How to Tune a Cello 

You can tune a cello in a few different ways, including with an electric tuner, tuning fork, or online tuning app. Each will require you matching the pitch to either a sound or a visual representation of pitch. Perhaps the most common and accurate way to tune a cello is with an electric tuner.

How to Tune with an Electric Tuner 

Thanks to its accuracy, tuning a cello with an electric tuner is a great option for any player, beginner and advanced alike. Simply clamp the tuner onto your cello’s bridge and play each string, matching the letter on the tuner’s screen to the correct pitch. In order of lowest to highest, a cello’s strings should be tuned to C, G, D, & A.

How to Tune a Cello with a Tuning Fork 

A tuning fork is a reliable way to tune a cello, though it can be a challenge for players who have difficulty matching pitches by ear. You’ll need an “A” 440 tuning fork to tune your cello.

Strike the tuning fork gently on an object, then hold it to the bridge. The pitch you hear resonating through your instrument will be an “A” note. Match this pitch to the cello’s A-string (the highest string). Once you have the A-string tuned, you’ll then need to tune the D to a perfect fifth down from A, using the A as the reference. Once D is tuned, you’ll repeat this for the G and the C string, each a perfect fifth below the string before it.

Online Cello Tuner 

You can also use an online cello tuner to get your cello in tune. Online tuners are somewhere between an electric tuner and a tuning fork, allowing you to hear each pitch played so you can then match it to the cello’s strings. You can tune your instruments anytime with your phone using our D’ Tools app. It’s like an online tuner that never leaves your side. Get it now on the app store.