Jouhikko tuner (Finnish bowed lyre)
The jouhikko, or jouhikantele, is the traditional bowed lyre of Finland and Karelia. According to the Sibelius Academy's jouhikko site, the three-string jouhikko in G is usually tuned a1–d1–g1: string 1 is g1 (G4, 392 Hz), the open tonic that is only bowed; string 2 is d1 (D4, 293.66 Hz), the drone in the middle; and string 3 is a1 (A4, 440 Hz), the melody string, stopped with the backs of the fingers.
Jouhikko in G: strings and frequencies
Sibelius Academy a1–d1–g1 tuning. Equal-tempered frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz; the pitch level is a convention, not a fixed standard.
| String | Note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| String 3 – melody | A4 | 440.00 |
| String 2 – drone (middle) | D4 | 293.66 |
| String 1 – open tonic (bowed only) | G4 | 392.00 |
How to use it
- Tap Turn on microphone, allow access and hold the phone close to the instrument; the jouhikko is quiet and its tone is breathy.
- Start with the middle drone string (D4). Bow one open string at a time with steady pressure and wait for the reading to settle.
- Then tune the melody string a fifth above the drone (A4) and finally the tonic string a fourth above the drone (G4). Needle on the left: tighten; on the right: loosen.
- Finish by ear: drone and open melody string should sound a clean fifth, drone and tonic a clean fourth, with no beating.
Help and explanations
The jouhikko has no fixed absolute pitch: the G tuning is an established convention, and this tuner shows it as equal-tempered targets at A4 = 440 Hz. The instrument is named after its tonic, not its drone, so a jouhikko in G has its drone on D.
The middle string is the drone
The strings do not rise in order as on a violin. In the G tuning the lowest string, D4, sits in the middle; the tonic G4 is a fourth above the drone and the melody string A4 a fifth above it, so G4 and A4 are a whole tone apart. The claim that every string is tuned in fifths is therefore not accurate.
On the melody string, the Sibelius Academy gives b1 or h1 (B♭4 or B4) with the index finger, c2 or c♯2 with the middle finger, d2 with the ring finger and e2 and above with the little finger. Traditional tunes use about six notes, G4 to E5. An outer string can also be retuned below the drone as a second drone or higher for a melody note, so the middle string is not always the lowest.
Older instruments, two-string jouhikkos and playing with others
Not every jouhikko is built for G. The Sibelius Academy notes that the instruments of the traditional players Feodor Pratšu and Juho Vaittinen were pitched around F, a whole tone below today's G tuning. If your instrument was made to sound lower, keep the same intervals (tonic a fourth and melody string a fifth above the drone) and check the notes with the chromatic tuner instead of forcing horsehair strings up to A4.
On a two-string jouhikko the strings are a fifth or a fourth apart, and there is no shared absolute chart; one documented instrument is tuned to roughly middle C and the F above. To play with a kantele or other instruments, tune the tonic to the group's key and move the drone and melody string with it. Only open strings are covered here.
Tips
- Horsehair strings sound breathy, so the needle wobbles at the start of each stroke. Keep the bow pressure even and read the note once the sound has settled.
- New strings, especially horsehair ones, stretch a lot and react to humidity and temperature. Retune several times in the first days and before every session.
- Friction pegs slip easily: push the peg gently inwards while you turn it so it holds.
Frequently asked questions
What notes is a jouhikko tuned to?
A three-string jouhikko in G is usually tuned a1–d1–g1: melody string A4 (440 Hz), middle drone D4 (293.66 Hz) and tonic string G4 (392 Hz). The pitch level is a convention; instruments built lower keep the same intervals further down.
Are jouhikko strings tuned in fifths?
Only partly. The melody string is a fifth above the drone, but the tonic string is a fourth above the drone.
Why does a jouhikko in G have a D drone?
The jouhikko is named after the tonic of its scale, played by the open string that is only bowed. The drone sits a fourth below it.
Is the jouhikko the same as the tagelharpa or talharpa?
They are related bowed lyres, but this page covers only the Finnish jouhikko. Do not copy tunings from other bowed lyres without checking them for your instrument.