Standard tuning C G D A · tap a string to hear it
Cello tuner
Bow or pluck one open string at a time and see which note it is, and how many cents sharp or flat. Tap a string to hear its note and tune by ear. Standard tuning, C G D A, an octave below the viola.
How to use it
- Tap Listen and allow the microphone. Bow one open string with a long, even stroke, or pluck it: the tuner names the note and shows how far off it is.
- Turn the fine tuner until the needle sits in the middle and it says In tune. Use the peg only when the fine tuner can't reach. Tap a string to hear its note, if you'd rather tune by ear.
Standard cello tuning
A cello is tuned in fifths: C, G, D and A, from the lowest string. It's an octave below the viola, and its A is the A below middle C, 220 Hz when the orchestra's A is 440.
| String | Note | Hz at A440 |
|---|---|---|
| C (lowest) | C2 | 65.41 |
| G | G2 | 98.00 |
| D | D3 | 146.83 |
| A (highest) | A3 | 220.00 |
Tuning a cello in fifths
Tune the A first, to the tuner or the group's A. Then bow the A and D strings together and turn the D until the fifth rings with no wobble; then D with G, and G with C.
Fifths tuned pure by ear are 2 cents (a cent is a hundredth of a semitone) wider than a piano's. Three of them, down from the A, leave the C string about 6 cents lower than a piano's C. Many cellists tune the lower fifths a touch narrow, or the C with a tuner, so it sits with a piano.
Pegs and fine tuners
Fine tuners, the small screws on the tailpiece, are for changes of a few cents; many cellos have one on every string, some only on the A. Use a peg when a string is further off, pushing it gently in as you turn so it holds.
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Questions
What are the notes of a cello's strings?
C, G, D and A, from the lowest: C2, G2, D3 and A3. Each string is a fifth above the one below it.
Which cello string should I tune first?
The A, because it's the note an orchestra tunes to. Then tune the D, G and C, each against the string above it.
Why does the needle jump when I bow?
A bowed note starts with a scratchy attack, and low strings take a moment to settle. Play a long, even bow at a medium speed and read it once the note has settled, or pluck the string instead.
Why does my C string sound low against a piano?
If you tune the fifths pure by ear from the A, the C ends up about 6 cents below the piano's. Tune the C with the tuner, or the lower fifths a touch narrow, when you play with a piano.
Is my playing recorded?
No. The microphone opens only when you tap Listen, your cello's pitch is worked out on this device, and nothing is recorded, kept or sent.
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