The UkuTabs online mandolin tuner gets your mandolin in tune fast. No app, no download, no sign-up. Pluck a course and your device's microphone reads the pitch with professional accuracy, guiding you visually toward each string's target note. Defaults to standard mandolin tuning (G-D-A-E). One tap switches to octave mandolin, mandola, mandocello, or alternate tunings like cross tuning and open G. Prefer to tune by ear? Tap a peg on the visual headstock to hear that course's reference note.
Get your mandolin in tune fast. Pluck a course and your mic reads the pitch. Or tap a peg to hear the reference note. Defaults to standard G-D-A-E; switch to mandola, mandocello, or alternate tunings.
Trusted by ukulele and mandolin players around the world since UkuTabs launched in 2012. Our mic tuner runs a YIN pitch-detection algorithm with median-filter smoothing and variance-based stability scoring. It's the same approach used by pro studio tuners, adapted for the mandolin's bright, ringing tone. Everything runs in your browser: no app to install, no audio uploaded, no account needed.
Tuning is the first habit every mandolin player picks up, and the high string tension makes it a habit you'll repeat often. Whether you use the microphone tuner above or your ear, the routine is the same: pick the right tuning, match each course to its target note, and lock it in by turning the peg. Standard mandolin tuning is G-D-A-E (G3, D4, A4, E5), the same as a violin.
With a little practice the whole process takes under a minute. The mandolin's paired strings need a moment of patience: tune the first string of a course, then bring its partner up to match. Fresh strings often need two or three full passes before they hold pitch.
Standard mandolin tuning is G-D-A-E (G3, D4, A4, E5), and that's the default in the tuner above. Playing a mandola? Switch to C-G-D-A. The preset dropdown also covers octave mandolin, mandocello, and a few alternate tunings.
Tap start listening and pluck a course. The tuner reads the note and shows whether you're flat (needle leans left) or sharp (needle leans right). No microphone? Tap a peg in the by-ear card above to hear the target note and match it by ear.
Tune the first string of the course, then bring the second up to match in unison. Turn the peg slowly until the needle settles on center. Repeat for all four courses, then run through every string once more. Mandolin strings sit under high tension and pull on each other, so a second pass is essential.
Most mandolin players stay in standard G-D-A-E for their entire playing life, and there's nothing wrong with that. But the mandolin sits at the top of a small family of instruments (mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello), and traditional players reach for a few alternate tunings too. Here's a quick overview of what each one is for and who uses it.
G - D - A - E
The classic mandolin tuning, identical to a violin (G3, D4, A4, E5). Each pair of strings, called a course, is tuned to the same note in unison. That unison pairing is what gives the mandolin its bright, ringing chorus-like sound. If you're new to the instrument, this is what you have.
C - G - D - A
The mandola is tuned a perfect fifth below the mandolin, the same relationship a viola has to a violin. It's a fuller, mellower instrument that sits in the alto register and pairs beautifully with a mandolin in ensembles.
G - D - A - E
Same intervals as a standard mandolin but pitched a full octave lower (G2, D3, A3, E4). Longer scale, deeper voice, a favourite of Celtic and folk players who want rhythm and melody in the same instrument. Sometimes called the octave mandola in the UK and Ireland.
Cross tuning (also called sawmill or modal tuning) drops the E string a whole step to D. It's a traditional old-time and bluegrass tuning that opens up drone strings for fiddle-style melodies. Open G tunes the strings to a G chord, popular in slide and bottleneck mandolin.
The mandolin family covers a wide range, from the bright soprano-register mandolin down to the bass-register mandocello. If you're not sure what you have, scale length and pitch range usually give it away.
| Instrument | Scale length | Default tuning | Also seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandolin | ~35 cm / 14" | Standard (G-D-A-E) | Cross (G-D-A-D) Open G |
| Mandola | ~41 cm / 16" | Mandola (C-G-D-A) | Tenor banjo (Irish) |
| Octave Mandolin | ~53 cm / 21" | Octave (G-D-A-E, low) | Bouzouki (G-D-A-D) |
| Mandocello | ~64 cm / 25" | Mandocello (C-G-D-A) | Cello-tuned variants |
Target frequencies for the most common mandolin-family and alternate tunings. The tuner above handles all of these automatically. This table is here for when you want to verify against a piano, another tuner, or out of plain curiosity.
| Tuning | 4th string | 3rd string | 2nd string | 1st string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Mandolin | G3196.00 Hz | D4293.66 Hz | A4440.00 Hz | E5659.26 Hz |
| Mandola | C3130.81 Hz | G3196.00 Hz | D4293.66 Hz | A4440.00 Hz |
| Octave Mandolin | G298.00 Hz | D3146.83 Hz | A3220.00 Hz | E4329.63 Hz |
| Mandocello | C265.41 Hz | G298.00 Hz | D3146.83 Hz | A3220.00 Hz |
| Cross / sawmill | G3196.00 Hz | D4293.66 Hz | A4440.00 Hz | D5587.33 Hz |
| Open G | G3196.00 Hz | D4293.66 Hz | G4392.00 Hz | D5587.33 Hz |
Three methods to choose from, depending on what you have to hand. Tap a tab below to switch between them.
No microphone? You can tune all four courses to each other using a single reference note. Mandolin strings are tuned in perfect fifths, which means the 7th fret of any string sounds exactly the same pitch as the next-higher open string. That gives you a clean reference for each course in turn.
1. Start by tuning the A string (the 2nd course) to a reference: a piano note (A4 = 440 Hz), the by-ear card above, or another tuned instrument. Once both A strings in the course match each other in unison and the reference, you're ready to work outward.
2. Hold down the 7th fret of the D string (3rd course). That note is an A. When you pluck the open A string next to it, the two should sound identical. Adjust the D peg until they match. Use the same trick the other direction: 7th fret of the A string sounds an E; match it to the open E course (1st string) and adjust the E peg.
3. Finally, the G string (4th course). Hold the 7th fret of the G string and you'll hear a D. Match it to your open D string and tune the G peg until the two are identical. Run through all four courses one more time, since mandolin strings sit under high tension and pull on each other as you go.
A piano or any keyboard makes a perfect tuning reference, since its strings are tuned to standard concert pitch (A4 = 440 Hz). Play G, D, A, and E and match each course of the mandolin by ear.
Middle C sits one white key to the left of the pair of black keys near the centre of the keyboard. From middle C, count three white keys to the left to find G3 (the mandolin's lowest course). The next D is one white key to the right of middle C, A4 is five white keys to the right, and E5 is in the next octave up, two white keys past C5.
Mandola and octave mandolin players: shift each note down a fifth or an octave respectively. Mandocello goes two octaves below mandola.
The mandolin family was built around the same tuning intervals as the violin family. If you have a bowed string instrument tuned to concert pitch, you have everything you need.
A violin is tuned G, D, A, E (G3, D4, A4, E5), the exact same notes as a standard mandolin. Pluck each violin string and match the corresponding mandolin course in unison.
A viola is tuned C, G, D, A, the same as a mandola. A cello is tuned an octave below the viola, which matches a mandocello. Just pluck each bowed string and bring the matching mandolin-family course up to the same pitch.
Bonus: a chromatic tuner of any kind works for a mandolin. Set it to chromatic mode and tune to G3-D4-A4-E5 (or your chosen preset). A guitar tuner usually has a chromatic mode tucked away in the settings.
Short answers to the questions mandolin players ask most about tuning.
Yes, completely free. No sign-up, no app to install. The tuner runs entirely in your browser, on whatever device you're already holding.
It uses the YIN pitch-detection algorithm (de Cheveigné and Kawahara, 2002), running directly in your browser. When you pluck a string, the tuner reads its fundamental frequency, compares it to the target note, and shows you how far off you are in cents.
Audio never leaves your device. There's no upload, no recording, and no analytics on what you play.
Yes. The tuner works on any phone, tablet, or laptop with a modern browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or Edge). Your browser will ask for microphone permission the first time you tap start listening.
Standard mandolin tuning is G-D-A-E, from lowest to highest course. The exact pitches are G3, D4, A4, and E5, identical to a violin.
Each of the four courses has two strings tuned to the same note in unison, so you tune eight strings to four pitches.
Pairing strings in unison gives the mandolin its bright, ringing tone and a natural chorus effect. The two strings reinforce each other and add subtle phase movement that makes a single plucked note feel louder and richer than a single string would.
It also means a small intonation mismatch between the two strings of a course is audible as "beating," giving you an extremely sensitive ear test while tuning.
Every time you play, ideally. Mandolin strings sit under high tension (about twice that of a guitar per string) and react fast to temperature, humidity, and playing. Brand new strings need re-tuning every few minutes for the first few days as they stretch and settle.
Temperature and humidity changes (like moving from indoors to outdoors) pull a mandolin out of tune quickly too.
Fresh strings stretch for a week or so of regular playing. Aggressive picking, weather changes, and the high overall string tension all pull a mandolin out of tune faster than most other instruments.
You can speed up the break-in by gently stretching each string by hand between tunings: pull it away from the fretboard, then re-tune. After a week of regular playing the mandolin will hold pitch much better.
The first load requires internet, but the tuner keeps working offline after that, browser permitting. You can also tune by ear using the string player above: tap each note to hear it and match by ear.
Microphone mode listens to your mandolin and guides you peg by peg. It's faster and more precise once you're comfortable with it.
Tone mode plays the target notes back to you so you can match them by ear. It's useful when the room is noisy, when you're learning to hear pitch, or when the microphone isn't an option.
Yes. A mandolin and a violin share the same tuning: G3-D4-A4-E5. Any violin tuner, fiddle tuner, or chromatic tuner set to those notes will work for a mandolin too.
A mandola tunes C-G-D-A (C3-G3-D4-A4), a fifth lower than a mandolin. A mandocello tunes C-G-D-A an octave below the mandola (C2-G2-D3-A3).
Pick the matching preset from the tuning dropdown above and the tuner will handle the rest.
Cross tuning (G-D-A-D, sometimes called sawmill or modal tuning) lowers the high E string a whole step to D. It's a traditional old-time and bluegrass tuning that opens up drone strings and double-stops for fiddle-style melodies.
Pick the cross tuning preset from the dropdown above to switch.
Yes, as long as your guitar tuner has a chromatic mode (most do, often tucked away in the settings). Switch it to chromatic and tune to G3-D4-A4-E5 for a standard mandolin.
Mandolins drift out of tune faster than most string instruments, simply because they live under so much string tension. Fresh strings stretching, temperature and humidity swings, a slipping peg, or a worn bridge all play a part. The good news is that most causes have a quick fix once you know what to look for.
Below are the three most common problems and how to solve them. Anything weirder is usually a setup issue, worth a trip to a luthier who knows mandolins.
Loose tuning machines are the usual culprit, especially on older mandolins. Tighten the small screws on the back or top of the machine heads until the pegs turn smoothly but not freely. If the slippage is on one string only, it might be a worn nut slot.
If a course doesn't ring cleanly, it's almost always because the two strings aren't tuned to each other. Listen for "beating" (a slow wavering sound) and adjust the second string until the wavering stops. The two strings should sing as one.
If your open strings are perfect but chords up the neck sound wrong, the intonation is off. A luthier can adjust the floating bridge so that fretted notes match their open-string counterparts. It's a quick fix and worth the visit.
