How to Tune a Violin: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Every violin goes out of tune. The strings stretch, the wood moves with the weather, and the pegs settle a little each day. That is normal, and it is why every violinist, from a first-week beginner to a concert soloist, tunes before playing. The good news: once you know which part does what, tuning takes about a minute. This guide shows you the notes, the tools and the steps, in the order most teachers teach them.

The violin string notes

With the violin facing you, scroll at the top, the strings run from left to right like this:

G · D · A · E

Each string is a fifth (five note names) above the one before it: G to D, D to A, A to E. That pattern is what makes tuning by ear possible, which we cover below. A favorite way to remember the order is Good Dogs Always Eat.

A4 at 440 Hz is the standard pitch used across the United States and most of the world. Some orchestras tune a hair higher, to 442 Hz. If your teacher or your group does, set your tuner to match; otherwise leave it at 440.

The parts you use to tune

• Pegs. The four wooden knobs in the pegbox near the scroll, one for each string. The G and D pegs are on the left side of the pegbox, and the A and E pegs are on the right. Pegs make big changes: a small turn moves the note a long way.
• Fine tuners. The small metal screws on the tailpiece, one per string on most student violins. They make tiny changes and are the easiest way for a beginner to tune. Many advanced players keep only one fine tuner, on the E string.
• Bridge. The thin wooden piece the strings cross. It is held in place only by the pressure of the strings, so it can lean as you tune. More on that below.

For a full tour of every other part, see our parts of a violin guide.

How to tune a violin with a tuner, step by step

This is the method we recommend for every beginner. A clip-on tuner feels the vibration of the violin directly, so it works even in a noisy room. A phone tuner app listens through the microphone and works well in a quiet one.

1. Get set up. Sit down and rest the violin on your lap or hold it upright, scroll at the top, strings facing you. You do not need the bow; plucking the strings is easier while tuning.
2. Attach and set the tuner. Clip the tuner to the scroll, or open your tuner app. Check it is set to a chromatic or violin mode and to A = 440 Hz.
3. Pluck the A string. It is the second string from the right. Pluck it with your thumb or a finger near the end of the fingerboard and read the tuner.
4. Read the needle. If the tuner shows A and the needle or light sits in the center, it is in tune. Left of center (or a flat sign) means the note is too low. Right of center (or a sharp sign) means it is too high.
5. Adjust with the fine tuner. Turn the A string's fine tuner a little at a time. Clockwise (to the right) raises the note; counterclockwise lowers it. Pluck again after each small turn.
6. Tune the D string, then G, then E. Repeat the same pluck, read and adjust for each one. Aim for D on the D string, G on the G string and E on the E string.
7. Check them all again. Changing one string shifts the tension on the violin slightly, so a string you tuned first can move. Go back through all four once more.
8. Look at the bridge. Glance at it from the side. It should stand straight up, not lean toward the fingerboard. If it leans, see the bridge section below before you play.

If the tuner shows the wrong letter entirely, or the fine tuner will not turn any further, the string is too far off for the fine tuner. That is a job for the peg.

How to tune with the pegs

Use the pegs when a string is a long way off, after a new string goes on, or when a fine tuner has run out of room. Pegs take a little practice, so go slowly. Many teachers prefer to handle the pegs for young students at first.

1. Find the right peg. Follow the string up past the nut into the pegbox to see which peg it winds onto. Turning the wrong peg is the most common beginner mistake.
2. Loosen first. Turn the peg slightly in the direction that loosens the string, so the note drops just below where you want it. Tuning up to a note, rather than down to it, leaves the string pulling the peg snug, and it holds better.
3. Push in while you turn. Hold the peg between your thumb and fingers and press it gently into the pegbox as you turn it, the way you would push a cork into a bottle while twisting it. The peg is a tapered wooden fit held only by friction; the push is what makes it grip.
4. Turn in tiny amounts. A movement of a few millimeters can change the note a lot. Pluck and check the tuner as you go.
5. Stop just at the note. Get close with the peg, then finish with the fine tuner if that string has one. Before you do, set the fine tuner to the middle of its range so it has room to move either way.

Why pegs slip, and how to fix a slipping peg

A peg that spins back and lets the string go loose is frustrating, but it is usually easy to fix. The usual causes:

• It was not pushed in. Pegs only hold when pressed into their holes. Loosen the string a little and retune, pushing gently inward as you turn. This fixes most slipping pegs.
• The weather changed. Wood shrinks in dry air and swells in damp air. In dry winter months pegs tend to slip; in humid summer months they tend to stick. A case humidifier helps keep things steady.
• The string is wound badly. The string should wind neatly toward the inside wall of the pegbox, with the last turns pressing lightly against the wall. That gentle pressure helps hold the peg. If the winding is a tangle, rewinding it neatly often cures the slip.
• The peg needs attention. Peg compound, a stick of special paste made for violin pegs, smooths a peg that sticks and helps one that slips. If a peg still will not hold, a repair shop can refit it.

Never force a peg in hard. Too much pressure can crack the pegbox. A gentle, steady push is all it takes.

How to tune a violin by ear, in fifths

Once your ear starts to develop, you can tune the violin to itself, needing only one reference note. Many teachers start students on this after a few months, because it trains your ear to hear when notes fit together.

1. Tune the A string to a reference. Use a tuner, a piano's A above middle C, a tuning fork or your teacher's A.
2. Bow the A and D strings together. Play both at once, slowly and evenly. When the two notes are a perfect fifth apart, they blend into one smooth, open sound. When they are not, you hear a wobble or "wah-wah" beating.
3. Adjust the D until the beating stops. Turn the D string's fine tuner slowly. The wobble gets slower as you get close and disappears when it is right.
4. Tune the G to the D the same way. Bow D and G together and adjust the G.
5. Tune the E to the A. Bow A and E together and adjust the E, gently.

Fifths tuned this way are pure, so the result sits a touch differently from an electronic tuner's readings. That is expected and sounds lovely. A tuner remains the quickest choice while you are still learning.

How often should you tune?

Every time you play. It takes a minute and makes practice sound better, which keeps a beginner motivated. A few situations need extra checking:

• New strings stretch for several days. Expect to retune them often, sometimes in the middle of practice, until they settle.
• Season and temperature changes move the wood and the strings. A violin brought in from a cold car needs a few minutes to warm up before tuning holds.
• Lessons, rehearsals and concerts usually start with everyone tuning to one A, so the group sounds together.

Keep the bridge upright while you tune

Every time you tighten a string, the string slides a tiny bit over the top of the bridge and drags it toward the fingerboard. Over weeks of tuning, the bridge can start to lean. A leaning bridge can warp, and if it leans far enough it can fall over.

• How to check. Look at the bridge from the side. The back of the bridge, the side facing the tailpiece, should stand roughly straight up from the top of the violin. Its feet should sit flat, lined up with the small notches in the middle of the f-holes.
• If it leans a little. Rest the violin on your lap. Hold the top edge of the bridge between the thumbs and first fingers of both hands and ease the top back toward the tailpiece in very small moves until it stands straight again. Keep the feet where they are.
• If it leans a lot, or you are unsure. Ask your teacher or a repair shop to set it. It takes them a minute.
• If it falls. Loosen the strings a little, set the violin down safely in its case, and take it to your teacher or a repair shop. The sound post inside can also fall when the bridge does, and that needs a repair person to reset.

When you change strings, change one at a time. The other three keep pressure on the bridge, so it stays standing and stays in place.

Tuning a child's first violin: a guide for parents

You do not need to play the violin to keep your child's violin in tune. Here is what helps most at home:

• Get a clip-on tuner. It is the easiest tool for a parent. Clip it on, pluck, and turn the fine tuner until the display shows the right letter in the center. Any chromatic clip-on tuner works, and a free tuner app on your phone is fine in a quiet room.
• Use the fine tuners only, at first. Leave the pegs to the teacher for the first weeks. Most of the time a fine tuner is all a violin needs between lessons.
• Tune it for them. Young children cannot tune yet. Doing it at the start of practice makes the violin sound right, and a violin that sounds right is far more fun to practice.
• Expect new strings to stretch. A brand-new violin needs frequent retuning during the first week or two. That is normal and settles down.
• Some violins arrive with the strings loosened or the bridge packed separately to protect it during shipping. If the bridge is not standing when the violin arrives, ask the teacher or a repair shop to set it up rather than guessing.
• Make sure it fits. A violin that is the right size is easier to hold, tune and play. Check our size chart for violin, viola and cello.
• Keep it in its case between practices, away from radiators, sunny windows and hot cars. Steady conditions keep it in tune longer.

Safety notes

• Do not over-tighten the E string. It is the thinnest and tightest string, so it is the one that most often snaps. Tune it slowly, preferably with its fine tuner, and stop the moment the tuner reads E. If the string feels very tight or sounds far higher than the A string, you have gone past the note: loosen it back down.
• Keep your face back from the strings while tuning up with a peg. A string that breaks under tension can whip.
• Watch the fine tuners' range. If a fine tuner is screwed all the way in, the lever underneath can press into the top of the violin and scratch it. When a fine tuner is almost all the way in, back it out to the middle and bring the note up with the peg instead.
• Small turns only. Whether peg or fine tuner, a little goes a long way. Pluck and check after each turn.
• Children and new strings: an adult should handle peg tuning and string changes for young players.

Good to know

• The tuner does not show the octave. Many tuners show only the letter, not which octave, so a string tuned far too high or too low can still read correctly. Your strings should sound in a smooth climb from G up to E. If one sounds wildly out of place, it is in the wrong octave.
• Electric violins tune the same way. Same notes, same pegs or tuners, same steps.
• The viola and cello are different. They use C, G, D, A. See our parts of a cello guide for the cello.

Violins that are ready to learn on

Every violin below is a complete outfit, so a new player can start right away. Prices and stock update automatically.

See every violin we carry on our violins page, or browse all orchestral strings. For bows, rosin, shoulder rests, cases and replacement parts, see our orchestral string accessories. Not sure which size to buy? Start with the violin size chart.

Frequently asked questions

What notes are the violin strings tuned to?

From the lowest to the highest: G3, D4, A4 and E5. The A string is tuned to 440 Hz, and each string is a fifth above the one before it.

Should I tune with the pegs or the fine tuners?

Use the fine tuners for small adjustments, which is most of the time. Use the pegs only when a string is far out of tune, after changing a string, or when a fine tuner has run out of room. Push the peg gently into the pegbox as you turn it.

Why won't my violin peg stay in place?

Usually because it was not pushed in while turning, or because dry weather has shrunk the wood. Loosen the string a little and retune while pressing the peg gently inward. If it still slips, peg compound or a visit to a repair shop will fix it.

Can I tune a violin with a phone app?

Yes. A free chromatic tuner app works well in a quiet room. Set it to A = 440 Hz, pluck one string at a time and adjust until the display shows the right note in the center. A clip-on tuner is easier in a noisy room.

How often should a violin be tuned?

Before every practice and every lesson. New strings and changes in temperature or humidity make it go out of tune faster, so check more often during those times.

Which way do I turn a fine tuner?

Clockwise, to the right, raises the note. Counterclockwise, to the left, lowers it. Turn a little at a time and pluck to check after each turn.