Violin Tuner

Tune the A string (A4) first, then D, G and E. In an ensemble, use the reference pitch your group plays at (440 Hz, 442 Hz and so on).

How to use it

Tune the A string (A4) first, then D4, G3 and E5. When the needle sits in the green center (within ±5 cents), you’re in tune. Tap a string name to hear its reference tone and lock the tuner to that string.

In an ensemble, use the reference pitch the group plays at. The standard is 440 Hz, and some groups tune a little higher, such as 442 Hz. You can change it under Reference A4 in the settings.

Pegs and fine tuners

For small adjustments, use the fine tuners on the tailpiece: clockwise raises the pitch, counterclockwise lowers it. If a fine tuner runs out of travel, back it off and make the bigger change with the peg.

Push the peg gently into the pegbox as you turn it so it holds. Come up to the note from slightly below.

Care and practice

Repeated tuning can pull the bridge toward the fingerboard. Now and then, look from the side and check that the back of the bridge stands at a right angle to the top.

With A4 at 440 Hz, the targets are about 196.0 Hz (G3), 293.7 Hz (D4), 440 Hz (A4) and 659.3 Hz (E5). To practice tuning by ear, tune only the A with the tuner, tune the rest by listening to the fifths, then check them with the tuner at the end.

After tuning, bow two neighboring strings together. As the fifth comes into tune, the wobble slows until you can hardly notice it. A fifth tuned by ear is about 2 cents wider than an equal-tempered fifth, so it may differ very slightly from the tuner.

Common mistakes

Big turns of the peg. Use the pegs only when a string is well off, and turn them in small steps. If the E string keeps breaking at the same spot, the fine tuner’s hook may have a sharp edge.

Short, choppy bow strokes. The longer the note sustains, the more readings the tuner can take and the steadier the needle. Use long bows.

FAQ

If I switch to 442 Hz, do the other strings change too? Yes. The A string’s target becomes 442 Hz, and G, D and E rise by the same ratio. E5, for example, moves from about 659.3 Hz at A440 to about 662.2 Hz.

Can I tune with pizzicato? Yes, but the note dies away quickly, so the needle may be less steady than with a long bow stroke.

Is my playing recorded? No. Sound is analyzed on this device only and is never recorded or sent anywhere.