Online chromatic tuner for guitar, bass and ukulele
This is a free online chromatic tuner for guitar, bass and ukulele, in standard tuning and in alternate tunings like Drop D, DADGAD or the open ones.
Choose your instrument
- Guitar tuner — standard plus alternate tunings: Drop D, DADGAD, Open D, Open C, Open E or half step down.
- Bass tuner — 4, 5 and 6 strings, Drop D, Drop C, Drop B and Drop A, and fifths tuning.
- Ukulele tuner — standard reentrant GCEA, linear Low G, baritone DGBE and D tuning.
What it does
- Works out which string you're playing, so you don't have to pick it.
- Counts a string as in tune when it's within 5 cents (a cent is a hundredth of a semitone).
- Works with the microphone on your phone, tablet or computer.
- It's free, with no sign-up and no paid version.
What is a chromatic tuner
A chromatic tuner tells you which note you're playing, whatever it is, not just the notes of one particular tuning. Drop the sixth string from E to D for Drop D and it shows you every note you pass on the way down until you reach the D.
How it works
Your browser listens through the microphone, measures the frequency of what it hears and compares it with the frequency the string should have. The indicator shows whether you're sharp or flat.
The sound never leaves your device. All the analysis happens inside the browser: the audio isn't recorded, sent to a server or stored. The only things the tuner saves, in your own browser, are your preferences, like the reference frequency, so you don't have to set them again next time.
How to use it
- Choose your instrument above: guitar, bass or ukulele.
- On its page, choose the tuning. If in doubt, go with standard.
- Press “Start tuner” and allow the microphone. Your browser will ask for permission the first time.
- Play an open string and turn the peg until the indicator settles in the middle.
Don't play the string too hard. A hard attack makes the note start a little sharp and drop as it rings, so the indicator moves even when the string is fine.
If it's noisy around you, bring the instrument closer to the microphone.
440, 432 or 442 Hz
The reference frequency is the A that every other note is worked out from. You can change it in the tuner itself.
440 Hz is the international standard, and it's the one you want if you're playing along with a recording, with other people or with a keyboard.
442 Hz is used by some orchestras, mostly in Europe, which tune a little higher. If you play with one, they'll tell you.
432 Hz has its fans, who prefer it as a matter of taste. It isn't a standard, but if it's what you're after, it's here.
Whatever you pick, everyone playing together needs to be on the same one. I go into it in more detail in the guide 432 Hz vs 440 Hz.
Frequently asked questions
What is a chromatic tuner?
One that tells you which note is sounding, whatever it is, so you can also tune a string to a note that isn't in any of the tunings on the list.
Is this tuner free?
Yes. No sign-up, no paid tier and no limit on how often you use it.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It runs in the browser, on your phone or your computer. All you have to do is allow the microphone.
Is my audio recorded?
No. The audio never leaves your device.
Is it as good as a clip-on or pedal tuner?
At home, yes. The difference shows on stage or in a noisy room: a clip-on reads the vibration of the wood and doesn't care what's going on around it, while a tuner that listens through a microphone needs to hear the instrument clearly.
Can I tune with my phone's microphone?
Yes. Hold the instrument near the phone and play an open string. If it's an electric instrument, plug it into an amp: unplugged, it's too quiet for the tuner to hear.
What is the A4 reference frequency and which should I use?
It's the pitch of the A that every other note is worked out from. Use 440 Hz unless you've got a specific reason to pick another: it's the international standard, and what other instruments are usually tuned to.
Why does the indicator move even when the string is in tune?
Because the note starts slightly sharp and then settles. Watch where the indicator ends up, not where it starts.
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