Tune your violin with your microphone. This free online violin tuner hears which string you play (G, D, A or E), shows how many cents it is flat or sharp, and tells you whether to turn the peg or the fine tuner. Tap a peg to hear a bowed reference tone, or play an A440 tuning fork drone.
Violin Tuner
Tap a peg to hear a string
Press Start, then bow one string
Peg
- Frequency
- – Hz
- Cents
- – ¢
- Target
- –
Microphone off. Nothing is recorded or uploaded: sound is analysed in your browser.
Reference tones
Bowed tones at your A4 setting. Tap one, then tune the string until the two sound the same.
A steady A like a tuning fork. Tune the A string to it by ear, then the others in fifths. The meter pauses while it sounds.
Settings
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- Pitch Accuracy Checker
Check the intonation of the notes you play, not just the open strings.
- Online Metronome
Keep a steady tempo once the violin is in tune.
How to Tune a Violin Online
- Press Start tuner and allow the microphone. Keep quiet for a moment while the tuner measures the room noise.
- Start with the A string. Bow it with a slow, even stroke (or pluck it) and let it ring. The tuner finds the string by itself; tap a peg if you want to lock it to one string.
- Read the meter. Left of centre is flat, so tighten the string; right of centre is sharp, so loosen it. The coach box says Peg or Fine tuner.
- Keep the bow steady. When the note stays inside the green zone (±3 cents) for one second, the reading locks, the peg turns green and the tuner names the next string.
- Tune the strings in the order A, D, G, E, then check all four once more: changing the tension of one string pulls the others slightly.
Violin String Notes and Frequencies
Standard violin tuning is G3 D4 A4 E5, four strings a perfect fifth apart. The table gives each open string at the standard A4 = 440 Hz and at orchestra pitch A4 = 442 Hz.
| Violin string | Note | A4 = 440 Hz | A4 = 442 Hz |
|---|---|---|---|
| G string (4th, lowest) | G3 | 196.00 Hz | 196.89 Hz |
| D string (3rd) | D4 | 293.66 Hz | 295.00 Hz |
| A string (2nd) | A4 | 440.00 Hz | 442.00 Hz |
| E string (1st, highest) | E5 | 659.26 Hz | 662.25 Hz |
The viola uses the same fifths a fifth lower, C3 G3 D4 A4; choose Viola in the tuner’s menu.
| Viola string | Note | A4 = 440 Hz | A4 = 442 Hz |
|---|---|---|---|
| C string (4th, lowest) | C3 | 130.81 Hz | 131.41 Hz |
| G string (3rd) | G3 | 196.00 Hz | 196.89 Hz |
| D string (2nd) | D4 | 293.66 Hz | 295.00 Hz |
| A string (1st, highest) | A4 | 440.00 Hz | 442.00 Hz |
These are equal-tempered values. Tuning by ear in pure 3:2 fifths from A440 gives D 293.33 Hz, G 195.56 Hz and E 660 Hz, a few cents away from the table. Both are fine: many teachers prefer pure fifths so the open strings ring together. Intonation and temperament explains the difference, and the tunings of other string instruments are in the instrument tuning reference.
Peg or Fine Tuner?
A violin has two ways to change the pitch. The pegs in the pegbox move the string a lot with a small turn; the fine tuners on the tailpiece move it only a few cents per turn. This tuner follows the rule many teachers use:
- More than 20 cents off: use the peg. Push it gently into the pegbox while you turn so it does not slip, and come up to the note from below.
- 20 cents or less: use the fine tuner. Clockwise (to the right) raises the pitch, anticlockwise lowers it.
- No fine tuner on that string? Many violins only have one on the E string. Set Fine tuners on in the settings and the tuner will ask for small peg movements instead.
A cent is one hundredth of a semitone; cents in music tuning shows why 3 cents is close enough for open strings. If a fine tuner is screwed all the way in, loosen it to the middle and correct the pitch with the peg.
Tuning Fork A440 and Tuning by Ear
Violinists traditionally tune the A string to a tuning fork or the oboe’s A and then tune the other strings in fifths by ear. Press Tuning fork A4 = 440 Hz for a steady drone. Bow the A string with it: a slow wah-wah beating means you are close, and when the beating stops the string is in tune. Then play two strings together (A and D, D and G, A and E) and adjust until the fifth sounds smooth. Practising this with interval ear training makes your ear faster. The meter pauses while the drone sounds so it does not measure the fork.
A4 = 442 Hz: Tuning to an Orchestra
A440 is the international standard described in A440 explained, but many orchestras tune slightly higher, commonly A4 = 441, 442 or 443 Hz. Tap the matching button in the settings and every string, reference tone and the tuning fork move with it. Baroque groups tune lower; the custom field accepts 415 to 466 Hz. How concert pitch changed over the centuries is covered in historical pitch standards.
Fiddle Tuner: Cross-Tunings
A fiddle is a violin, so standard GDAE works for most fiddle tunes. Old-time and folk fiddlers also retune for some keys so the open strings drone along with the melody. The tuner includes the three most used cross-tunings:
| Tuning | Strings (low to high) | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| A E A E | A3 E4 A4 E5 | G string up to A, D string up to E |
| A D A E | A3 D4 A4 E5 | G string up to A |
| G D G D | G3 D4 G4 D5 | A string down to G, E string down to D |
Retune slowly and check the bridge afterwards: large tension changes can pull it forward.
Tips for a Steady Reading
- Bow halfway between the bridge and the fingerboard with even pressure; a scratchy stroke makes the reading jump.
- Hold the phone or laptop 30 to 60 cm from the violin and away from loud fans or other players.
- New strings stretch for a few days, and changes in temperature and humidity move the pitch, so tune before every practice.
- An electric violin can be tuned through its speaker or by connecting it to the computer with an audio interface and choosing that input as the microphone.
- After the open strings, check your finger placement: pitch detection for violin intonation practice shows how.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this violin tuner free?
Yes. It runs in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no app, account or download. Sound is analysed on your device and nothing is recorded or uploaded.
What frequency is the violin G string?
The open G string is G3 = 196.00 Hz at A4 = 440 Hz. The D string is 293.66 Hz, the A string 440 Hz and the E string 659.26 Hz.
Is a digital tuner better than a clip-on tuner?
A clip-on tuner picks up vibration through the scroll, so it ignores room noise. A microphone tuner like this one is just as accurate in a quiet room and costs nothing; in a noisy orchestra rehearsal a clip-on is more practical.
Why does my violin keep going out of tune?
New strings stretch, pegs slip when they are dry or not pushed in, and wood reacts to humidity. If a peg will not hold, a violin shop can fit it or apply peg compound.
Can I check notes other than the open strings?
The violin tuner compares with the nearest open string. For any other note use the pitch detector, which shows the exact note and cents for everything you play.