Online tiple tuner

Tiple string notes

Frequencies are calculated with the reference A at 440 Hz. If your group tunes to a different reference, such as 442 Hz, adjust it with the − and + buttons next to “A = 440 Hz” and the tuner shifts every note.

1st course (E): its three strings are plain and sound in unison, at E4.

2nd, 3rd and 4th courses (B, G, D): the two outer strings are plain and sound the same; the middle one, thicker and wound, sounds an octave lower. That's why each of these courses appears twice in the table.

Watch out for a detail that confuses many players: the outer strings of the 2nd course (B4) sound higher than the 1st course (E4). That's the tiple's normal tuning, the same one string makers specify for this instrument. Some older tiples, or ones with special string sets, move the octave string to a different position; if yours is different, check with your teacher before tightening.

How to tune the tiple course by course

1. Leave the tuner on Auto or tap the button for the note you're tuning. Mute the strings you're not playing with your hand.
2. Start with the 1st course: tune one string to E4, then the other two until all three sound like one.
3. On the 2nd course, tune the two outer strings to B4, then the thick middle string to B3.
4. Repeat with the 3rd course (outer strings on G4, middle on G3) and the 4th (outer on D4, middle on D3).
5. Go over every string a second time: twelve steel strings add up to a lot of tension, and tuning one course shifts the others.

If you want to learn to check it by ear, using beats and reference frets, follow our step-by-step guide on how to tune the tiple.

Tiple and guitar: the notes they share

The tiple uses the same note names as the guitar's four highest strings: D, G, B and E. What's more, the middle strings of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th courses (B3, G3 and D3) and the 1st course (E4) sound at exactly the same pitch as the guitar's 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 1st strings. If you have a well-tuned guitar, you can use it to check those strings in unison, and the outer strings an octave higher.

The traditional tuning, a whole step lower

Besides the D-G-B-E tuning, the most common today, there is a traditional tuning a whole step lower: C, F, A, D, with the same octave strings. It is also known as B-flat tuning. If your teacher or your group uses it, the chromatic tuner will do the job: play each string and look for C, F, A and D.

How to tune your tiple with this tuner

1. Tap Enable microphone and accept the browser's permission request. The sound is analyzed on your device: it isn't recorded or sent anywhere.
2. Leave the tuner on Auto so it recognizes which string you're playing, or tap a note to lock it (tap it again to go back to Auto). Strings that sound exactly the same share a button; octave strings get their own.
3. Play a single open string with medium force and let it ring. Mute the other strings in the course with your hand so the microphone hears just one.
4. If the needle is to the left, the note is flat: tune up. If it's to the right, tune down. Anywhere between −5 and +5 cents counts as in tune.
5. Once a string stays in tune for a moment, its button gets a green check mark. Keep going until every string has one.
6. Use the speaker icon under each note to hear the reference and train your ear.
7. Go over every string again at the end: the tension of some strings shifts the others slightly.

Tips for tuning your tiple

• Trace each string with your finger to its tuning peg before turning: there are 12 pegs and it's easy to turn the wrong one.
• If a middle string feels extremely stiff, stop: you're probably tuning it up to the octave of the outer strings, and it could snap.
• Pluck one string at a time; with several ringing, the microphone can't tell which one to listen to.
• Always come up to the note from below; if you overshoot, go back down a little and bring it up again.

Common tuning problems

• The needle jumps between notes: play a single string, a little more softly, and wait for the sound to settle. The first instant of every note always sounds slightly sharp.
• It doesn't pick up the low strings: phone microphones struggle with low frequencies. Hold your phone closer to the instrument or play the harmonic at the middle of the string (12th fret): the tuner recognizes it as the same string and tells you it sounds an octave higher.
• The open strings are in tune, but what you play sounds off: check that no string is in the wrong octave and that your strings aren't old. If it still sounds wrong, ask your teacher or a luthier to check the instrument's intonation.
• It goes out of tune right away: new strings keep stretching for several days, and changes in temperature and humidity shift the tuning. Tune in the same place where you're going to play.
• The browser doesn't ask for the microphone: check the site permissions in your browser settings and make sure no other app is using the microphone.

Frequently asked questions