Arabic violin tuner (G D G D)
The Arabic violin is the ordinary four-string European violin. It entered Arabic music at the end of the 19th century, in the takht ensemble, and is now one of its four main melodic instruments, beside the oud, the qanun and the nay. What changes is the playing style and, often, the tuning: the traditional Arab tuning is in fourths and fifths, G3 D4 G4 D5.
Open-string notes and frequencies
Arabic violin tuning G3 D4 G4 D5. Equal-tempered frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz; the live targets follow the selected A reference.
| String | Sounding note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| 4th (lowest) | G3 | 196.00 |
| 3rd | D4 | 293.66 |
| 2nd | G4 (standard: A4) | 392.00 |
| 1st (highest) | D5 (standard: E5) | 587.33 |
How to use it
- Tap Turn on microphone and allow access, with the phone a hand's width from the violin.
- Keep the Arabic tuning selected. The G3 and D4 strings stay exactly as on a standard violin.
- Lower the 2nd string from A4 (440 Hz) to G4 (392 Hz) and the 1st from E5 (659.26 Hz) to D5 (587.33 Hz), a whole step each. Turn slowly and finish with the fine tuners.
- Check the octaves by ear: G3 with G4 and D4 with D5 should sound together with no beating.
Help and explanations
This tuner opens on that tuning and also offers the standard G3 D4 A4 E5, which some players also use for Arabic music. Both work on any violin with normal strings. The microphone measures one open string at a time and shows how many cents it is from the target, so you can retune in a minute without an app.
Why G D G D?
Only the two upper strings change. The 2nd string becomes the octave of the 4th, and the 1st the octave of the 3rd: qarar and jawab, low and high, as the Arabic encyclopaedia Marefa puts it. Sources link this tuning to playing the maqamat comfortably, especially those with quarter tones. It is not compulsory: Maqam World notes that various tunings are used, and some violinists play Eastern music in standard tuning. No reliable source splits the practice by country, so follow your teacher or ensemble.
Fingerings from a method written for G D A E come out a whole step lower on the two top strings when the violin is in G D G D. If you read Western sheet music, switch back to the standard preset or the regular violin tuner.
Open strings, quarter tones and the qanun
The tuner only sets the open strings, which are plain G and D in the Arabic tuning. Quarter-tone notes such as sikah, ʿiraq or awj are fingered, and on a chromatic tuner they read about half a semitone away from the nearest note. That is intentional, and intonation also varies by region and maqam.
In an ensemble, tune to the qanun, the oud or the singer: Maqam World says the qanun is the instrument that lays down the law of pitch for the others. If the group is not at A4 = 440 Hz, change the tuner's reference to match. To set up the oud of the same takht, open the oud tuner.
Tips
- Use the fine tuners for small moves and the pegs only for big changes; turn slowly so a string doesn't snap.
- When going back to standard, raise the 1st string from D5 to E5 gradually and never go past E5.
- After changing tuning, check that the bridge is still straight; strings and bridge settle over a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Arabic violin tuning?
G3 D4 G4 D5, from the lowest string to the highest: 196.00, 293.66, 392.00 and 587.33 Hz at A4 = 440 Hz.
Is the Arabic violin a different instrument?
No. It is the standard violin; the name refers to the style and the tuning. No special strings or construction are needed.
Do all Arab violinists use G D G D?
No. It is the traditional Arab tuning, but players also use the standard G D A E, and sources do not divide the two by country.
Can I tune quarter tones with this tuner?
No. Quarter tones are made with the fingers. The tuner sets the open strings, which are ordinary G and D notes.