Online Guitar Tuner

Tune your guitar, ukulele or bass by ear or with the microphone pitch meter. No account needed.

How to use the online tuner

Select a tuning, then click the large button to enable the microphone. Pluck one string at a time, let it ring clearly and watch the note and cents indicator. A negative cents reading means the pitch is flat; a positive one means it is sharp. Turn the tuning peg slowly and pluck again until the meter is near zero. Stop the microphone with the same button. On a noisy stage, bring your instrument close to the microphone and mute the other strings.

Standard tunings

Standard tunings and practical tuning advice

Guitar: start with the sixth string

Standard six-string guitar tuning, from the thickest string to the thinnest, is E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4. The numbers are octave labels, not string numbers. Select guitar standard to see the six target pitches in that order. A low E produces a slower vibration than a high E, so leave the note ringing for a moment rather than expecting the meter to settle immediately. If the displayed pitch is very different from the target, check which string you plucked before turning a peg. Raising pitch too quickly can break a string.

Ukulele and bass are different instruments

A common soprano, concert and tenor ukulele tuning is G4 C4 E4 A4, ordered from the fourth string to the first. Its G4 is often higher than C4: this is called re-entrant tuning, and the pitches do not simply rise from left to right. Some players replace that with a low G3; choose the low-G preset if your instrument has that string. A standard four-string bass is E1 A1 D2 G2. These bass notes sit an octave below the corresponding four lowest guitar strings. Use the bass preset instead of guessing by looking at the guitar's E2 target. Your instrument may use another string set or tuning, so always check its setup.

Tune carefully, not just quickly

Tune upward into the target where practical. If you overshoot, lower the pitch a little below the target and approach again; this can help reduce slack around the peg. Pluck with a moderate, consistent attack and read the pitch after the initial transient. The tuner measures the sound reaching the microphone, not the pressure on your finger or the name printed on a string package. A fresh string may drift as it stretches. After tuning all strings, check them again: changes in overall string tension can slightly affect earlier strings, especially on instruments with a floating bridge.

Tuning by ear when the microphone is unavailable

You can use a reliable external reference note, such as an A at 440 Hz, to establish one string. On a normally tuned guitar the open fifth string is A2; compare its octave against the reference and listen for beats, the pulsing heard when pitches are close but not equal. Once you know the low E string is correct, its fifth fret matches the open A string. Fifth fret on A matches open D, and fifth fret on D matches open G. The exception is G to B: use the fourth fret of G. Fifth fret on B matches the high E. This method transfers a reference across the strings; it does not establish absolute pitch unless at least one string was accurate to begin with.

Understand the cents reading

One semitone equals 100 cents in equal temperament. A meter close to zero is closer to the selected note; minus indicates flat and plus indicates sharp. A few cents of fluctuation can come from your plucking technique, instrument intonation or background noise. The adjustable A4 reference is normally 440 Hz. Change it only if you are playing with an ensemble using another agreed reference, then tune every string against that same setting. An instrument can have perfectly tuned open strings yet sound out of tune at higher frets if its intonation needs adjustment. A browser tuner cannot repair that mechanical issue.

Before you practice

Tune before playing with a recording or another musician, and repeat after changing strings, moving between rooms or using a capo. Pressing a capo can pull strings slightly sharp, so check the resulting pitch after attaching it. Alternate guitar presets such as drop D change specific targets: drop D lowers only the sixth string from E2 to D2. Do not assume an alternate preset is suitable for a ukulele or bass. For a learning session, use the metronome to keep your chord changes even, then find beginner guitar material or songs in the Akordify library. The tuner itself is free and does not use song plays.

Tuner questions

Does the tuner need a microphone?

The live pitch meter needs microphone permission. The browser asks only after you click to start; you can also use the displayed target notes with an external reference to tune by ear.

Which tuning should I choose for ukulele?

Standard re-entrant ukulele uses G4 C4 E4 A4. If the fourth string is a low G, select G3 C4 E4 A4 instead.

What is standard four-string bass tuning?

From the lowest to highest string it is E1 A1 D2 G2. Bass pitches are lower than guitar pitches with the same note letters.

Why does the note move while I pluck?

The first attack can be sharp and other strings or room noise can interfere. Let one string ring clearly, mute the others and read the stable part of the sound.