Black Sea kemenche tuner
The Black Sea kemenche (Karadeniz kemençesi), known in Greece as the Pontic lyra, has three steel strings tuned in perfect fourths. This page opens on E4–A4–D5, low to high (329.63, 440 and 587.33 Hz): the mi–la–re that the Trabzon provincial culture directorate calls the normal tuning, with the octaves that Fatih Mehmet Kaya's tuning guide gives for a kemenche in la karar.
Open-string notes and frequencies
Black Sea kemenche, E–A–D (la karar): equal-tempered frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz. The karar varies with the instrument; the live targets follow the selected A reference.
| String | Sounding note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| Low (kalın) | E4 | 329.63 |
| Middle (karar) | A4 | 440.00 |
| High (zil) | D5 | 587.33 |
Oktav, Kurt & Akat (2026), Timbral determinants of the Karadeniz kemenche, Acta Acustica 10:33
How to use it
- Tap Turn on microphone and choose the tuning that suits your kemenche.
- Tune the middle string first: bow it open and alone, lightly and straight, until the needle turns green.
- Tune the high zil string a perfect fourth above and the low string a fourth below, checking note and octave together.
- Bow low and middle together, then middle and high: each fourth should sound clean, without beating. Recheck after a few minutes of playing.
Help and explanations
There is no single fixed pitch. The karar, the open middle string, depends on the instrument's size and voice, so the menu also offers G, F, E and D karar, plus the C♯4–F♯4–B4 common in Greece. Bow one open string at a time: in performance the bow usually sounds two strings, but the tuner reads a single note.
The middle string sets the karar
Kemenche tuning starts from the middle string because it is the karar; the zil is a fourth above it and the low string a fourth below. Tell the strings apart by gauge: the zil is the thinnest (about 0.25–0.28 mm), the middle about 0.28–0.30 mm, and the low string is often a wound violin string.
Watch the octave on the display. In E–A–D the zil is D5 at 587 Hz, not D4, and pulling a string an octave too high breaks it. The strings are short steel, so tiny peg movements change the pitch a lot; approach each note from below.
Which tuning fits your instrument?
The presets are one pattern of fourths at different levels: G karar D4–G4–C5, F karar C4–F4–B♭4, E karar B3–E4–A4 and D karar A3–D4–G4. Wikipedia gives B–E–A as the usual tuning, and Tsahourides' thesis on the Pontic lyra in Greece lists it among three common tunings, alongside one a tone higher (C♯–F♯–B) that is popular for dancing and singers. Do not force a large, low-voiced kemenche into a high tuning.
Special tunings that imitate the tulum bagpipe vary from source to source; check them with the chromatic tuner. The classical kemenche is a different, pear-shaped instrument tuned A3–D4–A4, and the Cretan lyra is tuned in fifths.
Tips
- Do not tune in fifths like a violin: the Black Sea kemenche uses perfect fourths.
- To match traditional Greek recordings, lower the A reference rather than one string: players often keep the top string a little under A440.
- Thick strings in a high tuning risk breaking; strings that are too thin in a low tuning sound weak and buzzy.
Frequently asked questions
How is a Black Sea kemenche tuned?
In perfect fourths. A common Turkish setup is E4–A4–D5 (329.63, 440 and 587.33 Hz), low to high; B3–E4–A4 is a usual reference for the Pontic lyra in Greece.
Is there one correct pitch?
No. The intervals stay the same, but the sources agree there is no fixed standard pitch; the karar follows the instrument and the music.
Do the open strings use microtones?
No. They are perfect fourths; an equal-tempered fourth differs from a pure one by only about 2 cents.
Is it the same as the classical kemenche?
No. The classical kemenche has gut strings and is tuned yegâh–rast–nevâ, sounding A3–D4–A4 in Bolahenk. It has its own classical kemenche tuner.