Every violin and viola drifts out of tune. A bump, a change in the weather, or a new string stretching as it settles in can pull a string off its note. Here is the note each string should play, how the tuning parts work, and how to tune safely at home.

The notes the strings are tuned to

A violin's four strings are tuned, from lowest to highest, to G, D, A, and E. A viola's are C, G, D, and A. The viola is tuned a fifth lower than the violin, so the two share three strings: G, D, and A.

Neighboring strings are a fifth apart. An interval is the distance between two notes, and its size is counted in letter names, including both ends. From G up to D runs G, A, B, C, D: five letter names, so a fifth.

People in nearly every culture and era have heard the fifth as consonant, which means pleasing to the ear. When two neighboring strings are in tune, playing them together sounds smooth and steady. When one is off, the sound turns rough or wavy.

The note to tune to

The usual reference pitch is the A above middle C at 440 hertz, which means 440 vibrations each second. An international standard sets that pitch, and a radio station run by the United States government broadcasts a 440-hertz tone once an hour as a musical standard. On both the violin and the viola, the A string is tuned to this A.

Tune the A string first. Then tune the D string to sound right with the A, and work outward through the other pairs of neighboring strings. With a tuner, you can simply tune one string at a time.

For the reference note you can use an electronic tuner or tuner app, a piano, or a pitch pipe. A tuner shows whether a string is sharp (too high) or flat (too low).

Pegs and fine tuners

The pegs sit at the top of the instrument, in the pegbox where the neck ends at the scroll. Fine tuners, sometimes called adjusters, are the small metal tuners on the tailpiece, at the bottom end of the strings. String teachers like beginners' instruments to have working fine tuners on all four strings.

Use the fine tuners first, for small changes. Turn to a peg only when a string is far out of tune, or when its fine tuner has run out of room.

Using a fine tuner

With the strings facing you, turn a fine tuner to the right to raise the pitch and to the left to lower it. Go a little at a time, plucking the string as you go. Never tighten a fine tuner so far that it touches the body of the instrument.

Turning a peg safely

  • Pluck the string the whole time you turn the peg, so you hear the pitch move and do not overtighten the string.
  • Turn slowly, a little at a time. A quick, sudden turn can break the string.
  • Push the peg gently into the pegbox as you turn it. That keeps it from slipping and letting the string unwind.
  • Come up to the note from below, and try not to go past it.
  • Finish with the fine tuner.
  • If a peg will not turn or keeps slipping, do not force it. Pegs that fit badly need a skilled repairer, and forcing a peg can crack the pegbox.

Check the bridge

The bridge, the wooden piece the strings stretch over, is not glued down. The pressure of the strings holds it in place. Tuning tends to pull the top of the bridge toward the fingerboard, and a bridge left leaning forward can bend out of shape.

After tuning, look at the bridge from the side. It should stand straight. If it leans, ask your teacher or a violin repairer to adjust it.

Who tunes at first

At first, a teacher or parent usually tunes a young child's instrument. Teachers tune beginners' instruments in lessons and group classes, and a parent can keep the instrument in tune at home between lessons. Our guide for parents has more on helping at home.

Students learn to tune step by step. Teachers often begin once a student can hear whether two notes match, and they have students use only the fine tuners before moving on to the pegs. Learning to tune well can take weeks or months.

If the bridge falls over or a string goes completely slack, ask your teacher or a repairer for help rather than fixing it yourself. Keeping spare strings in the case means a broken one can be replaced.

If you have questions about tuning, we are happy to talk.

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