How to Tune a Violin

Tuning takes a minute once you know the order and which control to use. This guide covers fine tuners, pegs and tuning by ear.

Before you start

• Have the online violin tuner open, or a reference A note.
• Hold the violin in playing position, or on your lap with the scroll to your left.
• Check the bridge stands straight. A leaning bridge changes the pitch and can fall.

Step 1: Tune the A string first

The A string (440 Hz) is the reference. Pluck or bow it and watch the tuner. If it is flat, turn the A fine tuner clockwise. If it is sharp, turn it anticlockwise. Small turns only.

Step 2: Tune D, then G

Tune the D string (293.66 Hz) next, then the G string (196.00 Hz). Tuning outward from A keeps the bridge balanced, because each change slightly affects string tension across the bridge.

Step 3: Tune the E string

The E string (659.26 Hz) is thin and reacts fast. Most violins have a fine tuner on E for this reason. Make very small turns.

Step 4: Check all four again

Changing one string shifts the others a little. Go round once more until all four sit in the green.

When to use the pegs

If a fine tuner is screwed all the way in or out, or a string is more than a semitone off, use the peg.

1. Loosen the fine tuner to its middle position first.
2. Turn the peg a tiny amount while pushing it gently into the pegbox.
3. Bring the string slightly below the note, then finish with the fine tuner.

Never tighten a string far above its note. Strings can snap and the bridge can tip forward.

Tuning by ear in fifths

Once A is correct, play A and D together. When the interval is a clean perfect fifth the sound is smooth. A slow wobble (called beating) means one string is slightly off. Adjust D until the wobble stops. Repeat with D and G, then A and E.

How often should you tune?

Every time you play. Temperature and humidity change string tension, and new strings stretch for the first week or two, so they drop in pitch quickly.

Frequently asked questions