Online cobza tuner
The cobza (Romanian cobză) is a short-necked lute with a rounded back, played in Romania and the Republic of Moldova; the Csángó Hungarians of Moldavia play it too, and in Hungary it is called koboz. It usually has 8 to 12 metal strings in four courses and a traditionally fretless neck, and it is played with a bent goose quill or a plectrum. UNESCO inscribed the cobza's knowledge, skills and music in 2025.
Cobza courses: notes and frequencies
Romanian re–la–re–sol with octave strings (8 strings, after Tiberiu Alexandru, 1956), from the top course to the bottom, at A4 = 440 Hz by convention. C4 is middle C.
| Course | Notes (thin + thick) | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| Pair 4 (top) · re | D4 + D3 | 293.66 + 146.83 |
| Pair 3 · la | A4 + A3 | 440.00 + 220.00 |
| Pair 2 · re | D4 + D3 | 293.66 + 146.83 |
| Pair 1 (bottom) · sol | G4 + G3 | 392.00 + 196.00 |
Csenki Zalán — A koboz mint tánckísérő hangszer (DLA thesis, Liszt Academy, 2024)
How to use it
- Turn on the microphone. The buttons show the four courses, numbered as usual for plucked strings: pair 4 is the top re course, pair 1 the bottom sol course.
- Mute every string except one with a finger or a cloth and pluck it with the quill. The tuner shows the note, the octave and the cents.
- Tune the thin string of the course first, then its thick partner one octave lower. Tap a course to hear its notes and lock the tuner on it.
- Play the whole course: once both strings are right, the octave sounds clean, without beating. Finally, compare the two re courses with each other.
Help and explanations
Romanian, Moldovan and Hungarian sources agree on the scheme re–la–re–sol (D–A–D–G), read from the top course to the bottom one. This page uses the eight-string version documented by Tiberiu Alexandru in 1956, with a thick octave string (burdoaie) in every course: D4+D3, A4+A3, D4+D3, G4+G3. Those octaves at A4 = 440 Hz are a written convention: traditional players tuned to the violin or to the band.
A re-entrant tuning, not a guitar scale
The cobza does not climb from low to high like a guitar. In this tuning the two re courses are the lowest, sol sits above them and la is the highest: from low to high the eight strings are D3, D3, G3, A3, D4, D4, G4, A4. If you tune it in rising order, as D3–A3–D4–G4, the la and sol strings end up in the wrong octave, either too slack or dangerously tight.
Each course pairs a thin string with a burdoaie, a thick string tuned one octave lower (Alexandru notes that it is sometimes two octaves lower). The sources do not say which of the two sits on top in the Romanian setup, so look at the gauges before you turn a peg. If the tuner shows the right note one octave down, you are hearing the burdoaie, not an error.
Absolute pitch is a convention
The re–la–re–sol scheme is well attested, but the exact octaves come from a single scholarly source: Csenki Zalán's 2024 doctoral thesis, quoting Alexandru. Field recordings include instruments pitched in C or F, which researchers transpose to D. When you play with a violin, a cimbalom or an accordion, tune the whole cobza to the lead instrument rather than to 440 Hz.
Other stringings exist: 9, 10 or 12 strings, Csángó setups with heavy low strings, and scordaturas for particular pieces. They are not offered here because their notes are not confirmed. The Romanian cobza is also not the Ukrainian kobza, a different instrument with its own kobza tuner.
Tips
- Mute the partner string while you tune: with both strings ringing, the tuner may jump between the two octaves.
- Metal strings and wooden pegs settle, so retune after a few minutes. Some players fit guitar or mandolin machine heads to hold the tuning better.
- Never push a thin string up an octave to match an unstable reading: it will break.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard cobza tuning?
The most common scheme is re–la–re–sol (D–A–D–G), from the top course to the bottom. With octave strings, as documented by Tiberiu Alexandru: D4+D3, A4+A3, D4+D3, G4+G3, at A4 = 440 Hz by convention.
Why are the courses not in rising order?
Because the tuning is re-entrant: the two re courses are the lowest and la is the highest. From low to high the strings are D3, D3, G3, A3, D4, D4, G4, A4.
Is there one official cobza tuning?
No. The sources say the tuning varies by region and even by player, and musicians tuned to the violin or the band. This page gives the best documented version as a reference.
Is the cobza the same as the Ukrainian kobza?
No. They are different instruments with different construction and tuning. The Hungarian koboz, on the other hand, is the same instrument as the cobza.