Tune any instrument or voice with a free online chromatic tuner. Play one note: the strobe bands stand still when it is in tune, and the display shows the note with its octave, the error in cents to 0.1 and the frequency in Hz. Set A4 to 442 Hz or transpose for B♭, E♭ and F instruments.
Chromatic Tuner
Press Start and play any note
More settings: in-tune window, room noise, microphone
Temperament: equal temperament (12-TET) only. Every semitone is exactly 100 cents; historical temperaments and sweetened tunings are not included.
Microphone off. Nothing is recorded or uploaded: sound is analysed in your browser.
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How to Use the Chromatic Tuner
- Press Start tuner and allow the microphone. Stay quiet for a moment while it measures the room noise.
- Play or sing one steady note. Any note from A0 (27.5 Hz) to B7 (3,951 Hz) is recognised, so there is nothing to choose first.
- Watch the strobe: bands drifting to the left mean flat (tune up), drifting to the right mean sharp (tune down). The faster they move, the further off you are.
- Adjust until the bands stop and the note turns green. The LED needle and the cents readout confirm it: ±0.0 ¢ is exactly on the note.
- Playing a B♭, E♭ or F instrument? Choose it under Transpose and the big note shows your written note.
How to Read the Strobe Display
| Part of the display | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Strobe bands | Three bands move at 1×, 2× and 4× speed. They stand still only when the pitch matches the note, so they show errors far smaller than a needle can |
| Big note | Nearest note with its octave number, such as A4 or E2. Green = in tune, amber = within 15 cents, red = further off |
| Cents | Deviation from the note to 0.1 cent: −12.4 ¢ is flat, +3.0 ¢ is sharp. There are 100 cents in a semitone |
| Hz | The frequency you are playing, for example 440.00 Hz for A4 |
| LED needle | 21 segments from −50 to +50 cents, 5 cents each; the centre segment is the in-tune zone |
| Flat / in tune / sharp lights | A quick cue you can read from across the room |
Unsure what a cent is? Cents in music tuning explains why 5 cents is roughly the limit most people can hear.
Calibration: 440, 442 and Other A4 Settings
A chromatic tuner compares your note with a reference. The standard is A4 = 440 Hz (see A440 explained), but ensembles often tune higher or lower, so this tuner accepts any A4 from 415 to 466 Hz in 0.1 Hz steps, with quick keys:
| A4 setting | Typical use | Same 440 Hz note reads |
|---|---|---|
| 415 Hz | Baroque ensembles (about a semitone below 440) | +101.3 ¢, shown as A♯4 +1.3 ¢ |
| 432 Hz | Some players who prefer a lower pitch | +31.8 ¢ |
| 440 Hz | International standard | 0 ¢ |
| 442 Hz | Many orchestras and concert pianos | −7.85 ¢ (about −8) |
| 443 Hz | Some continental European orchestras | −11.8 ¢ |
| 466 Hz | Some Renaissance and early Baroque music | −99.4 ¢, shown as G♯4 +0.6 ¢ |
So a 442 Hz tuner is simply this tuner with the 442 key pressed. Where these standards come from is covered in historical pitch standards.
Transposing Tuner for Clarinet, Sax and Horn
Clarinets, saxophones, trumpets and horns read notes that sound different from the piano. Choose the key of your instrument and the tuner shows the written note, with the concert pitch underneath:
| Transpose setting | Instruments | Concert B♭4 (466.16 Hz) shows |
|---|---|---|
| C | Flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, tuba, piano, voice | B♭4 (A♯4 with sharps) |
| B♭ | Clarinet, trumpet, cornet, soprano and tenor sax | C5 |
| E♭ | Alto and baritone sax, E♭ clarinet | G5 |
| F | French horn, cor anglais | F5 |
A band usually tunes to concert B♭, so a B♭ clarinet plays its written C. The tuner transposes by the smallest interval (a major second for B♭, a major sixth for E♭, a fifth for F); tenor sax, baritone sax and bass clarinet sound one octave lower again, so read the letter name. For flute, recorder and sax presets with written octaves, use the instrument tuner.
Autoharp, Harp, Piano and Other Instruments
A chromatic tuner is the right tool for any instrument that has no preset: autoharp (tune each string to the note on the string chart, then check the chord bars), lever and pedal harp, lyre, dulcimer, xylophone, timpani, tabla, bass clef instruments down to A0 and whistles up to B7. For a piano it quickly shows which notes have drifted; the stretched tuning of a whole piano is a job for a technician, as explained in pitch detection for piano tuning.
Equal Temperament Only
Every note on this tuner is an equal-tempered semitone: exactly 100 cents apart, with each octave doubling the frequency. That is what pianos, fretted instruments and almost all modern music use. Historical temperaments such as meantone or Werckmeister, and sweetened guitar tunings, are not included; if you need them, apply their cent offsets by hand. Intonation and temperament explains why these systems differ.
Response, Hold and Accuracy
- Fast response follows a new note within about a fifth of a second: best for plucked strings and quick checks.
- Smooth response averages about ten readings (a third of a second): best for wind instruments, voice and fine strobe work.
- Hold keeps the last reading on screen after the note stops, so you can tune, stop, and read the result.
- On steady test tones the tuner reads within 0.1 cent from A0 to B7. With a real instrument, play one note at a time and keep the microphone close; why tuners show multiple notes explains the harmonics that can confuse any tuner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a chromatic tuner?
A tuner that recognises all 12 notes of the chromatic scale in every octave, instead of only the open strings of one instrument. It works for any instrument, including alternate guitar tunings.
Is the online chromatic tuner free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no app, sign-up or download, and the sound is analysed on your device; nothing is recorded or uploaded.
Can I use it for singing?
Yes: sing a steady vowel and read the note. To see which notes you sing over a whole phrase, the singing note detector is easier.
Can I see the exact frequency?
The tuner shows Hz to two decimals below 1,000 Hz. For the full spectrum of a sound use the frequency detector.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in current Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox. On most phones the screen stays awake while the tuner runs, and you can practise afterwards with the online metronome.