How to Tune a Violin: Fine Tuners, Pegs and the Right Order

Why start with the A string

A violin is tuned in perfect fifths: G3, D4, A4 and E5 from the lowest string to the highest. Tuning almost always starts with the A string. A is the reference note ensembles tune to, and an orchestra tunes together on an A before rehearsals and concerts. Get the A right first, then tune the D, G and E strings.

Practicing alone, just set your A with our violin tuner. The standard reference is 440 Hz, but some groups tune a little higher, such as 442 Hz, so when you play with others, use whatever your group uses. You can change it under Reference A4 in the tuner’s settings. For the background, see our guide to A440 and reference pitch.

Using the fine tuners

Fine tuners are the small screws on the tailpiece. Turning one clockwise raises the pitch; counterclockwise lowers it. A small turn makes a small change, which makes them much easier to control than pegs. Use fine tuners for the last small adjustment once a string is already close.

• Turn in tiny amounts while watching the tuner.
• If a fine tuner is screwed all the way in and won’t go further, back it out to about the middle of its range, bring the string close with the peg, and then finish with the fine tuner again.
• Student violins often have fine tuners on all four strings, while more advanced instruments often have one only on the E string. In that case, the other strings are tuned with the pegs alone.

When to use the pegs

Use the pegs when a string is far off or you’ve just put on a new string. A small peg turn makes a big change in pitch, so work slowly.

• Push the peg gently into the pegbox as you turn it. Pegs are held by friction. If you turn without pushing in, the peg is likely to unwind the moment you let go. A peg that keeps slipping is usually one that isn’t being pushed in enough.
• Tune up to the note rather than down to it. If you overshoot, drop a little below the target and come back up. Bringing the string up to pitch helps the peg hold.
• Make small turns and listen after each one instead of cranking the peg in one go.

Checking the bridge

As you tune up, the strings drag across the top of the bridge and pull it toward the fingerboard. After many tunings, the bridge can start leaning forward, and a bridge left leaning can warp or even fall over.

After tuning with the pegs, look at the bridge from the side. The back of the bridge, the side facing the tailpiece, should be roughly perpendicular to the top of the violin. If it’s leaning toward the fingerboard, very carefully ease the top of the bridge back with your thumb and index finger. Pulling hard can knock the bridge down or snap it, so if you’re not confident, let a violin shop do it. Rubbing a little pencil graphite into the string grooves on the bridge and nut helps the strings slide instead of dragging the bridge forward.

Tuning fifths with double stops

Once each string reads correctly on the tuner, bow two neighboring strings together: G and D, D and A, A and E. Each pair is a perfect fifth. If a fifth is slightly out, you’ll hear a wobbling or pulsing sound. Those are beats, caused by the two pitches being slightly mismatched. Adjust one string bit by bit and the beats slow down until they become so slow you can hardly notice them.

A fifth tuned by ear like this is very slightly wider, about 2 cents, than the equal-tempered fifth a tuner measures. Which one to aim for depends on your teacher and the music you’re playing, but using both methods together trains your ear much faster than the tuner alone.

Avoiding broken strings

• Don’t overshoot. Make sure you know which string you’re tuning and watch the string indicator on the tuner. Cranking a string up to a much higher note puts too much tension on it and can snap it. On our tuner, tap a string name to lock the tuner to that string.
• Be gentle with the E string. It’s a high-tension steel string with very little give. A tiny peg turn moves its pitch a lot.
• Check the fine tuner hook. If your E string keeps breaking at the same spot, the hook on the fine tuner may have developed a sharp edge. String maker Thomastik-Infeld suggests having the edges smoothed or switching to a ball-end E string. A violin shop can help if you’d rather not do it yourself.