Viola Tuner
Tune a viola 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 viola tuning is C3, G3, D4 and A4, a perfect fifth below a violin's GDAE. The low C string gives the viola its darker, warmer register and is the main thing that separates its written and sounding range from the violin.
Tuning a viola string by string
The four strings run C3 at 130.81 Hz, G3 at 196 Hz, D4 at 293.66 Hz and A4 at 440 Hz, each a fifth above the one below it. The top three strings, G, D and A, share the same pitches as a violin's bottom three, so a violinist picking up a viola already recognises three of the four target notes.
The low C string is thicker and takes more careful bowing to speak cleanly, so let it ring for a moment before trusting the tuner's reading. As with a violin, use the fine tuners for small corrections once each string is roughly in place from the pegs.
Frequently asked questions
What is standard viola tuning?
C3, G3, D4, A4 from the lowest string to the highest, a perfect fifth below violin tuning.
How does viola tuning compare to violin?
The top three viola strings, G3, D4, A4, match the bottom three violin strings exactly. The viola adds a low C string below where the violin's G string sits, giving it a lower overall range.
What frequency is the viola's low C string?
C3 is 130.81 Hz, roughly an octave below middle C, and is the string that gives the viola its distinctively darker tone.
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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: .