๐ Tuning Reference Tone
Press a string to play its reference tone. Press again to stop.
Play the reference pitch for each string in the standard tuning of guitar, bass, violin, ukulele, cello, and more. Handy for tuning by ear when you don't have a tuner on hand.
How to use
- Choose the instrument you want to tune.
- Press a string's button to play that string's reference pitch.
- Press it again to stop. Compare the tone with your instrument's actual pitch as you tune.
How the calculation works
This plays the note of each string in standard tuning for guitar, bass, violin, ukulele and cello. Press a string button to start the tone and press it again to stop. The sound also stops when you move to another tool. Tones are pure sine waves at twelve-tone equal-temperament frequencies with A4 at 440 Hz. To tune by ear, play the string together with the reference and adjust until the โbeatingโ (a regular wobble in volume) slows down and disappears.
Worked example
Guitar (6th to 1st string) E2 82.41 Hz, A2 110.00 Hz, D3 146.83 Hz, G3 196.00 Hz, B3 246.94 Hz, E4 329.63 Hz Bass (4th to 1st string) E1 41.20 Hz, A1 55.00 Hz, D2 73.42 Hz, G2 98.00 Hz Violin: G3 196.00 Hz, D4 293.66 Hz, A4 440.00 Hz, E5 659.26 Hz Ukulele: G4 392.00 Hz, C4 261.63 Hz, E4 329.63 Hz, A4 440.00 Hz
Things to be aware of
- Ukuleles are usually tuned with a โhigh Gโ: the 4th string (G) is higher than the 3rd (C).
- Low bass notes can be almost inaudible on small phone or laptop speakers. Use earphones or headphones.
- If your ensemble tunes to another reference, such as A = 442 Hz for some orchestras, follow that instead.
FAQ
How are the frequencies calculated?
Using the internationally standard reference of A4 = 440Hz and the equal-temperament formula (each semitone multiplies the frequency by the 12th root of 2), giving the precise frequency for each note.
Does this work accurately through a phone's built-in speaker?
It usually works fine, but small speakers can struggle to reproduce low frequencies accurately (like a bass's lowest strings). Headphones or external speakers are recommended when possible.
Does this support alternate tunings (like open tunings)?
No, this currently only covers each instrument's standard tuning. For alternate tunings, look up the frequency for your target note using another tool, such as a note-to-frequency reference table.