small metal or plastic peg screwed into the wood, with a wider head. The keyhole slot in a leather strap end slides over the head and the narrow neck holds it in place. Guitars usually have two (one on the tail, one on the upper body); ukuleles most often have one, on the bottom edge at the tail.
How many does your ukulele have?
| Buttons | What to do |
|---|---|
| One (tail) | Hook the strap to it; loop the other end around the headstock behind the nut |
| Two | Hook both leather ends on — like a guitar |
| None | Use a soundhole hook or a tie-on strap (below) — no drilling needed |
Do you need to fit a button?
No — and many players never do. A permanent button is convenient if you play standing often, but drilling into a ukulele is irreversible and, on a cheap uke, not always worth it. The no-drill options below are secure enough for practice and most gigs.
No-drill alternatives
Soundhole hook. A small clip that grips the edge of the soundhole, giving you an anchor point without any modification. It costs a couple of dollars and comes off cleanly.
Headstock loop / tie strap. Both ends attach around the headstock and the tail without a button — nothing is drilled and nothing marks the finish.
Tie-on lace. Some straps (including ours) include a lace so the top end cinches around the neck behind the nut, needing only a single tail button or a soundhole hook at the bottom.
Where the button actually goes
Position matters more than most guides admit. On a ukulele the tail button belongs on the centerline of the bottom edge, screwed into the tail block — the solid wooden reinforcement where the two sides of the body meet. That block is the one place thick enough to hold a screw safely; the thin curved sides are not. If you want a second button (so both strap ends clip on, guitar-style), the upper option is the heel of the neck, not the top bout, because the neck heel is again solid wood. Fitting a button anywhere on the thin soundboard or back risks cracking the top.
A quick way to find the tail block by feel: tap along the bottom edge. The center, where the block sits, sounds and feels dead and solid; the areas either side sound hollow. Mark the dead-center point and you have your spot.
Strap buttons vs strap locks
Once you have a button, you may wonder about strap locks — spring-loaded or screw-in systems that stop the strap popping off. For a light ukulele they are usually overkill; a leather keyhole end on a standard button rarely lets go. Where locks earn their keep is on a heavier instrument played standing and moving a lot, or if you have already had a strap slip off mid-song. If you go that route, choose a low-profile lock: a bulky guitar strap-lock can look and feel oversized on a small uke, and the thin leather ends of a woven strap sit best under a slim system.
If you do fit a button
Have a guitar tech do it, or if you're confident: mark the center of the tail block, drill a small pilot hole, and screw in a button with a felt washer. The tail block is solid wood, so it holds well. Don't fit a button to the thin body sides — only the reinforced tail or neck heel.
Where the button sits changes how the ukulele hangs
A tail button is not just an anchor, it is a pivot, and its position decides the angle the instrument settles at when you let go. Fitted dead centre on the tail block, the ukulele hangs with the neck slightly up, which is what you want. Ukuleles with geared tuners are noticeably headstock-heavy, and on those the neck can drift toward the floor at rest, forcing the fretting hand to lift it back up every few bars.
The fix is usually not the button but the top anchor. Moving the headstock loop a couple of centimetres, or tying it slightly tighter behind the nut, changes the balance point enough to bring the neck back up. It is worth ten seconds of experiment before assuming the strap is the problem.
Two buttons instead of one change the feel again. With a second button at the neck heel, the strap runs body-to-heel and the ukulele sits flatter against you, closer to how a guitar hangs. With one button and a headstock loop, the instrument sits a little more angled, which most players find easier for seeing the fretboard. Neither is more correct, but the difference is real enough that it is worth trying both before drilling anything. Getting the resulting hold right is covered in how to hold a ukulele.
Whichever route you choose, the strap end matters: leather keyhole ends grip a button far more securely than a slit in nylon webbing. Our embroidered ukulele strap uses PU (faux) leather ends for exactly that reason, and the how-to-attach guide walks through both methods step by step.
Marisol Vance · Ukulele teacher and strap collector, 9 yrs
Marisol has fitted and demonstrated strap setups on hundreds of student ukuleles, from no-drill soundhole hooks to permanent tail buttons.