Violin Tuner: Tune Your Violin and Viola Online
This violin tuner online hears each string of a violin or a viola and shows the note and the cents, at A4 = 440 or 442 Hz
- Free, no sign-up
- Violin and viola
- Sound stays on your device
How to tune a violin
- 1
Press Start and allow the microphone. Pick Violin: G D A E or Viola: C G D A, and set A4 to match your group.
- 2
Tune from the A string first. Bow or pluck it, and watch the needle and the cents.
- 3
Then tune D, G, and E the same way. Use the pegs for a big change and the fine tuners for the last few cents.
Violin and viola string notes
Violin tuning notes are G D A E, from the lowest string to the highest. Each string is a fifth above the one before. The viola has a low C instead of the E: viola C G D A
| String | Note and frequency |
|---|---|
| Violin G string | G3, 196.00 Hz |
| Violin D string | D4, 293.66 Hz |
| Violin A string | A4, 440.00 Hz, or 442.00 Hz when A4 is set to 442 |
| Violin E string | E5, 659.26 Hz |
| Viola C string | C3, 130.81 Hz. The other viola strings are G3, D4, and A4, the same as the lower three violin strings |
| Violin at A4 = 442 Hz | G3 196.89, D4 295.00, A4 442.00, and E5 662.25 Hz |
Violin tuning tips
Pegs and fine tuners
Turn a peg only a little, and push it in as you turn so it holds. Use the fine tuners on the tailpiece for small changes. If a fine tuner screw reaches its end, turn it back to the middle and use the peg.
Bowed and plucked notes
A bowed note is steady, so the needle settles fast. A plucked note is sharp for a moment, then fades. Bow with an even stroke, or pluck and read the note just after the first moment.
Choose 440 or 442 Hz
Open the A4 pitch list and pick 442 if your orchestra tunes to it. The string buttons, the reference tones, and the needle then all use that A.
If no note shows
Hold the phone 20 to 30 cm from the instrument, near the f holes. Play one string at a time. Take off a practice mute, because it makes the sound too quiet for a clear reading.
Questions
- What are the violin string notes?
- G3, D4, A4, and E5, from the thick string to the thin one. A fiddle uses the same notes, so the Violin tuning also works as a fiddle tuner.
- What frequency is the violin A string?
- 440 Hz in most music. Many orchestras tune it a little higher, to 442 Hz. Set the A4 pitch list to match the group you play with.
- Should I use the pegs or the fine tuners?
- Use the pegs when a string is far off, or after you put on a new string. Use the fine tuners for the last few cents. Most student violins have a fine tuner. Violin players at a higher level often keep only one, on the E string.
- How do I tune a viola?
- Pick Viola: C G D A. Tune the A string to A4 first, then D4, G3, and C3. That tuning gives you a viola tuner, and an online viola tuner on any phone.
- Can I tune a violin with the Google tuner?
- Yes, for the notes. You also get string buttons, a 442 Hz setting, the cents as a number, and a viola tuning, all free.
- Why does my violin go out of tune?
- Heat and humidity move the wood and the strings. New strings stretch for the first week. Dry pegs slip when they are not pushed in. Tune before each practice.
- Do orchestras tune to 440 or 442?
- Both. Many orchestras in the US and the UK tune to 440 Hz, and many in Europe tune to 442 Hz. Ask your conductor, then set the A4 pitch list to match.
Is it private?
Yes. This online violin tuner reads the sound inside this tab with the Web Audio API. Nothing is uploaded or kept, and the microphone stops when you close the tab.
Your mic can call too
The mic you tune with also works for calls in this browser. That is all a call from your computer with Suparelay needs.