This online banjo tuner hears your banjo through the microphone, recognizes the string you played and shows the note, the cents and which way to turn. It opens on the 5-string banjo in open G, g D G B D from the 5th string to the 1st, the standard for bluegrass and most clawhammer playing.
The menu also has double C, 4-string tenor (C G D A, for jazz and Dixieland), Irish tenor (G D A E, an octave below the fiddle), plectrum (C G B D) and the Brazilian samba banjo, tuned like a cavaquinho. Nothing is recorded: it all runs in your browser.
How to use it
- Check the tuning in the menu and tap Turn on microphone.
- Pick an open string and let it ring; if the reading fades, pick it again.
- Needle to the left: the string is flat, so tighten. To the right: it's sharp, so loosen. In the green (±5 cents) it's in tune.
- Turn the tuning peg slowly, coming up to the note.
- Go over all the strings once more at the end: the floating bridge settles when the tension changes.
5-string banjo: open G, double C and the short string
Open G: g D G B D (G4 D3 G3 B3 D4), from the 5th string to the 1st.
Double C: g C G C D (G4 C3 G3 C4 D4), a favorite in old-time clawhammer.
The 5th string starts at the 5th fret and is the highest one, a G drone you hit with the thumb in rolls; that's why it's written as a lowercase g. To check it, fret the 1st string at the 5th fret: it gives the same G.
Tenor, Irish tenor, plectrum and samba banjo
Tenor: C G D A (C3 G3 D4 A4), for traditional jazz.
Irish tenor: G D A E (G2 D3 A3 E4), the fiddle an octave lower, for Irish sessions.
Plectrum: C G B D (C3 G3 B3 D4), a long-neck 4-string without the short string.
Samba banjo (banjo de pagode): D G B D (D4 G4 B4 D5), the Brazilian cavaquinho tuning, for samba and pagode (see the cavaquinho tuner).
Tips
- The banjo bridge floats: change one string at a time and check the 12th-fret octave after tuning.
- Adjust the head tension before tuning, never after: changing it shifts the tuning.
- Banjos are loud: keep the phone about 20 inches (50 cm) away so the mic doesn't overload.
- With a capo at the 2nd fret (key of A) on a 5-string, raise the 5th string to A (A4) as well.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tune a 5-string banjo to open G?
Choose Open G and tune, from the 5th string to the 1st, g D G B D: a high G on the short string, then D3, G3, B3 and D4. Strummed open, the strings make a G major chord.
What are the notes of a 5-string banjo?
In open G: G4 (the short 5th string), D3, G3, B3 and D4. With A = 440 that's 392, 146.8, 196, 246.9 and 293.7 Hz.
Why is the 5th string on a banjo higher than the others?
Because it's a short drone string that starts at the 5th fret. It's tuned to a high G and played with the thumb in rolls, so the G rings over every chord.
How do I tune an Irish tenor banjo?
Choose Irish tenor and tune G D A E (G2 D3 A3 E4), from the 4th string to the 1st: the same notes as a fiddle, an octave lower.
What is double C tuning on the banjo?
A 5-string tuning, g C G C D, that lowers the 4th string to C and raises the 2nd to C. Old-time clawhammer players love it for tunes in C.
Can I tune a banjo with a guitar tuner?
Only a chromatic one, since banjo tunings don't match the guitar's open strings. Use this page or the chromatic tuner.
What is the difference between tenor and plectrum banjo tuning?
Both are 4-string banjos without the short 5th string. The tenor has a shorter neck and is tuned in fifths, C G D A; the plectrum has a long neck and keeps the old 5-string C tuning, C G B D.