Online violin tuner

Violin string notes

Frequencies are calculated with the reference A at 440 Hz. If your group tunes to a different reference, such as 442 Hz, adjust it with the − and + buttons next to “A = 440 Hz” and the tuner shifts every note.

Tuning in fifths, as in the orchestra

The violin's four strings are a perfect fifth apart (seven half steps). When two neighboring strings sound together and in tune, the sound is clean and still; if one is slightly out of tune, you hear a wavering that speeds up the further off it is. In an orchestra, the A is tuned first, usually given by the oboe, and then each musician adjusts the other strings by fifths.

The A on the 2nd string is the same 440 Hz reference A. If your orchestra or teacher tunes to 442 Hz, raise it with the + button next to “A = 440 Hz” before you start.

Pegs or fine tuners

• Pegs: for big changes, for example when you put on a new string. Turn them little by little while gently pushing them in so they don't slip back.
• Fine tuners: the small screws on the tailpiece are for fine adjustments of a few cents. Many student violins have them on all four strings; others only on the E string.
• If a fine tuner runs out of thread, loosen it to the middle of its range and bring the string back in tune with the peg.

How to tune the violin by ear

With the A already in tune, play the 2nd and 3rd strings (A and D) together with a long, even bow. If you hear a wavering in the sound, adjust the D with its fine tuner until the sound is still. Repeat with D and G, and finally with A and E. At first the wavering is hard to hear; checking with the tuner after each adjustment trains your ear very quickly. We explain it step by step in how to tune a violin.

All sizes are tuned the same

A 1/2, 3/4 or 4/4 violin uses the same notes: G, D, A and E. What changes is the size of the instrument and its strings, not the tuning. If you're choosing a size, see how to choose your first violin.

How to tune your violin with this tuner

1. Tap Enable microphone and accept the browser's permission request. The sound is analyzed on your device: it isn't recorded or sent anywhere.
2. Leave the tuner on Auto so it recognizes which string you're playing, or tap a note to lock it (tap it again to go back to Auto).
3. Play a single open string with medium force and let it ring.
4. If the needle is to the left, the note is flat: tune up. If it's to the right, tune down. Anywhere between −5 and +5 cents counts as in tune.
5. Once a string stays in tune for a moment, its button gets a green check mark. Keep going until every string has one.
6. Use the speaker icon under each note to hear the reference and train your ear.
7. Go over every string again at the end: the tension of some strings shifts the others slightly.

Tips for tuning your violin

• For small adjustments, use the fine tuners on the tailpiece; save the pegs for big changes.
• Push the peg in slightly while you turn it so it doesn't slip back.
• Tune the A first, then D, G and E: that's the order orchestras use.
• Check that the bridge is still straight after tuning; if it leans, ask your teacher for help.

Common tuning problems

• The needle jumps between notes: play a single string, a little more softly, and wait for the sound to settle. The first instant of every note always sounds slightly sharp.
• It doesn't pick up the low strings: phone microphones struggle with low frequencies. Hold your phone closer to the instrument or play the harmonic at the middle of the string (12th fret): the tuner recognizes it as the same string and tells you it sounds an octave higher.
• The open strings are in tune, but what you play sounds off: check that no string is in the wrong octave and that your strings aren't old. If it still sounds wrong, ask your teacher or a luthier to check the instrument's intonation.
• It goes out of tune right away: new strings keep stretching for several days, and changes in temperature and humidity shift the tuning. Tune in the same place where you're going to play.
• The browser doesn't ask for the microphone: check the site permissions in your browser settings and make sure no other app is using the microphone.

Frequently asked questions