Carnatic violin tuner: Sa Pa Sa Pa
The Carnatic violin is the ordinary four-string violin, played seated and tuned to the shruti of the music instead of G D A E. From the lowest string to the highest the strings are Sa–Pa–Sa–Pa: the G string becomes mandra Sa, the D string mandra Pa, the A string madhya Sa and the E string madhya Pa. Read from the highest string down, the same tuning is Pa–Sa–Pa–Sa, which is why both phrases turn up in searches.
Carnatic violin tuning notes by shruti
Sa–Pa–Sa–Pa from the G string to the E string for each shruti. Equal temperament, A4 = 440 Hz; D♯ and F♯ follow the same rule.
| Shruti (kattai) | G string · mandra Sa | D string · mandra Pa | A string · madhya Sa | E string · madhya Pa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C (1) | C3 · 130.81 Hz | G3 · 196.00 Hz | C4 · 261.63 Hz | G4 · 392.00 Hz |
| C♯ (1½) | C♯3 · 138.59 Hz | G♯3 · 207.65 Hz | C♯4 · 277.18 Hz | G♯4 · 415.30 Hz |
| D (2) | D3 · 146.83 Hz | A3 · 220.00 Hz | D4 · 293.66 Hz | A4 · 440.00 Hz |
| D♯ (2½) | D♯3 · 155.56 Hz | A♯3 · 233.08 Hz | D♯4 · 311.13 Hz | A♯4 · 466.16 Hz |
| E (3) | E3 · 164.81 Hz | B3 · 246.94 Hz | E4 · 329.63 Hz | B4 · 493.88 Hz |
| F (4) | F3 · 174.61 Hz | C4 · 261.63 Hz | F4 · 349.23 Hz | C5 · 523.25 Hz |
| F♯ (4½) | F♯3 · 185.00 Hz | C♯4 · 277.18 Hz | F♯4 · 369.99 Hz | C♯5 · 554.37 Hz |
| G (5) | G3 · 196.00 Hz | D4 · 293.66 Hz | G4 · 392.00 Hz | D5 · 587.33 Hz |
| G♯ (5½) | G♯3 · 207.65 Hz | D♯4 · 311.13 Hz | G♯4 · 415.30 Hz | D♯5 · 622.25 Hz |
| A (6) | A3 · 220.00 Hz | E4 · 329.63 Hz | A4 · 440.00 Hz | E5 · 659.26 Hz |
Sunadam (Tejas Mallela) — Tuning the Violin for Carnatic Music
How to use it
- Choose the shruti of the singer or soloist, for example Shruti G (5 kattai). The page opens on D (2 kattai).
- Tap Turn on microphone, hold the phone a hand's width from the violin and pluck or bow one open string.
- Start with the A string, the second thinnest: it carries madhya Sa. Tap its button to lock the reading and turn slowly until the needle is in the green.
- Then tune the E string to madhya Pa, the D string to mandra Pa and the G string to mandra Sa. Use the fine tuners for the last few cents.
- Check by ear against a shruti box or tanpura on the same Sa: Sa and Pa should ring together without beating, and each Sa should match its octave.
Help and explanations
This tuner opens on shruti D (2 kattai): D3 A3 D4 A4 and lists every shruti from C to A with its notes and octaves. Choose the Sa of the singer or soloist and tune string by string: each button shows the exact target, so you never pull a string up to the wrong octave.
Sa–Pa–Sa–Pa or Pa–Sa–Pa–Sa?
Carnatic sources agree on the order from the fourth string to the first: tonic, fifth, tonic an octave higher and fifth an octave higher, with the tonic variable (L. Subramaniam, the Akkarai Sisters, Swararnava). Spoken from the E string down, it becomes Pa–Sa–Pa–Sa: the same notes. Do not confuse it with the usual Hindustani Pa–Sa–Pa–Sa, where the lowest string is Pa and the notes differ. Some violinists playing at 5 kattai also prefer Pa–Sa–Pa–Sa (D3 G3 D4 G4), but that is not the Carnatic standard and is not offered here.
Pa is a perfect fifth above Sa. A pure fifth tuned by ear is about 2 cents wider than the tuner's equal-tempered fifth, a gap you can ignore on open strings: let your ear and the drone have the last word.
Choosing the shruti and the right octave
In accompaniment the violin follows the singer. As a rough guide, male voices sit around B to D (0 to 2 kattai) and female voices around F to A♯ (4 to 6½ kattai); for solo concerts violinists often choose D, D♯, E or F. These are teachers' guides, not rules: always take the shruti from the main artiste.
Compared with the Western G3 D4 A4 E5, every shruti below G lowers all four strings: in shruti D the G and D strings go down 5 semitones and the A and E strings 7. Look at the string name on the button before turning, because a string pulled up to the wrong octave can break. Shrutis D♯ and F♯ follow the same rule (D♯3 A♯3 D♯4 A♯4 and F♯3 C♯4 F♯4 C♯5) rather than a published chart.
Low and high shrutis: strings and tension
In shrutis C and C♯ the G string sits 7 or 6 semitones below normal, so it is slack and sounds weak; many players fit heavier strings for these pitches. In G♯ the two lower strings rise a semitone above standard, and in A a whole tone (A3 E4), so the tension is high and a string can snap: turn slowly, use strings suited to that pitch and ask your teacher first.
There is no chart here for A♯ or B: no reliable source gives the string notes, and at those shrutis violinists change strings or use another arrangement. Follow your teacher. For the drone, use the online tanpura; for the drum on the same stage, the mridangam tuner uses the same kattai numbers. To go back to G D A E, open the violin tuner.
Tips
- Change the shruti one string at a time and in small steps; afterwards check that the bridge is still straight.
- After a big change, tune all four strings twice: strings settle for a few minutes when their tension changes.
- Switch the shruti box off while you measure, or the microphone may follow the drone instead of the string; switch it on again to check by ear.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Carnatic violin tuning notes?
Sa–Pa–Sa–Pa from the lowest string. In shruti D (2 kattai): D3 A3 D4 A4, or 146.83, 220.00, 293.66 and 440.00 Hz at A4 = 440 Hz. In shruti E: E3 B3 E4 B4.
What is violin tuning Pa Sa Pa Sa?
Read from the E string down, Carnatic Sa–Pa–Sa–Pa is Pa–Sa–Pa–Sa. The Hindustani Pa–Sa–Pa–Sa is different: there the lowest string is Pa.
Which string do I tune first?
The A string, the second thinnest. It carries madhya Sa; then tune E to madhya Pa, D to mandra Pa and G to mandra Sa.
Can I tune the violin to 5 kattai (G)?
Yes: G3 D4 G4 D5. The two lower strings stay as on a Western violin; only the A and E strings come down a whole tone.
Why is there no A♯ or B shruti?
No reliable source gives the string notes, and the strings would be too tight or too slack. Violinists change strings or the arrangement; ask your teacher.