Standard tunings for guitar, bass, violin, ukulele and cello

The notes and exact frequencies for each instrument at A4 = 440 Hz. The note number after each letter is the octave: middle C is C4.

Guitar: E A D G B E

"Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie" is the usual way to remember it, from thickest to thinnest. Both E strings are the same note two octaves apart. Drop D lowers only string 6, to D2 (73.42 Hz).

Start from string 6 and work across. If the guitar is far out, go round twice: pulling several strings up adds tension to the neck, which lets the earlier strings sag a little.

Bass: E A D G

These are the same four notes as the lowest four guitar strings, one octave lower. A 5-string bass adds a low B below them: B0, 30.87 Hz.

At these frequencies a phone or laptop microphone hears little of the fundamental. Tuning is easier if you pluck firmly, let the note ring and hold the microphone near the instrument. Plugged in through an audio interface, the reading is cleaner still.

Violin: G D A E

Tune the A string first, since that is the note an orchestra gives. Then tune D, G and E against it. Many orchestras tune a little above 440, often 442, so set your tuner to match the group. Fine tuners on the tailpiece are for small changes; use the pegs when a string is far off.

Ukulele: G C E A

This is the standard tuning for soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles. It is re-entrant: string 4 is not the lowest. G4 sits above C4, which gives the ukulele its bright strum. Some players fit a wound low G string instead, tuned to G3 (196.00 Hz). A baritone ukulele is tuned differently: D G B E, like the top four strings of a guitar.

Cello: C G D A

The cello has the same note names as the viola, one octave lower, and is tuned in fifths. Start with A, then D, G and C. The low C at 65.41 Hz can be hard for a phone microphone, so bow firmly and bring the phone close to the instrument.

Why string players may see a small offset

A tuner measures against equal temperament, where every fifth is 700 cents. Violinists and cellists often tune by ear to pure fifths, which are about 702 cents. A pure fifth above A4 gives an E of 660 Hz, against 659.26 Hz on the table: about 2 cents higher. On a cello, three pure fifths down from A leave the C about 6 cents below the table. Neither is a mistake. Use the tuner for the A, then decide by ear or follow your teacher.

What if my group is not at 440?

A4 = 440 Hz is the common reference, but not the only one. Groups may tune to 442 or 443. Baroque ensembles often play near 415. A difference of 2 Hz at A4 is about 8 cents, which you can hear against other players. Set the reference once and the tuner shifts every note with it. Both the online tuner and the TuneLog app go from 415 to 466 Hz.