Banjo Tuner
A free banjo tuner for the 5-string banjo: pluck a string and the needle shows whether to tune up or down, in open G or double C.
Your microphone is analysed on this device and is never recorded or sent.
Keyboard: Space starts and stops the tuner.
How to use the banjo tuner
This banjo tuner online is set up for the five-string banjo. Press Start tuner, allow the microphone and pick one open string near the head. Your microphone is analysed on this device and is never recorded or sent.
In Auto the banjo tuner names the string and the needle shows the way to turn. As a 5 string banjo tuner it has one quirk to know: the short 5th string is the same letter as string 3, one octave higher, and Auto can only tell them apart by octave. So for the 5th string, tap its button: it plays a plucked high G and locks the tuner there. Keys: 1 is the D string nearest the floor, 5 the short G, A goes back to Auto and Space starts or stops. Switch between Open G and Double C in the Tuning menu. The needle is explained on the chromatic tuner page.
Open G banjo tuning: gDGBD
Open G banjo tuning is the most common tuning for the 5-string banjo, particularly in bluegrass. It is written with the short string first, in lower case: gDGBD.
| String | Note | Frequency at A4 = 440 Hz | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | G4 | 392.00 Hz | Short drone string, an octave above string 3 |
| 4 | D3 | 146.83 Hz | Lowest string |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 Hz | Root of the open G chord |
| 2 | B3 | 246.94 Hz | Third of the chord |
| 1 | D4 | 293.66 Hz | Nearest the floor; fretted at 5 it gives the drone G |
Strummed open, the strings make a G major chord. The four long strings, D3 G3 B3 D4, are the same notes as the top four strings of a guitar in open G, which is why the guitar tuner lists that tuning too.
The short 5th string and its peg
String 5 starts at the 5th fret and is three quarters the length of the others, so it can be tuned higher than a full-length string. Its peg is not on the headstock: it sticks out of the side of the neck at the 5th fret. It is usually the same gauge as string 1.
Check it by ear once string 1 is right: string 1 fretted at the 5th fret is G4, the same note as the open 5th string. Play both and turn the side peg until they match, then confirm with the needle. To play in other keys, players retune the 5th string a little, use a fifth-string capo, or hook it under small railroad spikes, usually at the 7th fret.
Double C and other tunings
Double C (gCGCD) is one of the tunings used in old-time music. From open G, lower string 4 a whole step from D3 to C3, and raise string 2 a semitone from B3 to C4. Strings 5, 3 and 1 stay where they are.
| Tuning | Notes, lowest string first | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Open G | G4 D3 G3 B3 D4 | The usual 5-string tuning; the open strings make a G major chord. |
| Double C | G4 C3 G3 C4 D4 | From open G, string 4 down a whole step to C and string 2 up a semitone to C. |
Older books use an earlier standard, G4 C3 G3 B3 D4, and old-time players also use sawmill and open D tunings; tune those notes on the chromatic tuner. A four-string tenor banjo is tuned C3 G3 D4 A4, the same as a viola, so the viola tuner works for it. When you go back to open G, retune strings 4 and 2 and check the rest.
Tips for the banjo
- Pick close to the microphone and read the needle while the note still rings; banjo notes die away fast, so pick again if the reading drops out.
- In open G, tune string 3 (G3) first, match the long strings to it, and do the short string last.
- After a switch to double C and back, check all five strings: two changed strings pull on the neck.
Find chord shapes for this tuning in the banjo chord chart and practice rolls in time with the metronome.
More for banjo: Banjo Chords · Fretboard Notes
Questions
What are the notes of a 5-string banjo?
In open G, from string 5 to string 1: G4 D3 G3 B3 D4. String 5 is the short string, tuned to high G.
What is double C tuning on a banjo?
gCGCD: G4 C3 G3 C4 D4. From open G, lower string 4 to C and raise string 2 to C.
Why is the 5th string higher than the others?
It starts at the 5th fret and is three quarters the length of the others, so it is tuned to G4, an octave above string 3.
How do I tune the 5th string?
Tap string 5 to lock the tuner to it and turn the peg on the side of the neck until the needle centers, or match it by ear to string 1 fretted at the 5th fret.