Harmonica tuner online
This harmonica tuner online shows the note of each hole you play, blow or draw, with the cents off. It works for diatonic, chromatic and tremolo harmonicas and runs in your browser.
How to use it
- Press Turn on microphone and allow access.
- Play a single hole with a steady, gentle breath: hard breathing pushes the pitch flat.
- Read the note and the cents. A reed far from the others may be dirty, damaged or need adjusting.
- To practise bends, play the draw note and bend down: the needle shows exactly where your bend lands.
Help and explanations
On a 10-hole diatonic in C (Richter tuning), the blow notes are C4 E4 G4 C5 E5 G5 C6 E6 G6 C7 and the draw notes D4 G4 B4 D5 F5 A5 B5 D6 F6 A6. Other keys keep the same pattern, shifted.
Bends you can check
On a C diatonic, the most common draw bends are: hole 1 from D4 to C♯4; hole 2 from G4 to F♯4 and F4; hole 3 from B4 to B♭4, A4 and A♭4; hole 4 from D5 to C♯5; hole 6 from A5 to A♭5. Blow bends appear from hole 8 up. Aim for the centre of the target note, not just "lower".
Why some notes are a few cents off
Many harmonicas are tuned slightly above A440, often around 442 or 443 Hz, and some use tunings where chord notes are set a little lower to sound sweeter. A few cents of difference between notes can be intentional; set the reference A in the settings to match your instrument before judging a reed.
Tips
- Warm the harmonica in your hands before playing: cold reeds and condensation change the pitch.
- Retuning reeds means scraping or filing metal: if you are not experienced, leave it to a technician.
- Practise bends slowly with the tuner, then without it, and check again: your ear learns faster that way.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if my harmonica is in tune?
Play each hole, blow and draw, with gentle steady breath and compare the cents. Notes that stand out from the rest are the ones to look at.
What are the notes of a C harmonica?
Blow: C E G C E G C E G C. Draw: D G B D F A B D F A, from hole 1 to 10.
Can a tuner help me learn bends?
Yes. Play the bend and watch the needle: you can see whether you reached the half-step, the whole step or are in between.
Is there a free harmonica tuner app?
You do not need one: this tuner opens in your browser, on phone or computer, and the sound is processed only on your device.
Does it work for chromatic harmonicas?
Yes. It recognizes any note, with or without the slide pressed.