A tuner is an essential tool for tuning your instrument to the correct pitch. Whether you play guitar, bass, violin, ukulele, mandolin, or wind instruments like flute and clarinet, a tuner helps you achieve accurate intonation. This online tuner analyzes sound in real time through your microphone and displays the pitch relative to your chosen reference. No app installation is required—use it directly in your browser at home, in the practice room, or at the venue.

Reference Pitch Selection

Use the 'Reference pitch' dropdown at the top to select the A4 reference frequency. A440 (440 Hz) is the international standard (ISO 16) used by most orchestras and instrument makers. Baroque ensembles often use A415, Verdi or scientific tuning uses A432, and some orchestras use A442–444. Choose the reference pitch that matches your music style or ensemble. You can also enter a custom value between 400–500 Hz.

Understanding Cents

Cents are 1/100th of a semitone and indicate how far a note is from the correct pitch. A value near 0¢ means the note is in tune; +50¢ means a half step sharp, and -50¢ means a half step flat. The gauge needle moves from left (flat) to right (sharp), and when it points to the center, the note is correctly tuned. Within ±5¢ the display shows 'In Tune,' within ±15¢ it shows 'Close,' and beyond that 'Out of Tune.'

How to Use

Press 'Start Tuner' and allow microphone access when prompted. Then play one string or note at a time—the tuner will display the frequency and note name in real time. Playing multiple strings or notes at once makes detection difficult, so always play one at a time. A quiet environment gives the most accurate results; if there is background noise, bring the microphone closer to your instrument.

Tuning Tips by Instrument

Guitar & Bass: Tune from low to high strings (6th to 1st). After tuning one string, check the previous strings again as they may have shifted. Ukulele: standard tuning is G-C-E-A. Violin, viola, violoncello: fine-tuning matters—wait for the pitch to stabilize before adjusting the pegs. Wind instruments: sustain a single note so the tuner can lock onto the pitch.

Additional Tips

Checking tuning before practice helps you get more out of your sessions. Temperature and humidity can affect pitch, so it's a good idea to verify tuning at the start and midway through practice. This tuner detects frequencies from 70 to 1200 Hz, covering most common instrument ranges. Using headphones or earbuds lets you hear your instrument without the tuner's feedback interfering.