What this is
Play a note into the mic. You get the note name, how many cents you are off, and whether to tune up or down. Chromatic for any note, or the open strings of guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, viola and cello.
How to use it
- Allow the microphone when your browser asks. On a first visit, tap Tap to tune. After that, listening starts by itself. Guitar is selected at first. Pick another instrument, or Chromatic to tune to the nearest note.
- Play one string and let it ring. The note appears and the lime marker moves along the scale. To tune to a set string, tap it in the row of strings. It plays the pitch for 1.5 seconds.
- Turn the peg until the marker sits in the centre zone. The page says Tune up or Tune down until then. When it says In tune, the screen turns lime and the string gets a check mark. Then move to the next string.
Questions
How does an online tuner work?
The page listens through your microphone and measures how many times per second the sound repeats. That number is the frequency. It then finds the nearest note, or the string you chose, and shows how far you are from it in cents.
What are cents?
A cent is one hundredth of a semitone. A semitone is the step between two neighbouring keys on a piano, so an octave is 1200 cents. This tuner treats anything within 5 cents as in tune.
What is A = 440?
It means the note A above middle C vibrates 440 times per second. Every other note is tuned relative to it. It is the usual standard, but some orchestras tune a little higher, such as 442, and some early music is played lower. Some players prefer 432. You can set it from 400 to 480 under the A = 440 link at the bottom, which also has presets including 432.
Why does the needle jump?
Usually background noise, or the note is fading and the pitch is no longer steady. Move somewhere quieter, pluck again and let the note ring.
Does it work on a phone?
It is built for current mobile browsers. Phone mics are weak on the lowest bass notes, so hold the phone close when you tune a bass or the low strings of a guitar.