Viola Tuner
Tune your instrument quickly and easily
Tap a pegto tune by ear
Or use your micto tune automatically
This online viola tuner listens through your microphone and shows how far each string is from the correct pitch, so you can tune your viola in a few seconds. You can also play a reference tone for C, G, D or A and tune by ear. It runs right in your browser on any phone, tablet or computer, and needs no sign-up.
How to tune a viola
Quiet room, device nearby
Hold the viola in playing position or rest it on your lap, and keep your device close. Stay away from other players while you tune.
Start the tuner
Start the tuner and allow microphone access when your browser asks.
Tune the A string
Bow the open A string with a light, steady stroke. Turn the peg until the tuner shows the string is in tune.
Tune D, G and C
Tune the D string, then the G string, then the C string the same way. Bow the low C slowly with a steady stroke so the tuner can hear the note clearly.
Fine tuners and pegs
Use the fine tuners for small corrections if your viola has them. Use a peg only for a bigger change, turning slowly and pushing it gently into the peg box so it holds.
Check all four strings again
Run through C, G, D and A once more, because a small turn on one string can move its neighbours.
Viola tuning: C G D A (standard)
A viola has four strings tuned in perfect fifths: C3, G3, D4 and A4, from the lowest string to the highest. Each string is a fifth lower than the matching violin string, and the whole viola sits one octave above a cello. Viola sizes vary, but the tuning stays the same.
Viola vs violin: what is different about the tuning?
The viola has a low C string where the violin has a high E string, and every other string is a fifth lower too. A violin tuner set to G, D, A, E will not read a viola correctly, so use this page for your viola.
Tips for keeping your viola in tune
Check when moving rooms
Moving a viola from a cold car to a warm room changes the pitch within minutes. Let it settle before you tune.
After a string change
After you fit a new string, the other three often move too. Retune all four after every string change.
Turn the C string in small steps
The low C string is thick and moves slowly. Turn its peg in small steps and give it a moment before you read the tuner.
Slipping or sticking pegs
If a peg slips or sticks, a little peg compound or a visit to a luthier will fix it. Never force a stuck peg.
Viola tuner FAQ
A viola has four strings: C, G, D and A, from the lowest and thickest to the highest and thinnest. Neighbouring strings are a fifth apart, the same spacing as a violin.
To tune a viola with this tuner, press start, allow the microphone and bow the open A string. Turn the peg or fine tuner until the display shows it is in tune. Then tune D, G and C.
Not quite. The viola's strings are C, G, D, A, and each one is a fifth lower than the matching violin string, which is tuned G, D, A, E. The two instruments share the same pattern of fifths, but the notes are different.
A viola is a little larger than a violin and has a deeper, warmer sound. Its strings are tuned a fifth lower, with a C string in place of the violin's E string, and its music is usually written in alto clef.
Only if it is a chromatic tuner, because a violin-only tuner is set to G, D, A, E. This page is set to the four viola strings, so you do not have to work out the notes yourself.
Yes, in a quiet room. Bow each open string with a steady stroke and keep the device close. The low C string can be harder for small microphones, so bow it slowly and keep the device near the viola.
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