Free online tool
Violin Tuner: Free Online Tuner for Violin, Viola and Cello
Free online violin tuner using your microphone: G D A E, plus viola and cello C G D A. Adjust the A4 reference from 415 to 466 Hz. Nothing is recorded.
Press the button and your browser will ask to use the microphone. The tuner needs it to hear your violin. Sound is analysed on your device and is never recorded or sent anywhere.
Strings
Tap a string to tune to it (this turns automatic detection off), or the ▶ button to hear the reference pitch.
Violin tunings and string frequencies
Strings in the order they are listed, A4 = 440 Hz, equal temperament. Each tuning is a row.
| Tuning | String 1 | String 2 | String 3 | String 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violin (GDAE) | G3196.00 Hz | D4293.66 Hz | A4440.00 Hz | E5659.26 Hz |
| Viola (CGDA) | C3130.81 Hz | G3196.00 Hz | D4293.66 Hz | A4440.00 Hz |
| Cello (CGDA) | C265.41 Hz | G298.00 Hz | D3146.83 Hz | A3220.00 Hz |
About the Violin Tuner
The Violin Tuner is a free online tool that listens to each open string on a violin, viola or cello through your microphone and shows whether it is flat, sharp or in tune. It runs in your web browser, so there is nothing to install and no sign-up. It covers G D A E for violin and C G D A for viola and cello, and you can set the A4 reference anywhere from 415 to 466 Hz to match the group you play with. Nothing is recorded. Press the ▶ beside any string to hear its target note as a pure tone.
How to use the Violin Tuner
- Press Start microphone and allow access when the browser asks.
- Under Instrument, choose Violin, Viola or Cello. Set A4 reference (Hz) if your group tunes to something other than 440 Hz.
- Play one open string with a long, steady bow stroke. Start with the A string, then tune the others from it.
- Watch the needle and the note name. Adjust with the fine tuner or peg until the needle is in the green band and the display says In tune.
- Repeat for each remaining string, then check the A again.
The strings of your instrument are listed under Strings with their target notes. To hear a target, press the ▶ beside a string, or choose any note under Reference note and press ▶ Play; both play a pure tone.
To check a string quickly, pluck it with a finger instead of bowing. If the tuner picks the wrong neighbouring string while one string is badly out of tune, untick Detect the string automatically and tap the string you want.
The most useful tips for the violin tuner are to bow smoothly near the middle of each string and to check the A string again at the end. Scratchy or very light bowing creates noise the tuner ignores, so the reading may flicker.
Pluck with a finger if you only need a quick pitch check.
After you tune the last string, check the A again.
What are the violin open strings?#
The violin has four open strings: G3, D4, A4 and E5, written as G D A E. Each string is a perfect fifth above the one before it. With A4 set to 440 Hz, the targets are 196.00, 293.66, 440.00 and 659.26 Hz. The A string is the reference point, so the others are tuned to it.
How are the viola and cello tuned?#
Both instruments use the notes C G D A in perfect fifths. The viola is C3 G3 D4 A4, which sits a fifth below the violin. The cello is C2 G2 D3 A3, one octave below the viola. The tool uses these targets when you select Viola or Cello.
Which string do I tune first?#
Most players tune the A string first. Set it to 440 Hz, or to the pitch of the group you play with. Then tune each neighbouring string from it in perfect fifths, so the strings stay in tune with each other as well as with the reference.
Why would I change the A4 reference?#
A4 is the pitch the other strings are calculated from, so changing it moves every target. Some orchestras tune to 441 to 443 Hz, and early-music groups often use 415 Hz. The A4 box accepts values from 415 to 466 Hz. At 442 Hz, for example, the open A string target becomes 442.00 Hz.
How does the meter show flat and sharp?#
The meter measures how far the played note is from the target string. A note below the target is flat, and a note above it is sharp. The needle moves toward the centre as you turn the peg or fine tuner. When it reaches the green band, the string is at the target pitch.
How do you tune a viola or cello with this tuner?#
Press Start microphone, choose Viola or Cello under Instrument, then tune each open string until the display says In tune. Both instruments use the same note names, C G D A, in perfect fifths. The viola’s strings are C3, G3, D4 and A4, and the cello’s are C2, G2, D3 and A3.
- Press Start microphone and allow access when the browser asks.
- Choose Viola or Cello under Instrument. Set A4 reference (Hz) only if your group tunes to something other than 440 Hz.
- Play the A string with a long, steady bow stroke.
- Turn the fine tuner or peg until the needle is in the green band and the display says In tune.
- Tune the other strings from the A in fifths, then check the A again.