Free · Microphone, tones or fifths
Cello Tuner
Tune your cello online with the microphone or by ear. This free cello tuner hears which string you're playing and shows how far it is from C, G, D or A, to the cent. It also plays each string as a held, bowed tone, and two strings together as a perfect fifth, the way cellists tune in an orchestra. Set A to 440 or 442 Hz, and switch to the scordatura of Bach's fifth suite.
- 2tunings
- 415–466Hz reference A
- ±1cent precision
Tune Your Cello Online
Tap Start tuner and allow the microphone. Bow one open string with a slow, even stroke and hold it. Use the fine tuner for the last few cents, until the string shows a tick.
Tap Start tuner, allow the microphone, then play one string.
Tune in fifths Two strings together, held, so you can hear the beats slow down and stop.
Cello Notes in First Position
The notes under your fingers in first position on each string. When the tuner hears a note, it lights up here, so you can check a fingered note as well as an open string.
| 0 | 1↓ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | A3 | A#3 | B3 | C4 | C#4 | D4 |
| D3 | D3 | D#3 | E3 | F3 | F#3 | G3 |
| G2 | G2 | G#2 | A2 | A#2 | B2 | C3 |
| C2 | C2 | C#2 | D2 | D#2 | E2 | F2 |
| 0 | 1↓ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3 | G3 | G#3 | A3 | A#3 | B3 | C4 |
| D3 | D3 | D#3 | E3 | F3 | F#3 | G3 |
| G2 | G2 | G#2 | A2 | A#2 | B2 | C3 |
| C2 | C2 | C#2 | D2 | D#2 | E2 | F2 |
Teaching? Put this cello tuner on your class site, free. Get the embed code
Cello Tuning: C G D A
Seen from the player's seat, the low C string is on the left, nearest your left knee. Then come G and D, and the A string on the right. Each string is a perfect fifth above the one before. Cellists tune by bowing two neighbouring strings together and listening for a pure fifth.
Standard: C G D A
Four strings a perfect fifth apart, an octave below the viola: the low C up to the A.
- 4th string
- C2 · 65.41 Hz
- 3rd string
- G2 · 98.00 Hz
- 2nd string
- D3 · 146.83 Hz
- 1st string
- A3 · 220.00 Hz
Other tunings in the tuner
- Bach Suite No. 5 scordatura (C G D G) (C2 G2 D3 G3) Bach wrote his fifth cello suite, in C minor, with the A string tuned down a whole step to G. It darkens the sound and makes some chords playable.
How to Tune a Cello with This Tuner
Tune the A first, as orchestras do, then D, G and C. Fine tuners do the last few cents. The pegs are for bigger changes.
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Set the reference A
Leave it at A = 440 Hz unless your orchestra or teacher tunes to 442. Tap + twice to set 442.
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Start the tuner
Tap Start tuner and allow the microphone. A phone on the music stand is close enough. A cello's resonance comes from the whole body, so the reading is steady from a metre away.
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Tune the A string
Bow the open A with a slow, even stroke. If the screen says Tune up, turn the fine tuner clockwise. If it says Tune down, turn it anticlockwise. Too far off for the fine tuner? Turn the peg slightly while pushing it in so it holds.
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Then D, G and C
Tune each string the same way. The C string is heavy and changes slowly, so make small turns and let it settle.
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Check everything once more
Raising tension on one string pulls the bridge and top slightly, which moves the others. Bow all four again, and check that the bridge stands straight.
How to Tune a Cello by Ear, in Fifths
Take one A, then tune in fifths. Use the tones and the fifth drones in the tuner as your model.
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Match the A
Tap the A string above for a held A, bow your open A with it, and turn the fine tuner until the wobble (beating) between the two disappears.
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Tune D against A
Play D + A in the fifths row, or bow the open D and A together. Turn the D until the two ring as one smooth sound with no beating.
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Tune G against D, then C against G
Bow each pair together and adjust the lower string. On the low strings the beating is slow, so hold the bow for a few seconds before you turn the peg again.
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Check C against A
Tuning by pure fifths stacks a small error: from A, your C ends up about 6 cents below a tuner's C. That's fine on its own. With a piano, many cellists narrow the fifths a little so the C string isn't flat against the keyboard.
What This Cello Tuner Does
Built around how cellists actually tune: A first, fine tuners for the last cents, and fifths by ear.
Fifth drones for tuning by ear
C + G, G + D and D + A sound together as a held, bowed fifth. Bow your two strings along with it and listen for the beating to stop.
Start tuning-
Hears which string you bow
Auto string detection follows you from string to string, down to the low C at 65 Hz. Turn it off and tap a string to lock the tuner to it.
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Reference A from 415 to 466 Hz
440 Hz by default, 442 for many orchestras, 415 for baroque pitch. Your setting is remembered.
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Cents and hertz
The readout shows the exact cents and both frequencies, for fine-tuner adjustments of a fraction of a turn.
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Bowed reference tones
Each string's note is a sustained bowed tone you can match by ear. It keeps sounding until you stop it.
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Bach Suite No. 5 scordatura
C G D G is built in, with its own tones and fingerboard map, so the retune for the C minor suite takes seconds.
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First-position fingerboard map
Every note from open to 4th finger on each string. The note you play lights up.
Pegs, Fine Tuners and Other Snags
The peg slips back
Turn the peg while pushing it gently into the pegbox. If it still slips, peg compound fixes most cases. A peg that won't hold at all needs a luthier.
The fine tuner has bottomed out
Screw it back to the middle of its range, bring the string up to pitch with the peg, and finish with the fine tuner.
The bridge leans
After a big retune, check that the bridge stands at a right angle to the top. If it leans towards the fingerboard, ease it back with both hands, a little at a time.
The low C reads unsteadily
Bow the C string slower and nearer the bridge, with an even weight, and give the needle a second to settle. Low strings take longer to speak, and a phone mic hears their overtones more than the fundamental.
A wolf tone gets in the way
If the tuner jumps around on one particular note, often between E and F♯ on the G string, that's a wolf tone, not the tuner. Tune the open strings, which avoid it. A wolf eliminator on a string behind the bridge can calm it.
Free, in Your Browser
- Nothing to install Runs in Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox on a phone, tablet or computer. No app, no plugin.
- Sound stays on your device The microphone is analysed in your browser. No audio is recorded, uploaded or stored.
- No account No sign-up and no limits. Open the page and tune.
- Works without a mic The string tones and fifth drones let you tune entirely by ear.
Cello Tuning Questions
What are the notes of the cello strings?
C, G, D and A, from the lowest string to the highest: C2 (65.41 Hz), G2 (98 Hz), D3 (146.83 Hz) and A3 (220 Hz). They're the viola's strings, one octave lower.
How many strings does a cello have?
Four, tuned C G D A in perfect fifths. A few five-string cellos add a high E, and baroque piccolo cellos were made for it. Bach's sixth suite was written for such an instrument.
Which string should I tune first?
The A string, the orchestra's reference, then D, G and C. With this tuner you can tune in any order, but checking the A again at the end catches the drift that tuning the other strings causes.
Should I tune to 440 or 442 Hz?
440 Hz is the standard and the right choice for practice, lessons and most ensembles. Many European orchestras tune to 442, and period-instrument groups often use 415. Tune to whatever your group uses.
What are cello strings made of?
Most cellists use steel-core or synthetic-core strings wound with metal. The C and G are often wound with tungsten for a strong low end. Gut strings are the traditional, warmer option, and they stretch more and need retuning more often.
How do I tune for Bach's Cello Suite No. 5?
Choose Bach Suite No. 5 scordatura in the tuning menu. Only the A string changes: tune it down a whole step to G, so the strings read C G D G. Bring it back to A afterwards, and check the other strings, which shift slightly as the tension changes.
How often should I tune my cello?
Every time you play. Humidity and temperature move a cello's pitch from day to day, especially in winter heating and summer humidity.
Can I tune a viola or double bass here?
The viola is C G D A, an octave above the cello. Use the online tuner's viola preset. An orchestral double bass is E A D G, the same pitches as a bass guitar, so use the bass tuner.