Chromatic Tuner
Use one clear voice or instrument note in a quiet room. Audio stays in your browser.
Chromatic mode follows the nearest note.
Settings & measurement notes
Microphone features need HTTPS and browser permission. Stop or hide/leave the page to release input. Reference tones pause measurement. Noise, harmonics and polyphonic sound can affect estimates.
A4 defaults to 440 Hz. An octave doubles frequency; twelve equal-tempered semitones make an octave.
Related tools
- Instrument Tuner — Compare a single instrument note with a reference.
- Frequency to Note Converter — Convert a supplied Hz value to nearest note and offset.
- Pitch Accuracy Checker — Compare voiced time with an explicit pitch target.
Check a clear note against the nearest pitch in the chromatic scale. The Chromatic Tuner shows note name, octave, frequency and cents without restricting the reading to one instrument’s standard strings. It is useful when you know the intended sounding note and want to compare it with an equal-tempered reference.
Use chromatic tuning
- Select Chromatic in the tuning preset menu.
- Confirm A4, normally 440 Hz, in Settings.
- Start the microphone and allow access.
- Play one note clearly and let its attack settle.
- Check both the note name and cents before adjusting.
- Stop when finished and save useful result information if needed.
The current reference follows the nearest note. If you move far enough away, the label and cents center move to another semitone. A centered meter therefore does not prove you reached the note you originally intended.
What chromatic means here
The equal-tempered chromatic scale divides the octave into twelve semitones. Each next semitone multiplies frequency by 2 raised to the power 1/12. The tuner can label notes across that grid rather than checking only E, A, D, G, B and E as guitar targets.
Sharps and flats can name equivalent pitches differently. C♯ and D♭ occupy the same equal-tempered pitch class, but the musical spelling appropriate to a score depends on context. The note-spelling preference is not automatic harmonic analysis.
Octave numbers distinguish repeated pitch classes. C3 and C4 are separated by twelve semitones, so the letter alone is insufficient for tuning an unfamiliar instrument or string. The display reports sounding pitch, not necessarily a transposing instrument’s written note.
Read cents and frequency together
One semitone is 100 cents. Negative cents indicates below the nearest reference and positive cents above it. Hertz gives the detected repetition rate, while cents translates the ratio difference into a musical unit.
At A4 = 440 Hz, approximately 442 Hz is +7.85 cents from A4. A fixed two-hertz difference is not a fixed musical error at every register. This is why the cents display is useful for comparing tuning at different pitches.
A4 can be set from 400 to 480 Hz. Changing it moves the reference frequencies without changing the sound reaching the microphone. Keep the setting consistent across an ensemble or a series of measurements.
Switch to a fixed target for a larger adjustment
If a string starts near the wrong semitone, nearest-note tracking can be confusing. The supplied guitar, high-G ukulele and violin presets let you select a specific string target. They do not cover every alternate tuning or instrument automatically.
Use the Instrument Tuner for preset guidance, or the Pitch Accuracy Checker for a selected target with a defined tolerance. Choose the destination pitch deliberately rather than treating whichever note is centered as correct.
This is not a strobe display
The interface uses note, hertz, cents and a pitch trace. A strobe tuner uses a different visual presentation of tuning movement. A search result or an expectation of a strobe does not make this interface one, and no strobe-like precision guarantee is implied.
The numerical feedback can still be useful for ordinary tuning checks, provided the source is clear and the reference is appropriate. The displayed decimal places should not be interpreted as a calibration certificate or a promise of equivalent accuracy on every device.
Handle harmonics, noise and difficult sources
The live tracker searches roughly 50–2,000 Hz for a usable fundamental. Very low bass notes and high extremes may fall outside that search. Noisy percussion, several strings together or a dense mix may not yield one meaningful pitch.
If an octave jump appears, repeat a steadier sound and reduce competing sources. A strong harmonic can be tracked instead of the intended fundamental. For a string instrument, mute other strings and avoid making a large tension change based on one doubtful reading.
Calibrate room noise while quiet and adjust the gate conservatively. This helps reject weak input but cannot separate an instrument from a backing track. The Mic Test can help establish whether the intended microphone is receiving sound.
Convert known pitches and keep records
The manual-frequency box converts a supplied number rather than measuring an unknown source. For a dedicated numerical reference, use the Frequency to Note Converter or Note to Frequency Converter.
Copy and CSV preserve available measurements, not audio. The plugin analyzes microphone input in browser memory without recording or uploading it. Stop, hide or leave to release input, and retain the reference setting with any comparison you save.
The main Pitch Detector explains broader single-note uses. A tuner reading alone does not assess instrument setup, playing technique or the intended harmony of an ensemble.
Frequently asked questions
Can it tune notes outside standard guitar tuning?
Chromatic mode compares clear notes across its usable range. You need to know the intended sounding note and octave.
Why does the meter return to the center on a different note?
Nearest-note mode has changed its reference to the next semitone. Centered does not necessarily mean your original target was reached.
Is this an online strobe tuner?
No. It uses a cents meter and pitch trace rather than a strobe presentation.
Can it judge a whole chord’s tuning?
No. It follows one fundamental. Measure one clear note at a time and interpret the musical context separately.