Violin Tuner — GDAE with Fine Tuner and A442 Guidance

A violin is tuned in perfect fifths to GDAE: G3, D4, A4 and E5 from the lowest string to the highest, with A4 = 440 Hz as the usual reference. Each string sounds a fifth above the one below it, and violinists tune by ear in fifths as well as with a tuner.

How to use it

1. Start the tuner. Press Start Tuner (Microphone) and allow microphone access. The audio is analysed in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
2. Bow one string at a time. A sustained bow gives the steadiest reading. Pizzicato works if you let the note ring, but the note dies quickly and the display has less time to settle.
3. Keep the other strings quiet. If a neighbouring string rings under the note you are playing, touch it lightly with a left-hand finger to stop it. A ringing open string can take over the display.
4. Use the pegs for large changes, the fine tuners for small ones. Turn the peg with a gentle inward pressure so it stays seated. When a string is close, finish with the fine tuner.
5. Tune up to pitch. If a string is sharp, lower it below the target and bring it back up. Approaching from below keeps the string seated on the peg and holds better.
6. Check the fifths. Bow two adjacent open strings together. A correctly tuned fifth has no audible beating; if you hear a slow pulse, one of the two strings is off.
7. Match the ensemble’s reference. A4 = 440 Hz is the default. If your orchestra or teacher tunes to 442, select it in the reference-standard chips before you start.

Violin string frequencies

Strings are numbered from the player’s point of view: the 4th string is the lowest and thickest, and the 1st is the highest and thinnest.

String	Note	Frequency (A4 = 440 Hz)
4th (lowest)	G3	196.00 Hz
3rd	D4	293.66 Hz
2nd	A4	440.00 Hz
1st (highest)	E5	659.26 Hz

The interval between each pair of adjacent strings is a perfect fifth, which is why the whole instrument can be checked against a single A.

Pegs and fine tuners

• The pegs are friction fittings. They are tapered and held by the pressure of the string pulling them into the pegbox. Turn a peg with a light inward pressure at the same time, and expect pitch to move a long way with a small turn.
• The fine tuners are for small changes. Each one is a screw at the tailpiece that pulls the string end and changes its tension slightly. They are the normal way to correct everyday drift.
• The E string usually has its own fine tuner. Steel strings are stiff and the E is the thinnest string on the instrument, so it is the hardest to set precisely with a peg. Most violins have a fine tuner on the E; many student instruments have four.
• Fine tuners have limited travel. When one is screwed most of the way in, it cannot sharpen the string any further. Reset it and use the peg to bring the string near the note, then finish with the tuner.
• A stiff peg is a warning, not an obstacle. If a peg will not turn, it is usually binding or the string is catching in the nut. Ease it free; forcing it is how pegboxes crack and strings break.

Tuning in fifths and practising intonation

A violin is built around the perfect fifth, and the interval is the key to both tuning and ear training.

Tuning the instrument in fifths. Bow two adjacent open strings together and listen. Two notes that are almost, but not exactly, a fifth apart produce a slow pulsing — the beat frequency — and the pulse slows as the interval becomes pure. Adjust the upper string of the pair until the pulsing stops, then move up the instrument. The 3:2 ratio of a fifth makes the beats easy to hear, which is why players tune this way without a display.

Using the reference tone. Each string card has a hear-tone button that plays the string’s target pitch. Play the reference, then bow the matching open string and listen for the beats between the two. This is slower than reading the needle, but it trains the ear that tuning ultimately depends on, and it works when the room is too noisy for the microphone.

Practising intonation against a reference. Once the open strings are settled, pick one string, start its reference tone, and play slow scales or long tones against it. The notes that are out of tune will beat against the reference; the notes that are in tune will sit still. Use the display to confirm what you heard, not to replace it. A few minutes of this in each practice session builds the muscle memory that a needle cannot.

A442 and other references

Most ensembles use A4 = 440 Hz, but not all. Some orchestras, particularly in Japan and parts of continental Europe, tune to A442, and period-instrument groups sometimes use lower references such as A415 or A430. The reference-standard chips above cover A415 to A444.

• A442 raises every target by about 0.45 %. The strings stay in perfect fifths relative to each other; the whole instrument simply sits slightly higher.
• Select the reference before you tune. If you tune to 440 and then join an ensemble on 442, every string will read flat against the group.
• The choice belongs to the ensemble. If you are preparing for an audition or a rehearsal, ask which A they use rather than guessing.
• Your ear is the final check. Once the instrument is in tune to 442, the open fifths should still be beatless against each other.

Accuracy and limits

• A bowed note is the easy case for a microphone tuner. The violin is loud and sustained, and a steady bow gives the detector a long, stable signal. A clean single string is far easier to read than a chord.
• Pizzicato is the hard case. The note decays quickly, so the reading is only steady for a moment. If you tune by plucking, pluck again and watch the display rather than judging a single frame.
• Play one string at a time. Double stops and chords present two or more pitches at once, and the display reports the strongest periodic signal, not both notes.
• A ringing neighbour can dominate. Because the open strings ring freely, a sympathetic G or D can appear while you tune another string. Damp it with a light left-hand touch.
• Bow with a steady weight. A very heavy bow stroke can pull the pitch of an open string slightly sharp. A medium, even stroke gives the most stable reading.
• The E string is the brightest and the most fragile. It reads easily but breaks most often. Approach it slowly and stop at the target.
• New strings settle over days, not minutes. Retune after the first playing session and again the next day.
• Temperature and humidity move the instrument. A cold violin arrives flat and a warm room can pull it sharp. Tune after a few minutes of playing when you can.
• A wrong reference shows up as a consistent error. If every string reads flat by a similar amount, check the reference chips before you touch a peg.

Safety

• The bridge is held by string tension alone, and the soundpost is held by friction. Never take all four strings off at once. Replace strings one at a time so the instrument keeps its tension.
• Bring strings up gradually. Raise pitch in small increments and stop at the target, especially on the E string. A string taken from slack to pitch in one movement is a string at risk of breaking.
• Never force a peg. If it will not turn, it is binding. Forcing it can crack the pegbox or snap the string, and a cracked pegbox is a repair.
• Watch the bridge after tuning. If it leans forward or sits off centre, slacken the strings slightly and ease it upright, or have someone experienced check it. A leaning bridge can collapse.
• Do not tune the E string an octave high. The target is E5 = 659.26 Hz. An E6 is roughly double the tension the string and the instrument are built for.
• Reset a fine tuner that has reached its limit. Forcing a stiff or bottomed-out fine tuner can strip its threads.
• Protect your hearing. A violin played under the ear is loud. Take breaks during long tuning and practice sessions.