A stable reference pitch for tuning by ear
Play a rock-steady 440 Hz A, or any reference pitch you need, and tune your instrument by ear the way pros have for a century.
Play a reference toneAn automatic clip-on tuner tells you a string is sharp or flat, but it never teaches your ear what "in tune" actually sounds like. Tuning against a steady reference pitch does. You learn to hear the wobble between two notes and to make it vanish, which is the skill behind every well-tuned ensemble.
A pure sine wave is the cleanest possible reference. With no harmonics getting in the way, it is easy to hear the slow pulsing, called beats, that appears when your string is close but not quite matched. Slow the beats to a stop and you are in tune.
A440 by default, plus 442 Hz, 443 Hz, baroque 415 Hz, and 432 Hz at one tap.
Guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, viola, and cello presets play each open string instantly.
Match the pitch until the pulsing stops to train a genuinely accurate ear.
The presets do the math, so you can focus on listening. Here is the routine for a guitar in standard tuning, and it adapts to any instrument.
For a single quick reference you can also stay on A440 and tune the rest of the instrument relative to that note, the way an orchestra tunes to the oboe's A.
Concert pitch has never been truly universal. ToneSynth includes the common standards so you can match whoever you are playing with.
Standard tuning references A4 at 440 Hz, which puts the open strings at E2 82.41 Hz, A2 110 Hz, D3 146.83 Hz, G3 196 Hz, B3 246.94 Hz, and E4 329.63 Hz. ToneSynth has a one-tap preset for each of those strings.
When two pitches are close but not identical, they interfere and create a pulsing change in loudness. The beat rate equals the difference in hertz, so 440 Hz against 443 Hz pulses three times a second. As you tune toward the reference, the beats slow and then stop, which is the moment you are in tune.
Yes. ToneSynth includes presets for Drop D guitar, 4- and 5-string bass, ukulele, and the orchestral strings. If you need an unusual note, type the exact frequency into the number box and the nearest-note display will confirm the pitch.
With practice, yes, and often better for intervals. A clip-on tuner checks one string at a time against equal temperament; tuning to beats lets you hear how strings relate to each other. Many players use both, a tuner for speed and their ear for the final polish.
Tuning by ear is the skill worth building, but a clip-on tuner is handy for a fast check on a loud stage or a quick reference between songs:
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Tap A440 or a per-string preset, press Play, and bring your instrument into tune.
Open tuning presetsCheck your frequency range
The history of concert pitch
Keep time while you practice