Cello Tuner
Tune your cello to C G D A using your microphone. The tuner below is already set for cello — press Start Recording and bow or pluck an open string.
Auto-select string
Switches to string automatically
Target 65.41 Hz
Action Required
Start tuner and pluck highlighted note.
Peg Rotation & Offset
Standby
Headstock Alignment
Tap a peg to tune that string specifically.
Instrument
Tuning Preset
Reference Pitch
Concert pitch for A4. 440 is the standard; many orchestras use 442.
Quick Tuning Guidelines
- 1.Tap the Start Recording button at the top to initialize your microphone.
- 2.Pluck one string cleanly at a time. Let it vibrate naturally to get a continuous frequency reading.
- 3.Adjust your tuning pegs until the dial centers in the green zone (around 0 cents).
- 4.Watch indicators: amber is the currently selected note, green is the automatically detected audio feed.
String-by-String Frequency Chart
These are the exact target frequencies this tuner listens for, at A4 = 440 Hz equal temperament. String 1 is the A, the highest string — one octave below the orchestra's A440.
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | C2 | 65.41 Hz |
| 3 | G2 | 98.00 Hz |
| 2 | D3 | 146.83 Hz |
| 1 | A3 | 220.00 Hz |
How to Use This Cello Tuner
- Press Start Recording on the tuner above and allow microphone access.
- The Cello instrument is already selected.
- Bow the open A string (220.00 Hz) with a long, even stroke and adjust until the needle centres at 0 cents.
- Tune the D (146.83 Hz), the G (98.00 Hz), and finally the C (65.41 Hz).
- Check the A again. Raising the low strings increases the down-force on the bridge, which can pull the A slightly flat.
Where you put your phone matters more on cello than on any other instrument here. The C and G strings are low enough that a microphone across the room hears more of the room than the cello. Prop the phone on the music stand or on the floor a short distance from the body.
Pegs, Fine Tuners, and the Endpin
Fine tuners on the tailpiece handle the everyday adjustment. Clockwise raises the pitch. Steel strings — common on student cellos and on the A string of most cellos — are very sensitive and should be tuned with the fine tuner.
Pegs are for big changes. Cello pegs are large and need firm, steady pressure into the pegbox as you turn. Reach up with your left hand while you bow with the right, and make small moves: a few degrees of peg rotation is a large change in pitch.
The endpin does not affect tuning, but setting it before you tune does. If you tune while holding the cello at an awkward angle and then reposition, you are likely to bump a peg. Settle into your playing position first.
Tuning in Fifths by Ear
Cellists traditionally tune the A to the orchestra, then play pairs of adjacent strings together — A with D, D with G, G with C — and adjust the lower string until the fifth rings without any pulsing. In the low register the beating is slow, sometimes only one pulse every second or two, so listen for longer than you would on a violin.
A useful habit is to tune with the tuner, then immediately play each fifth. Over a few weeks your ear learns what a pure fifth sounds like on your own instrument.
Watch the Bridge
The bridge is held in place only by string pressure. Turning the pegs gradually pulls the top of the bridge towards the fingerboard, and after new strings it is worth checking from the side that the back of the bridge still stands at roughly a right angle to the top. A bridge that leans forward can warp or fall over. If you have not straightened one before, have a teacher or luthier show you.
Troubleshooting
The tuner reads the C string as a G. It is locking on to the third harmonic (G3). Bow closer to the fingerboard with a slower, heavier stroke, and move the phone closer.
The needle drifts as the note dies away. Bowed strings start slightly sharp under heavy pressure and settle. Read the needle in the middle of a long, steady stroke, not at the start.
The cello is flat every time I open the case. Usually temperature or humidity. Let the cello sit out of the case for a few minutes to reach room temperature before tuning.
Also available: our viola tuner, violin tuner, and the online metronome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the notes of the cello strings?
From lowest to highest: C2, G2, D3, and A3. The strings are tuned in perfect fifths, exactly one octave below the viola. The A string is 220 Hz — one octave below the A = 440 Hz the orchestra tunes to.
Why does the tuner show A3 and not A4 for my A string?
Because the cello's A string really is A3, at 220 Hz. When an orchestra sounds the tuning A at 440 Hz, cellists match it an octave lower. The note name is the same; the octave number is one lower.
My phone struggles to read the C string. What can I do?
The C string's fundamental is 65.41 Hz, near the bottom of what phone microphones pick up well. Place the phone on the floor or a stand close to the cello's body rather than across the room, bow with a full, slow stroke near the fingerboard, and keep background noise low. The tuner also uses the string's overtones, so a strong, clean tone helps more than volume.
Should I use the pegs or the fine tuners?
Fine tuners for small adjustments, pegs for large ones. Many cellos have fine tuners on all four strings; some only on the A. If a fine tuner is screwed nearly all the way in, back it out to the middle and bring the string up with the peg.
Do smaller cellos use the same tuning?
Yes. Fractional cellos — 7/8, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 — all tune to C G D A at the same pitches as a full-size cello.