Tune your guitar with the microphone, string by string
Play a string near your phone or computer and the guitar tuner tells you which note is sounding, whether it is sharp or flat and how many cents it is off. The guide for the 6 strings in standard tuning reminds you which note to aim for on each one.
Since it is a chromatic tuner, it recognizes any note between 50 and 2000 Hz, so it also works for alternate tunings even though the guide only shows standard tuning. The reference A can be set from 430 to 450 Hz, and the microphone sound is analyzed in your browser, never recorded or sent.
The tool opens right here in your browser when the page finishes loading.
How to tune your guitar with the microphone
- Turn on the tuner: press “Start tuner” and allow access to the microphone.
- Play a string: pluck an open string and let it ring. You see the nearest note, its frequency and a needle showing the cents (hundredths of a semitone) away from the center.
- Adjust: if it shows “Too sharp” (more than 10 cents above the note), loosen the string a little; if it shows “Too flat”, tighten it. Between 5 and 10 cents you see “Almost there”.
- Done: within 5 cents it shows “In tune”. Move on to the next string and, when you finish, “Stop tuner” turns the microphone off.
Standard tuning and alternate tunings
Standard guitar tuning, from the 6th string (the lowest) to the 1st, is E, A, D, G, B and E. The tuner's string guide shows these six notes, one per string.
For another tuning, tune by note: for Drop D, lower the 6th string until it reads D; for half step down, aim for E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, B♭ and E♭. The tuner spells notes with sharps, so instead of E♭ you will see D♯: it is the same note.
To see how chord shapes change in each tuning, the chord namer has seven: standard, Drop D, half step down, whole step down, Open D, Open G and DADGAD.
The reference A: 440, 432 or whatever you need
By default the reference A is 440 Hz. “Reference pitch” moves it anywhere between 430 and 450 Hz, for example to 432 Hz, or to 442 Hz if you play with a group that tunes higher, and the change applies while the tuner is listening.
It does not go down to 415 Hz, the usual reference for Baroque music.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tune my guitar with an online tuner?
Press “Start tuner”, allow the microphone and play each open string. Loosen the string if the tuner says it is sharp and tighten it if it is flat, until it is within 5 cents.
What are the notes of standard guitar tuning?
E, A, D, G, B and E, from the 6th string (the lowest) to the 1st.
Can I tune to Drop D or half step down?
Yes, because the tuner is chromatic: there is no guide for those tunings, but it shows you any note. For Drop D, lower the 6th string to D; for half step down, lower every string by a semitone.
Can I tune a bass with it?
Only partly. The low E of a bass (about 41 Hz) is below the 50 Hz it detects, and so is the low B of a 5-string bass. The other strings are in range, but there is no bass guide.
What does tuning to 432 Hz mean?
That the reference A is 432 Hz instead of 440: every note ends up slightly lower, by about 32 cents. You can set it in “Reference pitch”.
Is the microphone sound recorded or sent anywhere?
No. The sound is analyzed in your browser while the tuner is listening, and it is not saved or sent off your device.
What about other instruments?
This tuner recognizes any note between 50 and 2000 Hz, but it only has a guide for guitar. For other instruments, use the Full Partituras tuner, made for any instrument.