Online Tuner
This online tuner listens through your microphone and shows the note you are playing and whether it is flat or sharp. It reads in concert pitch or for B♭, E♭ and F instruments, and it can play a tuning note for you to match.
Play a tuning note
The microphone is only used while the tuner runs. Sound is analysed on your device and never recorded or sent anywhere.
Tuner for your instrument
Each instrument tuner is already set to the right transposition and range, and explains how to adjust that instrument when it is flat or sharp.
Brass
How to tune your instrument
- Warm up first. Play for a few minutes. Every wind instrument goes sharp as it warms up, so tuning cold sets you flat later.
- Play the tuning note with a full, steady sound at a comfortable volume. Don't start loud or soft on purpose to fix the pitch.
- Read the needle. Flat (left): make the instrument shorter, by pushing the tuning slide or joint in. Sharp (right): make it longer, by pulling out.
- Move a little at a time, then play the note again. A few millimetres is usually enough.
- Check a second note an octave or a fifth away. If one is sharp and the other flat, the problem is how you are playing, not the tuning slide.
Common band tuning notes
Most concert bands tune to concert B♭; orchestras tune to A. At A = 440 Hz these are the pitches the tuner listens for:
| Tuning note | Frequency | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Concert B♭3 | 233.08 Hz | Concert and marching bands |
| Concert F4 | 349.23 Hz | Bands (second tuning note) |
| A4 | 440.00 Hz | Orchestras, flute and oboe |
Not sure how to finger a note? Every fingering chart plays each note at concert pitch, so you can hear the target before you tune.
Online tuner FAQ
How do I use this online tuner?
Tap Start tuner and allow the microphone. Play one long, steady note. The big letter is the note you are playing and the needle shows how far off you are: left of center is flat (too low), right is sharp (too high). Inside about 5 cents counts as in tune.
Why does the tuner show a different note from the one I am playing?
Most band instruments transpose. A B♭ trumpet or clarinet playing written C sounds concert B♭, so a concert-pitch tuner shows B♭. Choose your instrument type in the menu (B♭, E♭ or F) and the tuner shows the note as you read it.
What does A = 440 Hz mean?
It is the tuning reference: the A above middle C vibrates 440 times a second. Almost all bands use A = 440. Some orchestras tune a little higher (441 or 442); use the + and − buttons to match your group.
Is my microphone audio recorded?
No. The tuner listens only while it is running, analyses the sound on your device, and never records, stores or sends audio anywhere. Tap Stop tuner to switch the microphone off.
Which note should my band tune to?
Most concert bands tune to concert B♭ (B♭3), with concert F and concert A as common alternatives. Orchestras tune to A. Use the tuning-note buttons to hear the pitch before you play.
Why is my note in tune on its own but out of tune in the band?
Every instrument has notes that lean sharp or flat, and pitch rises as the instrument warms up. Tune after warming up, check a few notes besides the tuning note, and keep listening to the players around you.