Beyond Guitar: How to Tune Violin, Ukulele, Mandolin & More Online

Every online tuner seems to have the same dropdown: Standard, Drop D, Bass. Maybe Open G if you're lucky. That's fine if you only play six-string guitar, but what about the rest of us?

I play guitar, but I also keep a ukulele on my desk, occasionally record violin parts with a friend, and recently picked up a mandolin because I heard one on a Phoebe Bridgers track and couldn't stop thinking about it. Finding a reliable online tuner that handled all of these without downloading five different apps was surprisingly difficult. So I built one.

Why Most Online Tuners Are Limited to Guitar

The reason is simple economics: guitar players are the biggest audience, so tuner apps optimize for them. Most online tuners detect pitch chromatically (meaning they can hear any note), but their UI only shows you the guitar strings. If you're trying to tune a viola's C3 string, the tuner might detect it but display it as if you're trying to tune a guitar string — confusing and unhelpful.

What you actually need is a tuner that:

• Shows you the specific strings for YOUR instrument
• Highlights which string you should be targeting
• Plays reference tones for each string
• Covers the frequency range of your instrument (a cello's low C is way below guitar range)

Tuning Orchestral Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello & Double Bass

String instruments are tuned in fifths (or fourths for double bass), and each one sits in a different register:

Violin: G-D-A-E

• G3 (196 Hz) — lowest string, rich and warm
• D4 (293.7 Hz) — middle register
• A4 (440 Hz) — the reference pitch (concert A)
• E5 (659.3 Hz) — highest, bright and cutting

Pro tip: Always tune the A string first using a reference tone, then tune the other strings relative to it by checking fifths. Our Chromatic Tuner plays reference tones for each string, which makes this process much faster.

Viola: C-G-D-A

The viola sits a fifth below the violin. Its lowest string (C3) is where things get interesting — many guitar tuners can't detect it reliably because it's outside their expected range.

Cello: C-G-D-A

Same note names as viola but one octave lower. The low C2 (65.4 Hz) is a deep, resonant frequency that requires a tuner with good low-frequency sensitivity.

Double Bass: E-A-D-G

Tuned in fourths like a bass guitar, but at concert pitch. The low E1 (41.2 Hz) is at the very bottom of human hearing range — cheaper tuners often struggle here.

Ukulele Tuning: Standard, Low-G and Baritone Explained

The ukulele world has three main tuning systems, and they're all different enough to cause confusion:

Standard Soprano/Concert/Tenor: G-C-E-A

This is the "My Dog Has Fleas" tuning. The G string is actually a high G (G4), which is why the ukulele has that characteristic bright, jangly sound — the strings don't go low to high like a guitar.

Low-G: g-C-E-A

Same notes, but the G string is tuned an octave lower (G3). This gives you a wider range and a warmer, more guitar-like sound. Fingerpicking arrangements often sound better in Low-G.

Baritone: D-G-B-E

Basically the top four strings of a guitar. If you're a guitarist picking up a baritone ukulele, this tuning will feel immediately familiar.

Our tuner includes all three ukulele tunings with the correct octave designations, so you always know exactly which G you're aiming for.

Folk Instruments: Mandolin and Banjo Tuning Guide

Mandolin: G-D-A-E

The mandolin is tuned exactly like a violin — G3, D4, A4, E5. The difference is that mandolins have doubled strings (8 strings total), so each course of two strings should be tuned to the same pitch. Tune one string of each pair first, then match the second string to it.

Banjo: Open G (gDGBD)

The five-string banjo in Open G tuning is unique because the fifth string (the short one) is a high G4, similar to ukulele's re-entrant tuning. The remaining four strings are D3, G3, B3, D4. When you strum all five strings open, you get a G major chord — that classic banjo ring.

We also include Standard C tuning (gCGBD) which some clawhammer players prefer.

Extended Range Guitars: 7-String, 8-String and 12-String Tuning

If you're into djent, progressive metal, or just want more range:

7-String Standard: B-E-A-D-G-B-E

Adds a low B below the standard low E. This is the bread and butter of modern metal — bands like Periphery, Korn, and Meshuggah live here.

8-String Standard: F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E

Goes even lower with an F#. At this point you're overlapping with bass guitar territory, so make sure your tuner can handle frequencies down to about 23 Hz.

12-String Standard

Same notes as a 6-string, but each string is paired. The lower four pairs have one string tuned an octave higher, creating that shimmering chorus effect.

Alternative Guitar Tunings: Drop D, DADGAD, Open G and More

Beyond standard, we've included the tunings that actually get used in real sessions:

• Drop D (DADGBE): Drop the low E to D. Essential for rock, metal, and fingerstyle
• Half-Step Down (Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb): Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Alice in Chains. Slightly slinkier feel
• Drop C (CGCFAD): Heavy modern rock and metalcore
• DADGAD: Celtic, folk, acoustic fingerstyle. Jimmy Page used this on "Kashmir"
• Open G (DGDGBD): Rolling Stones territory. Keith Richards basically lives in this tuning
• Open D (DADF#AD): Slide guitar heaven. Common in blues and folk
• Open E (EBEG#BE): Duane Allman's go-to for slide

How Our Chromatic Tuner Handles All These Instruments

The Chromatic Tuner on Musicianstool now supports 27 tuning presets across all these instruments. The dropdown uses categorized groups (Guitar, Bass, Strings, Folk/Other) so you can find your tuning fast.

Key features:

• Reference tones: Play the target pitch for any string to tune by ear
• Visual feedback: See exactly how sharp or flat you are in cents
• Wide frequency range: Handles everything from double bass E1 (41 Hz) to violin E5 (659 Hz)
• A4 calibration: Adjust reference pitch from 432 Hz to 446 Hz for orchestral tuning situations
• Works on any device: Uses your phone or laptop microphone — no clip-on tuner needed

Whether you're a multi-instrumentalist bouncing between guitar and mandolin, or a string player who's tired of guitar-only tuner apps, give the Chromatic Tuner a try. It's free, works in your browser, and actually supports the instrument you're playing.