Chromatic tuner
Any note, any instrument.
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–cents
Nothing leaves your device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. What you type, play or record here stays on your device: nothing is uploaded or saved on a server.
Example
Example: a cello tuned to A = 442 Hz for an orchestra rehearsal
The orchestra tunes to 442 Hz. Choose Reference pitch “442 Hz (many orchestras)”, press Start tuner, allow the microphone, and bow one open string at a time. The tuner names the nearest note and how many cents it is off.
- The A string at 220 Hz, right for 440, reads A3 −8 cents at 442: the needle sits to the left and the tuner says Too low — tighten.
- Turn the peg or the fine tuner until the needle is centred: within ±3 cents “In tune” lights up, and held there for a moment the note counts as tuned.
- Then G, D and C the same way. The tuner takes whatever note it hears, so no string has to be chosen first.
| String | At 440 Hz | At 442 Hz |
|---|---|---|
| C2 | 65.41 Hz | 65.70 Hz |
| G2 | 98.00 Hz | 98.44 Hz |
| D3 | 146.83 Hz | 147.50 Hz |
| A3 | 220.00 Hz | 221.00 Hz |
Every string ends up about 8 cents higher than it would at 440 — the whole difference between the two references, the same on every note.
How it works
- Choose the reference A (440 Hz unless your group uses another), press Start tuner and allow the microphone.
- Play or sing one steady note: the tuner names it, with its octave and frequency.
- Adjust until the needle is centred; the cents show how far off you are.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a chromatic tuner?
- One that recognises all twelve notes of the scale in every octave, not just the strings of one instrument — so it tunes wind and brass instruments, cellos, harps or your voice.
- How accurate is it?
- Within a cent or two: the pitch is measured by autocorrelation (the YIN method) over several periods of the note, and the needle shows cents — hundredths of a semitone. “In tune” lights up within ±3 cents.
- Which note names does it use?
- Letter names with sharps (C, C♯, D…) and the octave in scientific pitch (A4 = 440 Hz); in some languages the solfège names are shown too.
- Why does the tuner not hear anything?
- The browser needs permission to use the microphone — press Start and allow it, or check the icon next to the address bar. Play one string at a time, close to the phone or laptop, in a quiet room.
- Why does it show A♯ and not B♭?
- Notes are named with sharps, and A♯ and B♭ are the same pitch: concert B♭ (466.16 Hz with A = 440) reads A♯4. The tuner shows concert pitch, so the written C of a B♭ trumpet or clarinet reads A♯.
- Should I use 440 or 442 Hz?
- 440 Hz unless your group says otherwise; many orchestras tune to 442, and baroque groups to 415. The reference moves every note by the same amount: 442 is about 8 cents above 440, so a note in tune at 440 reads −8 cents at 442.
- Is my playing recorded?
- No. The sound is analysed in your browser as it comes in and is never recorded or uploaded.
Made for a specific use
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