Tuning Your String Instrument

Are you in tune? A lot of players don't really listen to themselves when they play. The first step to learning to play in tune is getting your instrument in tune. As your ear becomes more honed to hearing pitch differences in the tuning process, your intonation will improve as a whole.

Violins, Violas, Cellos

1. Listen to the reference pitch. Get the tuning pitch in your head before trying to match it. Once you have the pitch clearly in your ear, play your own string.

2. Determine the relative pitch of your string. Is it sharp, flat, or correct? If you can't tell, make an educated guess. If you start adjusting and it gets worse, you're going the wrong way (start by going down; that way you won't break a string by going too high).

3a. Adjust fine tuner. Turn it clockwise to raise the pitch and counter-clockwise to lower it. Try to do this while still playing, so you can hear when your pitch matches the reference pitch.

3b. Adjust peg. If you get to one extreme or another on your fine tuner and can't go any further, you'll need to adjust your peg. Loosen your fine tuner and set your instrument so that you can pluck the string with one hand while turning the peg with the other. That way you'll know when you are close to the pitch. If it's flat, start by coming down, then go up. When you're close, you can finish by using the fine tuner.

4. Play double stop open strings. Play the open A with the open D. Since your A should already be in tune, adjust your D string until it creates the open Perfect 5th sound with the A.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 with each string. Your instrument should now be in tune!

Basses

You have a special tuning procedure. Bass players tune to harmonics, not to open strings. Follow the instructions below:

Tuning Hints

Tone. Start upbow softly, using long, even tones and keeping the same dynamic. This will keep your pitch steady and easier to hear if it matches the reference pitch.

Finger roll. If you're having trouble determining whether your pitch is sharp or flat when tuning by 5ths, roll your finger from against the nut up each string until it sounds in tune. If you have to roll your finger along the bottom string, then it is flat. If you must roll your finger along the upper string, then the bottom string is sharp.  Adjust your string accordingly.

Quality equipment. It is easier to hear pitch on a quality instrument with quality strings. As strings get older, they start to lose their tone, and become more difficult to tune (and the harmonics become a little questionable!).  Be sure to change strings regularly.

Playing in tune is an essential part of playing in orchestra, and becomes more important as your playing level progresses. Playing in tune is impossible if your instrument is out of tune.  Take the tuning process seriously and as your ability to hear pitch develops, your intonation, as well as that of the orchestra, will improve.