Viola Tuner
Tune your viola to C G D A using your microphone. The tuner below is already set for viola — press Start Recording and bow or pluck an open string.
Auto-select string
Switches to string automatically
Target 130.81 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.
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | C3 | 130.81 Hz |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 Hz |
| 2 | D4 | 293.66 Hz |
| 1 | A4 | 440.00 Hz |
How to Use This Viola Tuner
- Press Start Recording on the tuner above and allow microphone access.
- The Viola instrument is already selected.
- Start with the A string (440.00 Hz). Bow a long, even note and adjust until the needle centres at 0 cents.
- Tune the D (293.66 Hz), then the G (196.00 Hz), then the C (130.81 Hz).
- Check the A once more. Bringing the lower strings up to pitch adds pressure on the bridge and can pull the A down slightly.
Use the fine tuners for small corrections and the pegs only when a string is a long way out. Push each peg gently into the pegbox as you turn it, so it holds when you let go.
How the Viola Relates to the Violin and Cello
The three main bowed string instruments share a simple family relationship, which is handy when you are reading the chart above:
- Violin: G3 D4 A4 E5
- Viola: C3 G3 D4 A4 — a fifth below the violin
- Cello: C2 G2 D3 A3 — an octave below the viola
So the viola drops the violin’s E and adds a C underneath. That C string is what gives the viola its darker, warmer voice, and it is also the string that most often needs attention — thick strings take longer to settle after a change and react more to temperature.
Tuning in Fifths by Ear
With the A set, play the A and D strings together as a double stop and listen. A perfect fifth that is in tune sounds still and resonant. If you hear a slow pulsing, one string is off — adjust the D until the pulsing slows and disappears. Repeat for D–G and G–C.
The low C–G fifth is the hardest to hear because the beating is slower in the low register. The tuner is especially useful here: set the C with it, then play the C–G fifth to learn what “pure” sounds like at that depth.
Watch the Bridge
Like a violin bridge, a viola bridge is held only by string pressure. Repeated tightening with the pegs drags the top of it towards the fingerboard. After changing strings, look from the side: the back of the bridge should stand roughly at a right angle to the top. A bridge that leans forward can warp or fall. If it needs straightening and you have not done it before, ask a teacher or luthier.
Troubleshooting
The tuner shows the C as a G. It is picking up the G harmonic that sits a twelfth above the C. Bow a little closer to the fingerboard with a heavier, slower stroke, or pluck the string.
The A string fine tuner has run out of thread. Turn it back to the middle, then raise the pitch with the peg to make up the difference.
All four strings are flat every day. Normal for a week or so after new strings. If not, the cause is usually the room — heating and dry air shrink the wood and the pitch drops.
Also available: our violin tuner, cello tuner, and the online metronome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the notes of the viola strings?
From lowest to highest: C3, G3, D4, and A4. The strings are tuned in perfect fifths, a fifth lower than the violin. The top three strings — G, D, and A — are exactly the same pitches as the violin's bottom three.
Can I use a violin tuner for a viola?
For the G, D, and A strings, yes — they are identical pitches. But a violin tuner will look for an E5 on string 1 and has no C3 at all, so the auto-detection will be wrong. This page is set to the viola's C G D A so every string is detected correctly.
Why is my C string hard for the tuner to read?
At 130.81 Hz it is the lowest note on the instrument, and many phone and laptop microphones are less sensitive down there. Bow with a full, steady stroke, hold the phone a little closer to the instrument, and keep the room quiet. Plucking it firmly also works.
Does viola size affect the tuning?
No. Violas are sized by body length in inches — roughly 15 to 17½ inches for adults, smaller for children — but every size tunes to the same C G D A.
My orchestra tunes to A = 442. How do I use this tuner?
This tuner measures against A = 440 Hz. A = 442 is about 8 cents higher, so tune each string to roughly +8 cents instead of 0. Moving every string by the same amount keeps the fifths between them pure.