4 pairs of strings · GDAD

Irish bouzouki tuner.

Tune an Irish bouzouki: G D A D, at any A4.

Tuner · Any tuning

Tune your bouzouki.

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…

G D A D

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

Tap Start, then pluck any string.

Your browser asks once · nothing is recorded

Strings · tap to hear

Standard tuning

Irish bouzouki tuning

The Irish bouzouki is most often tuned G2 D3 A3 D4 (GDAD). Some players use G D A E, like a mandolin one octave lower.

It has four courses of paired strings; on the G and D courses some players use octave pairs.

Tip. With octave pairs, tune the thicker string first, then its partner an octave higher.

G D A D

Standard tuning: notes and frequencies

Irish bouzouki, GDAD: notes and frequencies in Hz at three common A4 references
StringNoteA = 440A = 432A = 442
4G298.0096.2298.44
3D3146.83144.16147.50
2A3220.00216.00221.00
1D4293.66288.33295.00

Measured

How the tuner hears an Irish bouzouki

Every Irish bouzouki string, G2 (98.00 Hz) to D4 (293.66 Hz), sits above the range where phone mics fade. In our phone-mic test the Irish bouzouki range read within about 1 ¢, and clean test tones within 0.2 ¢.

error through a phone-mic model your Irish bouzouki strings

How the tuner listens →

Shift the whole tuning

The tuner can move all four pairs of strings together, from an octave down to an octave up, and add fine cents on top. Each step keeps every chord shape the same.

  1. A E B EAll pairs 2 half steps higher. Notes: A E B E
  2. A♭ E♭ B♭ E♭All pairs 1 half step higher. Notes: A flat E flat B flat E flat
  3. GDADThis pageThe usual Irish bouzouki tuning. Notes: G D A D
  4. F♯ C♯ G♯ C♯All pairs 1 half step lower. Notes: F sharp C sharp G sharp C sharp
  5. F C G CAll pairs 2 half steps lower. Notes: F C G C

Questions

What are the standard irish bouzouki notes?

From String 4 to String 1: G2 D3 A3 D4 (GDAD). At A4 = 440 Hz they are 98.00, 146.83, 220.00, 293.66 Hz.

Is the Irish bouzouki tuned like the Greek one?

No. The Greek bouzouki is usually tuned C F A D (four courses) or D A D (three courses). For those, use the chromatic tuner.

Can I tune my irish bouzouki 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.).