Tuner
A complete tuner that listens through your microphone or audio interface. It finds the fundamental down to the low B of a five-string bass, shows a needle, strobe, pitch history and spectrum, and can be set for seven-string and eight-string guitars, bass and ukulele. Audio is processed in your browser and never sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Press Start microphone and allow microphone access. The indicator shows when it is on.
- Pick the number of strings and a tuning, for example Drop C or seven-string B Standard, or build and save a custom tuning.
- Choose a mode: automatic string selection, manual string, chromatic or intonation.
- Play an open string. Tighten or loosen it until the needle sits in the middle and the pattern in the strobe view stands still.
- When the string has stayed within the tolerance for a moment, In tune appears. Move on to the next string.
- If the room is too noisy, tune by ear with the reference tone, or play all the strings in turn.
Which notes should the guitar strings have in standard tuning?
In standard tuning the strings, from thickest to thinnest, are E2 (82.41 Hz), A2 (110.00 Hz), D3 (146.83 Hz), G3 (196.00 Hz), B3 (246.94 Hz) and E4 (329.63 Hz). The frequencies assume A4 at 440 Hz, which is the tuner default.
- Drop D lowers the lowest string from E2 to D2 (73.42 Hz).
- Drop C sits a whole step below Drop D, with C2 (65.41 Hz) as the lowest note.
- Drop B reaches B1 (61.74 Hz), which many tuners struggle to hear.
How to read the meter
The meter shows how many cents the string is from its target. One hundred cents is a semitone, so a few cents are audible but rarely disturbing. If the needle is to the left the string is flat and you tighten it. If it is to the right the string is sharp and you loosen it. Hz and cents are also shown as numbers.
- Tune up to the note: if you overshoot, loosen the string a little and tighten again.
- Play the string open and let it ring, since a hard pick attack raises the pitch for a moment.
- Check the tuning after bends and after a string change, because new strings stretch for the first hours.
- In tune appears when the string has stayed within the tolerance for the hold time. Both can be adjusted.
Metal tunings: the strings in Drop D, Drop C and Drop B
In a drop tuning the lowest string sits an octave below the string two steps up, so a power chord is played with one finger across three strings. The tuner has over thirty tunings, and the most common in metal are Drop D, Drop C, Drop B and D Standard.
- Drop D: D2, A2, D3, G3, B3, E4.
- Drop C#: C#2, G#2, C#3, F#3, A#3, D#4.
- Drop C: C2, G2, C3, F3, A3, D4.
- Drop B: B1, F#2, B2, E3, G#3, C#4.
- D Standard: D2, G2, C3, F3, A3, D4.
Strobe tuner online: how the strobe view works
The strobe view shows three bands with a pattern of stripes. The pattern moves to the right when the string is sharp and to the left when it is flat, and it moves faster the larger the deviation. When the pattern stands still the string is in tune. The view shows the same measurement as the needle but makes small deviations easier to see.
- The three bands move in step with the fundamental and its first and second overtone.
- If motion is switched off in your device settings, the view shows a still pattern that shifts with the deviation instead of moving.
- The view is a visual readout in the browser, not a mechanical strobe.
Tuner for seven-string and eight-string guitar
Choose 7 or 8 strings in the list of tunings. A seven-string guitar in B Standard has the strings B1, E2, A2, D3, G3, B3 and E4. An eight-string guitar in F# Standard has F#1, B1, E2, A2, D3, G3, B3 and E4, where F#1 sits at 46.25 Hz. The tuner reads longer stretches of the sound for the low notes, so even the lowest string gives a steady reading.
- Seven strings: B Standard, A Standard, Drop A and Drop G.
- Eight strings: F# Standard, E Standard and Drop E.
- Bass with 4, 5 and 6 strings, for example five-string B Standard with B0 at 30.87 Hz.
Tuning a guitar to 432 Hz or another reference frequency
The A4 reference can be set between 400 and 480 Hz, with one decimal. The default is 440 Hz. The quick picks are 415, 432, 440, 442 and 444 Hz. Every target note is recalculated from A4, so at 432 Hz A2 becomes exactly 108.00 Hz.
- 415 Hz is used for baroque music, and 442 and 444 Hz by many orchestras.
- The tuner can also use just intonation or Pythagorean tuning instead of equal temperament. A4 then stays at the value you chose.
- The cents offset shifts the whole tuning without you having to recalculate A4.
Intonation check: is the note at the 12th fret right?
Intonation is right when the note at the 12th fret is exactly an octave above the open string. Choose the Intonation mode, play the open string and then the same string at the 12th fret. The tuner shows the deviation in cents.
- If the 12th fret is sharp the string is too short: move the saddle back, away from the nut.
- If it is flat the string is too long: move the saddle forward, towards the nut.
- Tune the string carefully before measuring, and measure again after each saddle adjustment.
Frequently asked questions
Does the tuner work for Drop B?
Yes. The tuner finds the fundamental down to B1 (61.74 Hz), which covers the lowest string in Drop B. For bass it goes down to B0 (30.87 Hz).
Can I tune a seven-string guitar?
Yes. Choose 7 strings in the list of tunings and then, for example, B Standard, A Standard, Drop A or Drop G. If you want another tuning, build a custom one with seven notes and save it.
Is there a tuner for an eight-string guitar?
Yes. Choose 8 strings and F# Standard, E Standard or Drop E. The lowest note in F# Standard is F#1 at 46.25 Hz, and the tuner reads a longer sound window to keep it steady.
Can I tune a bass?
Yes. There are tunings for bass with four, five and six strings, and you can build your own. The tuner finds notes down to B0 (30.87 Hz).
Is there a strobe tuner online?
Yes. The strobe view in the tuner shows a pattern that stands still when the string is in tune and moves right or left when it is sharp or flat. It is a visual readout of the same measurement as the needle, not a mechanical strobe.
Can I tune to 432 Hz?
Yes. Set A4 to 432 Hz with the quick pick or type the value. Every string is recalculated, so A2 becomes 108.00 Hz. You can choose any value between 400 and 480 Hz.
Do I need a microphone or an audio interface?
You need an audio input: the microphone in your computer or phone, or an audio interface with the guitar plugged in. Without an input you can tune by ear with the reference tone.
Is my audio sent anywhere?
No. The audio is analysed in the browser and never leaves your device. The microphone is closed when you leave the tab.
What should I set A4 to?
Leave it at 440 Hz unless you play with an instrument that uses another reference. Set it lower and the guitar will not match records and keyboards tuned to 440 Hz.
How do I tune my guitar to Drop C?
Choose Drop C in the tuner and tune the strings from the lowest: C2, G2, C3, F3, A3 and D4. Start from standard tuning, lower every string a whole step to D Standard, then lower the lowest string another whole step to C2. The tuner also shows how many semitones each string should move from the tuning you had before. Check every string once more when you are done, because the tension in the neck changes while you tune.
How do I check the intonation?
Choose the Intonation mode, play the open string and then the same string at the 12th fret. The tuner compares the two notes and shows how many cents the 12th fret is from an exact octave. Sharp means the saddle should move back, flat means it should move forward.
How do capo and transposition work in the tuner?
With a capo the strings sound higher, and the tuner measures against the sounding note but shows the open string relative to the capo. Transposition only shifts the displayed note names, not the frequency.
Can I save my own tunings?
Yes. Choose Custom tuning, set 4 to 8 strings, give the tuning a name and save it. It is stored in the browser and comes along when you export your Fabbe data.
Can I tune my guitar in the browser on my phone?
Yes. Open the page in your phone browser, allow the microphone and play an open string. The sound is processed on the phone and is not sent anywhere, and no app needs to be installed. Fabbe can also be installed as an app from the browser.
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