Music & tuning · reference pitches
Instrument Tuning Tones
Accurate reference tones for guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, viola, cello, double bass, mandolin and banjo. Pick an instrument, then press and hold a string to hear its exact equal-tempered pitch - or latch one with a click and tune hands-free. Every frequency is derived from the reference pitch you choose, and each string can be saved as a WAV file.
Set the header level low before you start, then raise it until the tone is comfortable. A sustained sine at high volume is fatiguing quickly, and low strings played loud can damage small speakers. Use headphones for anything below 150 Hz so you actually hear the fundamental.
Standard concert pitch (ISO 16).
Press and hold a string to sound it and release to stop. Switch on Hold (latch) to keep a string sounding with a single click and stop it with another - useful when you need both hands for the instrument. Each string has a save button that renders a 10-second WAV.
Ready. Select a string to sound it.
Reference
A4 = 440 Hz
Strings
6
Lowest
E2 · 82.41 Hz
Highest
E4 · 329.63 Hz
Every value shown is equal-tempered against the selected reference. The deviation between the common references: 432 Hz is −31.8 ¢ from 440, 435 Hz is −19.8 ¢, 415 Hz is −101.3 ¢ (almost a semitone down).
Frequencies are equal-tempered against A4 = 440 Hz and are recomputed live when you change the reference pitch above.
| Instrument | Strings (low → high) | Frequencies (Hz, A4 = 440) |
|---|---|---|
| Guitar (standard EADGBE) | E2 · A2 · D3 · G3 · B3 · E4 | 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63 |
| Guitar (drop D) | D2 · A2 · D3 · G3 · B3 · E4 | 73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63 |
| Guitar (half step down) | D#2 · G#2 · C#3 · F#3 · A#3 · D#4 | 77.78 · 103.83 · 138.59 · 185.00 · 233.08 · 311.13 |
| Bass guitar (4-string EADG) | E1 · A1 · D2 · G2 | 41.20 · 55.00 · 73.42 · 98.00 |
| Bass guitar (5-string BEADG) | B0 · E1 · A1 · D2 · G2 | 30.87 · 41.20 · 55.00 · 73.42 · 98.00 |
| Ukulele (GCEA, high G) | G4 · C4 · E4 · A4 | 392.00 · 261.63 · 329.63 · 440.00 |
| Ukulele (GCEA, low G) | G3 · C4 · E4 · A4 | 196.00 · 261.63 · 329.63 · 440.00 |
| Violin (GDAE) | G3 · D4 · A4 · E5 | 196.00 · 293.66 · 440.00 · 659.26 |
| Viola (CGDA) | C3 · G3 · D4 · A4 | 130.81 · 196.00 · 293.66 · 440.00 |
| Cello (CGDA) | C2 · G2 · D3 · A3 | 65.41 · 98.00 · 146.83 · 220.00 |
| Double bass (EADG) | E1 · A1 · D2 · G2 | 41.20 · 55.00 · 73.42 · 98.00 |
| Mandolin (GDAE) | G3 · D4 · A4 · E5 | 196.00 · 293.66 · 440.00 · 659.26 |
| Banjo (5-string open G) | G4 · D3 · G3 · B3 · D4 | 392.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 293.66 |
| Chromatic reference (C4–B4) | C4 · C#4 · D4 · D#4 · E4 · F4 · F#4 · G4 · G#4 · A4 · A#4 · B4 | 261.63 · 277.18 · 293.66 · 311.13 · 329.63 · 349.23 · 369.99 · 392.00 · 415.30 · 440.00 · 466.16 · 493.88 |
Should I tune by ear to the tone until the beats disappear?
Yes, that is the point of a tuning tone. Sound the reference pitch and play the string; when the two are close but not equal you will hear a slow throb (a beat) at the difference frequency. Tune until the throb slows and stops. At 440 Hz against a string 1 Hz off, the beat is 1 per second - easy to hear; when it drops below about 0.5 Hz you are within roughly 2 cents and effectively in tune.
Why do the numbers change when I switch the reference pitch?
Because every displayed frequency is derived from A4 with equal temperament: f = A4·2^((n−69)/12). Choosing A4 = 432 instead of 440 lowers every string by the same ratio (about −31.7 cents), so a guitar low E reads 82.41 Hz at 440 and 80.91 Hz at 432. Nothing here is hand-typed - pick a reference and the whole table is recomputed.
Can I hear a tuning tone through laptop speakers?
For the upper strings, yes. For the low strings - bass guitar, double bass, the low E of a guitar - laptop speakers roll off hard below about 150 Hz, so you will hear the harmonics and not the fundamental. Use headphones or a speaker with real low-frequency output when tuning anything below around E3 (165 Hz).
Does a sine wave make a good tuning reference?
It is the cleanest one, because a pure sine has no harmonics to confuse you - the only thing you hear is the fundamental, so the beat you tune against is unambiguous. Some tuners add a little second harmonic so the pitch is easier to hear on small speakers; this generator stays pure, which is the honest reference.