Tuning Your Violin

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On this page you’ll find general information about tuning your violin, plus videos demonstrating how to tune with pizzicato and with the bow.

The strings of the violin are tuned in intervals of perfect fifths, which means that each string is 5 notes higher than the one to its left (eg: G-A-B-C-D = 5 notes; D-E-F-G-A = 5 notes):

Open String Notes_web

Listen to the sounds of the strings played on a piano (see the previous page to hear pizzicato and bowed tuning notes played on the violin):

A string:

 

E string:

 

D string:

 

G string:

 

The violin is tuned with the pegs and the fine tuners:

Using the fine tuners:

  • Use the fine tuners to make small adjustments to the pitch.
  • Turn them clockwise to increase the string tension and make the pitch higher.
  • Turn them anticlockwise to decrease the string tension and make the pitch lower.

Using the pegs

  • Use the pegs to make bigger adjustments to the pitch.
  • Loosen the peg slightly to start with then, without letting go of the peg, very slowly tighten the string while simultaneously pushing the peg into the peg box and checking the pitch by plucking or bowing the string.
  • It’s important to push the peg into the peg box as you tighten the string, otherwise it may slip and the string will unwind.
  • If you have fine tuners you can use the pegs to get close to the correct pitch, then use the fine tuners to get it exact.

Tuning the violin using pizzicato (beginner)

Tune your violin like this if you’re not yet confident with the bow:

Tuning the violin with the bow