Citera tuner for prím and tenor
The citera is the fretted box zither of Hungarian folk music. All its melody strings sound the same note, and the accompaniment and side-head strings are octaves of that note and of the note a fourth above. The system takes its name from those two notes: on a G-C citera the melody strings sound G and the 3rd fret of the lower, diatonic fret row gives C. The tuner follows the numbering of Kovács's 18-string belly-bodied (hasas) citera.
Citera strings by system
Sounding pitches in Kovács's 18-string numbering, with A4 = 440 Hz as a convention. Prím and tenor are equally standard; every tenor string is one octave lower. A-D is G-C tuned up a whole tone.
| String | Prím G-C (Hz) | Tenor G-C (Hz) | Prím A-D (Hz) | Közép E-A (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–7, 8, 10 (melody) | G4 · 392.00 | G3 · 196.00 | A4 · 440.00 | E4 · 329.63 |
| 9 (small bass) | C4 · 261.63 | C3 · 130.81 | D4 · 293.66 | A3 · 220.00 |
| 11 (middle bass) | G3 · 196.00 | G2 · 98.00 | A3 · 220.00 | E3 · 164.81 |
| 12 (great bass) | C3 · 130.81 | C2 · 65.41 | D3 · 146.83 | A2 · 110.00 |
| 13–14 (1st side head) | C5 · 523.25 | C4 · 261.63 | D5 · 587.33 | A4 · 440.00 |
| 15–16 (2nd side head) | G5 · 783.99 | G4 · 392.00 | A5 · 880.00 | E5 · 659.26 |
| 17–18 (3rd side head) | C6 · 1046.50 | C5 · 523.25 | D6 · 1174.66 | A5 · 880.00 |
How to use it
- Choose the profile: the size (prím or tenor) and the system (G-C, A-D or E-A). If unsure, check the maker's label.
- Turn on the microphone and start with one melody string, the first target of the profile. Bring the other melody strings and strings 8 and 10 to an exact unison with it, until the beating stops.
- Tune bass strings 9, 11 and 12, then the side-head pairs 13–14, 15–16 and 17–18. Mute the other strings with the side of your hand.
- Check on the fingerboard: on a G-C citera the 3rd fret of the lower row gives C (C5 on a prím, C4 on a tenor), the same pitch as the first side-head pair. If it is off while the open strings are right, check frets or bridge, not tuning.
Help and explanations
Choose the size first. A prím citera (melody strings about 48–56 cm long) has its melody strings on G4, 392 Hz. On a tenor citera (about 68–80 cm) every string sounds exactly one octave lower, with the melody on G3. Both are equally standard. The pitches come from maker Gáts Tibor's tuning chart and András Pálnik's pitch charts; A4 = 440 Hz is the electronic-tuner convention, as the makers give note names only.
Systems: G-C, A-D and E-A
Citera tuning is relative: players choose the system to suit the singers. According to maker Kovács, E-A is the lowest system usually ordered and A-D the highest, while G-C is the classic and most common. An A-D citera is a transposing instrument: players still call the 3rd-fret note C and read as if in G-C, but the instrument really sounds A and D. The tuner shows the sounding pitch.
The A-D profiles are the G-C instrument tuned up a whole tone; no source prints their absolute octaves, so they are derived from the G-C octaves. Pálnik and the Hungarian Wikipedia say a G citera is often tuned up to G♯ or A, and Gáts writes that the whole instrument can usually go a whole tone up or down on the same strings. The E-A profile is Gáts's chart for his 64 cm middle-size (közép) citera. For any other system, use the free chromatic mode.
String numbering and Hungarian octave names
In Kovács's numbering, strings 1–7 are the melody strings (4 on the lower diatonic row, 3 on the upper row), 8 and 10 are accompaniment strings in unison with the melody, 9, 11 and 12 are the small, middle and great basses, and 13–18 are the three side-head (kisfej) pairs. A 12-string trough citera has no side head; a 14-string model has one pair on the upper C.
Hungarian charts use Helmholtz-style octave names: the prím's one-line g (g1) is G4 in scientific notation, small c is C3 and great C is C2. So g1 means 392 Hz, not G1 at 49 Hz. Older, unstandardised citeras differed: Bálint Sárosi (1967) described melody strings tuned between F♯3 and B♭3, so the free mode is the safe choice for an old instrument.
Tips
- The tenor's lowest bass is C2 (65.4 Hz), which phone microphones pick up poorly. Hold the phone close and pluck firmly. If the tuner shows the right letter in the wrong octave, it caught a harmonic: check the octave number or the Hz.
- Never tune a string above its target: a tenor's 0.4 mm melody string pulled up to prím pitch (G4) is over-tensioned and can snap. A prím tuned from the tenor chart is an octave too low, slack and buzzing.
- In a citera orchestra every instrument uses the same system and the same reference A, so prím and tenor sit exactly an octave apart. New steel strings stretch, so retune often over the first days.
Frequently asked questions
How do you tune a Hungarian citera?
Choose size and system, tune one melody string with the tuner, then match the other melody strings and strings 8 and 10 to it. Then tune the basses (9, 11, 12) and the side-head pairs. On a prím G-C citera: melody G4, basses C4, G3, C3, side heads C5, G5, C6.
What is the difference between prím and tenor citera tuning?
Same system, but every tenor string is exactly one octave lower: on a G-C tenor the melody is G3, the basses C3, G2, C2 and the side heads C4, G4, C5. The tenor is not a fourth or a fifth below the prím.
What is a C citera or an A citera?
Some sellers name the citera by its tonic: a C citera is the G-C system. Helka Music's A citera, with strings on A and E, is Kovács's E-A system, not A-D. Ask which note the melody strings sound.
Can I use a concert zither tuning chart?
No. The Austrian and German concert zither (Munich or Viennese tuning) is a different instrument with a different string layout. Use the citera profiles here, or the free mode with your maker's chart.