The cavaquinho, or cavaco, is the small four-string, steel-string instrument at the heart of Brazilian samba, pagode and choro, and a cousin of the ukulele. This cavaquinho tuner listens through your microphone, recognizes which string you played and shows, in cents, whether it's flat or sharp. Standard tuning is D G B D, from the 4th string (the thickest) to the 1st.
It also has D G B E, which matches the top four guitar strings, and the Braga tuning of the Portuguese cavaquinho (D A B E). The Brazilian samba banjo is tuned like the cavaco, so this page works for it too: handy if you play in a samba school, a batucada or a choro circle far from Brazil. Everything runs in your browser.
How to use it
- Tap Turn on microphone and allow access.
- Leave the tuning on D G B D unless the song or your teacher asks for another.
- Pick an open string and let it ring. The string lights up and the needle shows how far off it is.
- Up arrow (↑): tighten the tuning peg. Down arrow (↓): loosen it. After a second in the green, the string gets a ✓.
- Tap a string's button to hear the reference note and lock the tuner onto it; Auto goes back to automatic detection.
D G B D or D G B E
D G B D is the traditional Brazilian cavaquinho tuning: the open strings form a G major chord, and the chord shapes in cavaquinho method books are written for it. D G B E raises only the 1st string a whole step so the cavaco matches the top four strings of a guitar. That helps guitarists, but it changes every chord shape. If nobody says otherwise, it's D G B D.
Cavaquinho vs ukulele
The ukulele grew out of the machete, or braguinha, a close Madeiran relative of the cavaquinho that Portuguese immigrants took to Hawaii in the 1870s. Today the uke has nylon strings tuned G C E A, while the cavaquinho keeps steel strings, a sharper attack and D G B D. With A = 440 Hz the cavaquinho strings are D4 293.7 Hz, G4 392 Hz, B4 493.9 Hz and D5 587.3 Hz. The 1st string is very thin and under high tension, so bring it up to pitch slowly.
Tips
- Tune from the 4th string to the 1st, then check them all again: the cavaco's short neck reacts to the tension of the other strings.
- Use a light pick and play one string at a time, letting it ring.
- A samba banjo has a sharp, short attack: play close to the mic and let the note die away on its own.
- In a roda (the samba or choro circle), tune together with the guitar and the banjo: any difference between them shows up right away.
Frequently asked questions
How is a cavaquinho tuned?
D G B D, from the 4th string to the 1st. It's the standard tuning in Brazil for samba, pagode and choro.
What is the difference between a cavaquinho and a ukulele?
They're relatives of about the same size, but the cavaquinho has steel strings, a brighter and sharper sound, and is tuned D G B D instead of G C E A. For a uke, use the ukulele tuner.
Can I tune a cavaquinho like a ukulele?
It isn't a good idea. Steel cavaquinho strings are gauged for D G B D: in G C E A some would be far too tight and others floppy, and the chord shapes in samba and choro songbooks assume the cavaquinho tuning.
What is the difference between D G B D and D G B E tuning?
Only the 1st string changes: D in the traditional tuning, E (a whole step higher) in the other. D G B E makes the cavaco match the top four strings of a guitar.
Is a Portuguese cavaquinho tuned like a Brazilian one?
Often, yes: many Portuguese players also use D G B D. There are regional tunings too, such as D A B E from Braga, which is in the menu.
Can I use a guitar tuner for the cavaquinho?
A chromatic tuner works if you know the notes. This page already has the cavaquinho tunings and tells you which string you're playing, which a guitar-only tuner can't do.
Is the samba banjo tuned like the cavaquinho?
Yes. The Brazilian samba banjo (banjo de pagode) is a cavaquinho with a banjo rim and head, with the same D G B D and the same chords. Use this page or the banjo tuner.