Cello Tuner
Tune a cello to standard tuning CGDA with a free mic tuner that shows note, Hz and cents for each of the four strings.
Microphone tuner
Play a string, see exactly how far off it is
- Your browser asks once for the microphone. Choose Allow.
- Audio is analysed on this device. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.
- The screen stays awake while the tuner runs.
Space start or stop 1 to 4 pick a string and hear it Esc stop the tone
Values use equal temperament with A4 fixed at 440 Hz. Every frequency links to its own reference page. The tuner above rescales them when you calibrate A4.
Standard cello tuning is C2, G2, D3 and A3, the same letter names as a viola but a full octave lower. The wide string spacing and low register are why the cello anchors the bass line in a string quartet.
Tuning a cello string by string
The four strings run C2 at 65.41 Hz, G2 at 98 Hz, D3 at 146.83 Hz and A3 at 220 Hz, each a fifth above the string below. That is the same CGDA pattern as a viola, just an octave lower, which is a handy way to remember it if you already play viola or violin.
The thick low C string needs a slow, even bow to speak clearly at low frequencies, so give it a full, sustained draw before checking the tuner reading. Cellos typically use geared pegs or fine tuners on all four strings, which makes small pitch corrections easier than on a violin.
Frequently asked questions
What is standard cello tuning?
C2, G2, D3, A3 from the lowest string to the highest, the same note names as a viola but one octave lower.
What frequency is the cello's low C string?
C2 is 65.41 Hz, two octaves below middle C, giving the cello its deep, resonant low register.
Why does the cello sound so much lower than a violin?
Its four strings, C2 to A3, sit two octaves below a violin's G3 to E5, and the larger body and longer strings reinforce that low, warm register.
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Frequencies on this page are computed at build time from twelve tone equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz, using the twelfth root of two (about 1.059463) per semitone. Nothing is typed in by hand. See the full method and sources. Maintained by FusionStudios. Last reviewed: .