Cello Tuner
Standard cello tuning is C – G – D – A, from the lowest string to the highest. That is one octave below the viola. Press Start tuner, bow or pluck one string and tune until the needle is centered.
Your browser will ask to use the microphone. Choose Allow.
✓ All strings in tune
Tap a string to hear it and tune only that string. Audio is analysed on this device and never uploaded. How it works →
- What it does
- Hears each cello string, shows which one, its note, Hz and cents
- What it does not do
- Record or upload audio · detect chords
- Reference pitch
- A4 = 440 Hz, adjustable 415–466 Hz
- Tested with
- 58 studio recordings of 11 instruments (right note on about 95% of frames at normal volume) and test tones from B0 to C6
- Made by
- The Appcellent team
- Updated
- November 2026
Tuner not hearing you?
- Allow the microphone. If you blocked it: in Chrome or Edge, click the icon left of the address bar → Microphone → Allow, then reload. In Safari on iPhone, tap aA → Website Settings → Microphone → Allow. In Firefox, click the crossed-out microphone in the address bar. On a Mac, also check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone for your browser.
- Open the page in Safari or Chrome. In-app browsers (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok) often block the microphone.
- Play one note at a time, louder. Hold your phone or laptop close to the instrument and let the string ring. A quiet room helps.
- Wrong octave or jumping notes? Let the attack fade for a moment — the reading settles once the note is steady.
- No microphone at all? Tap a string button to hear its note and tune by ear.
Cello string notes and frequencies
Standard cello tuning is C2 (65.41 Hz), G2 (98.00 Hz), D3 (146.83 Hz) and A3 (220.00 Hz), from the lowest string to the highest (A4 = 440 Hz).
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | C2 | 65.41 Hz |
| 3 | G2 | 98.00 Hz |
| 2 | D3 | 146.83 Hz |
| 1 | A3 | 220.00 Hz |
How to tune your cello
- Press Start tuner and allow the microphone. Place the device near the f-holes.
- Tune the A string first, then D, G and C.
- Use the fine tuners for small changes and the pegs for large ones.
- Check the A string again at the end — tuning the other strings can pull it slightly.
Cello tuning in fifths
Like the violin and viola, the cello is tuned in perfect fifths. The A string is the reference pitch for the ensemble. Many cellists bow two neighbouring strings together after using the tuner to check the fifth by ear.