4 strings · CGDA
Cello tuner.
Tune a cello: C G D A, an octave below the viola, at any A4.
Tuner · Any tuning
Tune your cello.
Pluck a string and the meter shows how far off it is. Tap any string to hear it at its true pitch and tune by ear.
- Pick any instrument and tuning
- Shift it down or up by half steps
- Set A to anything: 440, 432, 442…
C G D A
Check string tension →The sound never leaves your device.
Keys: Space start or stop · ← → half step · ↑ ↓ A (Shift: bigger steps) · 1–9 string · M mode · R hear · − + volume · L copy link · Esc done
Ready
Strings 1 → 6
3 times each
Tap Start, then pluck any string.
Your browser asks once · nothing is recorded
Strings · tap to hear
Instrument
Try uke, bari, 5 string, cello…
Tuning
CGDA
Shape
Shift
Standard pitch
Higher or lower
Fine-tune
Moves every string a little, for example to match a recording.
Custom tuning
Any strings, any notes
One row for each string. The top row is the top string, usually the thickest.
Start from
Strings
+ adds a lower string at the top. − takes the top string away.
Notes from C0 to C8. Type a note like D2, F♯3 or B♭1, or use − and +.
Save and use keeps it on this device (up to 8 tunings). Use without saving tunes with it for now.
Reference A
Slider 380–500 Hz. Type any value from 300 to 600 Hz.
More pitches
Sound
Violin, viola, cello and double bass start with Bowed, the rest with Acoustic.
Note length
Match a recording Beta
Find the A a song was recorded at, then tune to it and play along.
…listening
Play the song, loud and clear.
Result
This recording sits on A 440
The tuner already matches it: nothing to change.
A recording is only known within a half step: if the song is a half step down, also change the tuning.
Beta: tested on real records and synthetic songs. Check the result by ear.
Nothing is uploaded: the sound is measured on this device.
Settings
Mode
Guided: one string at a time, from the thickest.
Meter
Bar: a slider with a mint in-tune zone.
Note length
How long a tapped string and Hear sound. Repeat plays the string again every few seconds, Continuous holds it: tap it again to stop.
Reference sound
Violin, viola, cello and double bass start with Bowed, the rest with Acoustic. A sound you pick stays.
Volume
Phone speakers play very low notes an octave up.
Note names
Sharps and flats
Octave numbers (E2, E4)
Tells the two E strings apart: E2 is the low one, E4 the high one.
Frequencies (Hz)
Each string's pitch in hertz, such as 82.4 Hz.
In tune within
Precise is not used with harmonics: Normal ±3 applies.
Harmonic mode
For one low string: play its 12th-fret harmonic (×2) or its 5th-fret one (×4).
Pro view
The pitch heard in Hz, tenths of a cent and the input picker. Turns on octave numbers and frequencies.
Device names appear after you allow the microphone.
Input channel
Auto picks the channel with sound. Interfaces: choose the input your instrument is plugged into.
Background
Night ocean, cosmos, forest and more.
The sound never leaves your device. No account, no cookies.
Standard tuning
Cello tuning
Cello strings are C2 G2 D3 A3. The open C is 65.41 Hz at A4 = 440.
Tune the A string first, then D, G and C, each one a fifth below the last.
Tip. If the C string reads in the wrong octave on a phone, bow a little closer to the bridge for a stronger fundamental, or play the harmonic at the middle of the string with the ×2 mode.
C G D A
Standard tuning: notes and frequencies
| String | Note | A = 440 | A = 432 | A = 442 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | C2 | 65.41 | 64.22 | 65.70 |
| 3 | G2 | 98.00 | 96.22 | 98.44 |
| 2 | D3 | 146.83 | 144.16 | 147.50 |
| 1 | A3 | 220.00 | 216.00 | 221.00 |
Measured
How the tuner hears a cello
On a phone, C2 is the hardest cello string to hear: in our phone-mic model its fundamental arrives about 8 dB quieter, so the tuner works from the overtones and checks the octave against your tuning. In our phone-mic test C2 still read within about 1 ¢, the cello strings above it within about 1 ¢, and clean test tones within 0.2 ¢.
Shift the whole tuning
The tuner can move all four strings together, from an octave down to an octave up, and add fine cents on top. Each step keeps every chord shape the same.
- D A E BAll strings 2 half steps higher. Notes: D A E B
- C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯All strings 1 half step higher. Notes: C sharp G sharp D sharp A sharp
- CGDAThis pageThe usual cello tuning. Notes: C G D A
- B F♯ C♯ G♯All strings 1 half step lower. Notes: B F sharp C sharp G sharp
- B♭ F C GAll strings 2 half steps lower. Notes: B flat F C G
Questions
What are the standard cello notes?
From String 4 to String 1: C2 G2 D3 A3 (CGDA). At A4 = 440 Hz they are 65.41, 98.00, 146.83, 220.00 Hz.
Can a cello be tuned to 415 for baroque music?
Yes. Set A to 415 in the A chip. Every string drops almost a half step: the A string becomes 207.50 Hz. Gut strings made for baroque pitch feel best there.
Can I tune my cello lower or higher?
Yes. Use the ◂ ▸ arrows on the tuning chip to move every string by a half step. One half step down takes about 11% of the tension off; one half step up adds about 12% (approx.).