Online guitar tuner
Tap a string to hear its note and tune by ear, or to lock the tuner to that string.
This is a free online guitar tuner that listens through your microphone. Press start, play one open string, and it tells you which string you are on and whether it is flat (tune up) or sharp (tune down). It also tunes bass and ukulele, in standard tuning or drop D, half step down, drop C, DADGAD and open tunings. No app, no sign-up.
How to tune your guitar with this tuner
- Press Start tuner and allow the mic. On a laptop or phone the built-in mic is fine; hold the guitar close to it.
- Pick the low E string (string 6, the thickest) and let it ring. Mute the other strings with your fretting hand.
- Read the needle. Left of centre is flat, so tighten the string. Right is sharp, so loosen it. When it turns green and says in tune, you are within a few cents.
- Tune up to the note. If you go sharp, drop below the note and come back up. The string holds its pitch better that way.
- Move across the strings: E, A, D, G, B, E. Then check them all once more, because changing one string's tension pulls the neck slightly and moves the others.
Standard guitar tuning notes
| String | Note | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | E2 | 82.41 Hz | thickest, lowest string |
| 5 | A2 | 110.00 Hz | |
| 4 | D3 | 146.83 Hz | |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 Hz | |
| 2 | B3 | 246.94 Hz | |
| 1 | E4 | 329.63 Hz | thinnest, highest string |
A memory trick for the order, low to high: Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie. Strings are numbered from the thinnest (1) to the thickest (6). For alternate tunings with every string's frequency, see the guitar tunings chart.
Bass and ukulele tuning
- Bass guitar in standard tuning is E1 A1 D2 G2, an octave below the guitar's four lowest strings. A five-string adds a low B (B0, 30.87 Hz). Small mics hear very little that low, so if the reading jumps around, play the harmonic at the 12th fret instead: same note, an octave up.
- Ukulele standard tuning is G4 C4 E4 A4 ("My Dog Has Fleas"), with the G higher than the C. Low G tuning drops that string an octave to G3. Baritone ukulele is D G B E, like the top four guitar strings.
How to tune a guitar by ear, without a tuner
Get the low E right first (tap the E2 string above to hear it), then tune each string to the one below it:
- Fret the low E at the 5th fret: that is A. Tune the open A string to match.
- A string, 5th fret is D: tune the open D to it. D string, 5th fret is G: tune the open G.
- G string, 4th fret is B: tune the open B. This is the one exception.
- B string, 5th fret is E: tune the high E.
When two notes are close but not quite the same you hear a slow wobble, called beating. Turn the peg until the wobble slows down and disappears.
Why your guitar keeps going out of tune
- New strings stretch for the first day or two. Pull each one gently away from the fretboard and retune a few times.
- Temperature and humidity move the neck and strings. Let a guitar warm up to the room before you tune it for a gig.
- If open strings are in tune but chords sound off higher up the neck, that is intonation, set at the bridge, not tuning. Compare the 12th fret note to the 12th fret harmonic; if they differ, a setup will fix it.
Play Adrift through your guitar, live.
Adrift is a two-knob shoegaze reverb: HEAT for warmth, MELT for the size of the wall, FREEZE to hold a chord forever. Its page has a live version you can play with the same mic or interface you just tuned with. Tuned down for something heavier? Try Drown.
Play Adrift live →Quick answers
How do I tune my guitar with my computer or phone microphone?
Open this page, press Start tuner and allow microphone access. Play one open string at a time and let it ring. The tuner finds the string and shows whether it is flat or sharp; tune until the needle is centred and it says in tune.
What are the notes of standard guitar tuning?
From the thickest string to the thinnest: E2, A2, D3, G3, B3, E4. With A4 at 440 Hz they are 82.41, 110.00, 146.83, 196.00, 246.94 and 329.63 Hz.
Is an online guitar tuner accurate?
Yes, when it can hear one clear note. This tuner reads pitch to well under a cent on a steady note and calls a string in tune within ±4 cents, about as close as most people can hear. Noisy rooms and strumming several strings at once are what throw any tuner off.
Can I tune a bass or ukulele with this tuner?
Yes. Switch the instrument to Bass for 4- or 5-string bass, or to Ukulele for standard G C E A, low G or baritone tuning.
Does this tuner work for drop D and other tunings?
Yes. Pick drop D, half step down, D standard, drop C, C standard, B standard, DADGAD, open G or open D from the tuning menu and the tuner aims each string at the right note.
How do I tune a guitar without a tuner?
Get the low E in tune from a reference, such as the tone on this page. Then fret each string at the 5th fret to get the next open string's note, except the G string, where the 4th fret gives you B.
Is this guitar tuner free?
Yes. No app and no account. It runs in your browser, and the microphone audio never leaves the page.
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