Harmonium tuner online
This harmonium tuner online shows the note of each key with the cents off, so you can check the reeds of your hand harmonium, see whether the instrument sits at A440 and find the notes that have drifted.
How to use it
- Press Turn on microphone and allow access.
- Close the drone stops and play one key at a time with steady bellows pressure.
- Read the note and the cents for each key and write down the ones that stand out.
- Then check each reed bank (male, female, bass) on its own, and the octave coupler if your harmonium has one.
Help and explanations
Harmonium reeds rarely go out of tune all together: usually a few reeds move with age, dust or humidity. Knowing which ones saves time when you take the harmonium to a technician.
Sa and scale-change harmoniums
In Indian music the tonic, Sa, is chosen to suit the singer. On a scale-change harmonium the keyboard moves sideways so the same fingering gives a different Sa: check that the note you press is really the pitch you expect before tuning a tanpura or a shruti box to it.
Retuning reeds
Reeds are tuned by carefully scraping metal from the tip (to raise the pitch) or near the base (to lower it). It is delicate work; if you are not experienced, ask a harmonium technician.
Tips
- Keep the bellows pressure steady: pumping harder makes some reeds sound slightly different.
- Check the harmonium after travel or a change of season: humidity affects reeds and wood.
- Two reeds on the same key that disagree produce a slow beating; check each bank separately to find the culprit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if my harmonium is in tune?
Play each key with steady bellows and compare the cents. Notes that differ a lot from the others point to the reeds that need attention.
Is there a harmonium tuner app?
You do not need to install one: this tuner works in your browser with the microphone, on phone or computer.
Can I tune my harmonium myself?
Checking, yes. Changing the pitch of a reed means scraping metal; without practice it is easy to go too far, so most players use a technician.
Is my harmonium at 440 Hz?
Play A and look at the cents. If most notes are off by the same amount, the whole instrument sits at another reference.