Cello Tuner
A free cello tuner: bow an open string into your microphone and the needle shows how far it is from A, D, G or 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 cello tuner
This cello tuner online reads your open strings from a phone or laptop on the music stand. Press Start tuner, allow the microphone, and bow one string with a slow, full bow. Your microphone is analysed on this device and is never recorded or sent.
The cello tuner finds the string by itself (Auto) and writes tune up or tune down under the needle. The four buttons sound a long, steady tone at cello pitch, from the C at about 65 Hz up to the A, and lock the tuner to that string, which helps if the C reads slowly. Keyboard: 1 is the A string, 4 the C, A returns to Auto and Space starts or stops. For what the needle and cents mean, see the chromatic tuner.
Cello tuning: C G D A
Standard cello tuning is C2 G2 D3 A3, in perfect fifths: the same intervals and letters as the viola, an octave lower. String 1 is A, string 4 is the low C, two octaves below middle C. The last column shows where each open string sits in the bass clef.
| String | Note | Frequency at A4 = 440 Hz | Written in the bass clef |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | C2 | 65.41 Hz | Second ledger line below |
| 3 | G2 | 98.00 Hz | Bottom line |
| 2 | D3 | 146.83 Hz | Middle line |
| 1 | A3 | 220.00 Hz | Top line |
The A string is A3, 220 Hz: one octave below the A4 = 440 Hz reference. When an oboe gives the tuning A, you match the same letter an octave down. The cello notes chart shows every note up each string.
Pegs and fine tuners on the cello
The pegbox holds four tapered friction pegs, usually ebony, that stay in place only by friction. The fine tuners on the tailpiece raise or lower a string's tension in small steps. Tune A first, then D, G and C. Use the fine tuners for the last few cents; for a larger move, turn the peg while pressing it gently into the pegbox so it grips. After a big change, play the string for a few seconds and check it again.
Set the endpin before you tune. It holds the cello in playing position and slides back into the body for transport. Tune sitting in position, so the microphone hears the cello the way you will play it.
Wolf tones and the low C
If one note growls or stutters when you bow it, that may be a wolf tone: a note very close to the natural resonance of the body. It is not a tuning problem, and a wolf eliminator, a small metal cylinder or a rubber one encased in metal, is the usual fix.
The open C is about 65 Hz. The tuner listens down to about 45 Hz for the cello, and a low note needs a moment of steady sound before it reads, so keep a long, even bow. If the reading is unsteady, try the harmonic halfway along the string: touch the string lightly at its midpoint and bow. It sounds an octave higher, and the tuner shows the same letter one octave up.
Fifths by ear and playing with others
Many cellists finish by bowing two neighboring strings and listening for the fifth to go still. Tuned that way from A, the C lands about 6 cents under the needle's center; the chromatic tuner page explains why. Pick one method for the session. After tuning, keep time with the metronome. Playing in a string group? The violin tuner and viola tuner share the same A4 setting.
More for cello: Cello Notes · Bass Clef Notes
Questions
What are the notes of the cello strings?
C2 G2 D3 A3, from the thick C string to the thin A string.
Is the cello tuned like the viola?
Yes, with the same letters C G D A, one octave lower.
What frequency is the cello A string?
220 Hz when A4 is 440 Hz. It is the A one octave below the orchestra's tuning A.
Why is the tuner slow on the C string?
The C string is the lowest note at about 65 Hz, and the tuner needs a few vibrations of steady sound to measure it. Keep a long, even bow and wait a moment.