Free Online Mandolin Tuner
Tune your mandolin to standard G D A E tuning in seconds. Use your device's microphone for real-time tuning, or tap any string to hear its pitch and tune by ear. Free, accurate, and works on any device.
Standard tuning: G D A EHow to tune a mandolin
You can tune your mandolin two ways with this tool: in real time with your microphone, or by ear with the reference tones. Here is the microphone method, step by step.
- Tap Tune with microphone and allow access when your browser asks. On a phone, hold the microphone near your mandolin.
- Play a single string and let it ring clearly.
- Read the big note display. It shows the note you are playing, and the needle shows how many cents sharp or flat you are.
- Turn the tuning peg slowly until the needle sits in the centre and the readout turns green, which means the string is in tune.
- Repeat for each string (G D A E). Prefer to tune by ear? Tap any string on the tuner to hear its exact pitch.
Mandolin tuning notes and frequencies
A mandolin is tuned in perfect fifths. Here are the exact notes and frequencies for standard G D A E tuning, from the lowest course of strings to the highest.
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 4th course (lowest) | G3 | 196.00 Hz |
| 3rd course | D4 | 293.66 Hz |
| 2nd course | A4 | 440.00 Hz |
| 1st course (highest) | E5 | 659.25 Hz |
Mandolin tuner: frequently asked questions
What tuning is a mandolin in?
Standard mandolin tuning is G, D, A, E, tuned in perfect fifths. From the lowest course of strings to the highest, the notes are G3, D4, A4 and E5. This is the same tuning as a violin or fiddle.
What are the mandolin string notes from low to high?
From low to high, a mandolin is tuned G, D, A, E. It has four courses of two strings each, and the two strings in every course are tuned to the same note in unison: G3 at 196.00 Hz, D4 at 293.66 Hz, A4 at 440.00 Hz and E5 at 659.25 Hz.
Is a mandolin tuned the same as a violin or fiddle?
Yes. A mandolin, a violin and a fiddle all use the same G, D, A, E tuning in perfect fifths. That shared tuning is one reason so many fiddle tunes translate directly to the mandolin.
How do I tune a mandolin with this online tuner?
Allow microphone access, then play one string and watch the display. It shows the note you are playing and whether you are sharp or flat. Turn the tuning peg until the needle sits in the centre and the readout turns green. You can also tap any string on the tuner to hear a reference tone and tune by ear.
How do I tune the paired strings on a mandolin?
Each of the four courses has two strings tuned to the same note. Tune one string of the pair to pitch first, then bring its neighbour up to match so the two ring together cleanly with no wavering.
Can I tune a mandolin without a microphone?
Yes. Tap any string on this tuner to hear a clean reference tone at the correct pitch, then adjust your string until it matches by ear.
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