Press Start, allow the microphone, then play one string at a time.
The microphone is read only in your browser. No audio is recorded, saved or uploaded.
Pluck the string, or bow it softly and evenly. Read the needle once the note is steady.
About the Violin Tuner
This free violin tuner listens through your microphone. Play a string, and it shows which note you played and how far off it is, in cents. When the needle stands in the middle and the tuner says *In tune*, the string is right.
The page opens on the violin tuning, G D A E. The viola and the cello are in the same list. The tuner shows the octave with each note (G3, D4, A4, E5), so you always know which string it heard.
Orchestras do not all use the same A. Move the reference pitch to 442 or 443 Hz if your teacher or orchestra asks for it. Nothing is recorded: the sound is measured in your browser and thrown away.
Features
- Opens on the violin — G D A E is picked, with viola and cello one tap away
- Real pitch detection — the microphone hears your string, plucked or bowed
- Note, octave and cents — see G3, D4, A4 or E5 and exactly how many cents you are off
- Needle and string list — the needle shows flat or sharp, and the matching string lights up
- Reference pitch — set A4 to 440, 442 or anything from 415 to 466 Hz
- Remembers your choice — your tuning and reference pitch are saved in this browser
- Private — nothing is recorded, saved or uploaded
Violin, viola and cello tuning
All three are tuned in fifths: each string is seven semitones above the one below it. The strings are listed from the lowest to the highest. Frequencies are for A4 = 440 Hz.
| Instrument | Notes | Frequencies |
|---|---|---|
| Violin | G3 D4 A4 E5 | 196.00 · 293.66 · 440.00 · 659.26 Hz |
| Viola | C3 G3 D4 A4 | 130.81 · 196.00 · 293.66 · 440.00 Hz |
| Cello | C2 G2 D3 A3 | 65.41 · 98.00 · 146.83 · 220.00 Hz |
With A4 = 442 Hz every note moves up a little: the violin strings are then 196.89 · 295.00 · 442.00 · 662.25 Hz. The tuner does this for you when you move the slider.
Pegs and fine tuners
- Fine tuners (the small screws on the tailpiece) are for small changes. Turn clockwise to make the note higher and anticlockwise to make it lower
- Pegs are for big changes, for example after a new string. Turn slowly and push the peg in a little while you turn, so it holds
- Most beginner violins have a fine tuner on every string. Many advanced players have one only on the E string
- Tune up to the note: if the string is too high, go a little below the note and come back up. It stays in tune longer
- If a peg slips or sticks again and again, ask a violin teacher or a shop for help. Do not force it
Tune by ear or with the microphone
With the microphone (this page) you see the answer, which is a great help for beginners and in a noisy room.
By ear, players tune the A string first (to a tuning fork, a piano, an oboe in the orchestra, or this tuner). Then they play two strings together — A and D, then D and G, then A and E — and turn until the two notes sound smooth and calm together, with no wobble ("beating"). That is a pure fifth.
A tuner gives slightly narrower fifths than pure ones. The difference is small: tuned by pure fifths from A, the D string is about 2 cents lower, the G string about 4 cents lower and the E string about 2 cents higher than the tuner's target. All of these are still inside the tuner's *In tune* range of 5 cents. Many players tune A with the tuner and the rest by ear.
Tips for a clean reading
- Pluck or bow gently — a hard attack is sharp for a moment, then settles
- Use an open string, with no finger on it
- Read after a second, when the note is steady
- One string at a time — let the other strings stop ringing
- New strings stretch for a few days, so tune often at first
Frequently asked questions
How do I tune a violin with this tuner?
Press Start and allow the microphone. Pluck or bow the A string and look at the needle. Left means too low: tighten the string with the fine tuner or the peg. Right means too high: loosen it. Stop when it says *In tune*, then do D, G and E.
Should I tune to A = 440 or 442 Hz?
440 Hz is the standard and the default. Many orchestras, especially in Europe, tune to 442 or 443 Hz. Ask your teacher or conductor, and move the slider if needed. The setting is saved in this browser.
Can I tune a viola or a cello?
Yes. Pick Viola (C G D A) or Cello (C G D A) in the list. For a cello, hold the phone close: the low C string is about 65 Hz and small microphones hear it weakly.
Why does the needle jump when I bow?
A bowed note changes a little all the time, especially at the start of the stroke. Bow slowly and evenly, or pluck the string. Read the needle once the note is steady.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Open the page in Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox, press Start and allow the microphone. Put the phone on the music stand near the violin.
Is anything recorded?
No. The sound is measured in your browser and thrown away straight away. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Related tools
- Chromatic Tuner — name any note you play or sing
- Guitar Tuner — the same tuner for guitar
- Metronome — practise scales with a steady beat
- Tone Generator — play an A at 440 Hz to tune by ear
- Staff Paper — print blank sheet music
How to use it
- Violin (G D A E) is already picked; choose Viola or Cello if you play one
- Set the reference pitch if your orchestra uses 442 Hz
- Press Start and allow the microphone when the browser asks
- Pluck or bow one open string and let it ring
- Read the note and the needle — left is too low, right is too high
- Turn the fine tuner or the peg until it says *In tune*, then do the next string
- Press Stop when you are done, to turn the microphone off
