Tuning notes for violin and viola
Press a string’s note to hear it, then tune that string until the two sound as one.
Violin
Viola
How to use them
- Tune the A string first. Press A, play your A string, and turn its fine tuner until the two sound as one, smooth and steady. When they are not quite together, you hear a slow wobble.
- Then tune the other strings the same way, one at a time.
- Turn a fine tuner a little at a time. If a string is far out of tune, or a peg slips, ask your teacher or a parent to help.
The A is 440 hertz, the usual reference pitch. Each other note is a pure fifth from its neighbor, the way neighboring strings sound smooth together when they are tuned by ear. An electronic tuner may show the G, D, E, and C a few cents away from these notes.
A note plays only when you press it, for up to two minutes. Press it again to stop.
For the whole process, with pegs and fine tuners, read How to Tune a Violin or Viola.
Sources
- Just Temperament and Others, HyperPhysics, Georgia State University
- Violin, HyperPhysics, Georgia State University
- Tartini tones and temperament: an introduction for musicians, University of New South Wales
- Acoustics FAQ, University of New South Wales
- ISO 16:1975, Acoustics: Standard tuning frequency, International Organization for Standardization
- WWV and WWVH Digital Time Code and Broadcast Format, National Institute of Standards and Technology
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