Chromatic Tuner: Tune Any Instrument by Note
This chromatic tuner names any note you play, with its octave, the cents, and Hz, and can show it in the key of your instrument
- Free, no sign-up
- Concert, B flat, E flat, and F
- Audio stays on your device
How to use a chromatic tuner
- 1
Press Start and allow the microphone. Under Show notes as, pick concert pitch or the key of your instrument.
- 2
Play one long note. You see the nearest of the 12 notes with its octave, the cents, and Hz.
- 3
Adjust the instrument until you see In tune, within 5 cents. On a wind instrument, move the head joint, the barrel, or the tuning slide.
Show notes as
Concert pitch and transposing instruments: pick the key of your instrument to see the note written on your part
| Setting | Instruments and what you see |
|---|---|
| Concert pitch | Flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, tuba, piano, and strings. The note shown is the note that sounds |
| B flat instrument | Trumpet, clarinet, and soprano and tenor saxophone. A concert C shows as D |
| E flat instrument | Alto and baritone saxophone. A concert C shows as A |
| F instrument | French horn and English horn. A concert C shows as G |
| The 12 notes | C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, then C again one octave up |
| A4 calibration | The A4 pitch list goes from 432 to 446 Hz. Most bands and schools use 440 Hz |
Tips for wind instruments
Warm the instrument first
A cold wind instrument plays flat. Play for two or three minutes before you tune, then hold a note at your normal volume.
Push in or pull out
Tune up means the note is flat, so make the tube shorter: push the head joint, the barrel, or the slide in. Tune down means sharp: pull it out a little.
Chromatic and guitar mode
A guitar mode knows six strings and lights the nearest one. Chromatic mode knows all 12 notes in every octave, so it reads any instrument, a voice, or the octave strings of a 12 string guitar.
Watch the needle hold
A long note shows how steady your air is. If the cents move a lot, work on breath support before you move the slide.
Questions
- What is a chromatic tuner?
- It is a tuner that names any of the 12 notes in any octave, not only the strings of one instrument. This online chromatic tuner does it with the mic in your browser.
- What is chromatic on a tuner?
- Chromatic means all 12 notes, with every sharp and flat. Chromatic mode reads any note you play, so it works as a flute tuner, a trumpet tuner, a clarinet tuner, or a trombone tuner.
- What is concert pitch?
- Concert pitch is the note that really sounds. A piano, a flute, and a violin read in concert pitch. A B flat trumpet reads a D for the sound of a concert C.
- Why does my trumpet show a different note on the tuner?
- Most trumpets are B flat instruments: a written C sounds as a concert B flat. Set Show notes as to B flat instrument to see the note on your part.
- How do I tune a flute or clarinet?
- Warm up, then hold a long A on the flute or a long concert B flat on the clarinet. Move the flute head joint or the clarinet barrel. For a B flat clarinet, set Show notes as to B flat instrument.
- What is the best chromatic guitar tuner?
- Any chromatic tool with a cents number can tune a guitar. For standard or drop D, the guitar tuner is faster, because it lights each string. Use chromatic mode for the octave strings of a 12 string guitar or for an unusual tuning.
- Is there a free chromatic tuner available?
- Yes. You tune for free, with no sign-up, no ads, and no chromatic tuner app to install. You get a chromatic tuner online on a phone or a computer.
Does any sound leave the browser?
No. The Web Audio API hears your instrument in this tab only. Nothing is uploaded or saved, and the mic stops when you press Stop.
Call from this browser
The mic that tunes your instrument works for calls too. That is all a call from your computer with Suparelay needs.