Notes and frequencies to tune your instrument
The open strings of string instruments and the reference notes of brass instruments, with their exact frequencies at A = 440 Hz. Use them to check your tuner or to tune by ear against a drone.
Open strings (A = 440 Hz)
The frequencies are calculated in equal temperament and listed from the lowest to the highest string (the soprano ukulele, where the G string is higher than the C string, uses “re-entrant” tuning).
| Instrument | Strings (low to high) | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| Guitar | E2 · A2 · D3 · G3 · B3 · E4 | 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63 |
| Violin | G3 · D4 · A4 · E5 | 196.00 · 293.66 · 440.00 · 659.26 |
| Viola | C3 · G3 · D4 · A4 | 130.81 · 196.00 · 293.66 · 440.00 |
| Cello | C2 · G2 · D3 · A3 | 65.41 · 98.00 · 146.83 · 220.00 |
| Double bass and bass guitar | E1 · A1 · D2 · G2 | 41.20 · 55.00 · 73.42 · 98.00 |
| Soprano ukulele | G4 · C4 · E4 · A4 | 392.00 · 261.63 · 329.63 · 440.00 |
Guitar and bass sound an octave lower than written; the numbers above are the real frequencies. The double bass also sounds an octave below the written note.
Brass: reference note for tuning
Brass instruments are transposing: the written note differs from the sounding note. So you tune to a “concert” note, the one that really sounds. The most common reference is B♭. The table shows what the note is called on each instrument and its real frequency.
| Instrument | Written note and fingering | Sounds (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| B♭ trumpet | Written C4, no valves → B♭3 | 233.08 |
| B♭ tenor trombone | B♭2, first position | 116.54 |
| F horn | Written C4, open → F3 | 174.61 |
| B♭ tuba (BBb) | B♭1, no valves | 58.27 |
Values come from A4 = 440 Hz. Each octave up doubles the frequency and each octave down halves it.
How to use the table
- Set the drone to the note of the string you want to tune.
- Play the open string (or the brass note) and listen for beats against the reference.
- Adjust until the beats disappear, then check with the tuner.
How a note's frequency is calculated
With A4 = 440 Hz, the frequency of a note n semitones away is 440 × 2n/12. Example: the low E of the guitar (E2) is 29 semitones below A4, so 440 × 2−29/12 ≈ 82.41 Hz. If you set the reference A to 442, every frequency is multiplied by 442/440 (see 440 or 442).
Next: how to tune well and fingerings for each brass instrument.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the guitar have such low frequencies if it is written higher?
Because the guitar is an octave-transposing instrument: it is written an octave higher than it sounds. The table shows the real frequency.
Do these frequencies hold if I tune to 442 Hz?
They hold multiplied by 442/440. For example A4 goes from 440 to 442 Hz and the violin's E5 from 659.26 to about 662.2 Hz.
Why is B♭ the brass reference?
Because it is the natural note of B♭ instruments (trumpet, trombone, euphonium, B♭ tuba) and a central, comfortable note for tuning bands and wind ensembles.