Saw duang tuner online
The saw duang (so duang, ซอด้วง) is the high two-string fiddle of central Thai classical music. Its body is a hardwood cylinder with a python-skin face, and the bow hair runs between the two strings. It leads the khrueang sai string ensemble and plays in the mahori. The open strings are a fifth apart: the thick inner string (sai thum) is Sol and the thin outer string (sai ek) is Re.
Saw duang open strings (tuner convention)
The Thai names Sol–Re read as G4–D5 at A4 = 440 Hz. The octave is inferred, not a Thai standard; ensembles tuned to a khlui phiang o often sit a whole tone or more lower.
| String | Thai name | Note (convention) | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sai thum (thick, inner) | Sol | G4 | 392.00 |
| Sai ek (thin, outer) | Re | D5 | 587.33 |
How to use it
- Tap Turn on microphone and allow access. If your ensemble uses another reference, set A4 to match it first.
- Select Thum or Ek to lock the target, then bow that open string with long, light strokes so the hair touches only the string you are tuning.
- Turn the peg in small steps while pressing it gently into the neck so it holds, and always approach the note from below.
- Alternate both strings and listen for a clean fifth, then check again against the khlui or saw u of your group.
Help and explanations
Thai music does not tune to A4 = 440 Hz; each ensemble tunes to its reference instrument, usually the khlui phiang o flute in a string ensemble. With a Western tuner, players read the Thai syllables as letters (do = C), so Sol–Re becomes G–D. This page starts at G4–D5, which is a convention: the octave is inferred from the instrument's range, and no Thai teaching source states the octave or the frequency of the open strings. Use it to find a starting pitch and to check the fifth between the strings.
Sol–Re: Thai pitch names and Western letters
Thai teaching texts say the thick string is approximately Sol and the thin string approximately Re. The word matters: in theory the Thai scale divides the octave into seven nearly equal steps of about 171 cents, not twelve semitones. Reading Sol–Re as G–D is a convention for the tuner, and G4–D5 is an octave inferred from the saw duang's high register, not a value stated in Thai sources.
The saw duang's thick string sounds the same pitch as the high string of the saw u. Under the Thai Fine Arts Department pitch standard of 2021, as reported in a 2023 study, Sol is about 377.8 Hz, roughly 64 cents below G4. Not every school follows it.
Tuning to the khlui and your ensemble
The do of a traditional khlui phiang o lies near B♭, and some flutes sit as low as A. In ensembles tuned to such a flute, the saw duang lands roughly between E4–B4 and F4–C5, a whole tone to a minor third below this page's default. Use the tuner to get close, then match the group's khlui or ranat by ear.
The tuner is reliable for open strings only. Stopped notes depend on school and player: some use the seven-tone system, some twelve semitones, some a seventeen-step theory. Before tuning, check the rat ok, the cord loop that marks the start of the vibrating length. If it slips, both open strings change together.
Tips
- Identify the strings by thickness: the thick inner string is sai thum (Sol), the thin outer one is sai ek (Re). Don't rely on peg position alone.
- Always check the octave. Don't pull the thin string up to the higher Re; nylon or silk can snap.
- New strings stretch, so retune several times during the first days.
Frequently asked questions
What notes is a saw duang tuned to?
Thick string Sol, thin string Re, a fifth apart. With a Western tuner this is read as G–D; this page uses G4 (392 Hz) and D5 (587.33 Hz) by convention.
How is saw duang tuning different from the saw u?
The saw u is tuned Do–Sol, a fifth lower, and its high string matches the saw duang's thick string. The saw sam sai has three strings in fourths: La–Re–Sol.
Should a saw duang be tuned to 440 Hz?
Not necessarily. Thai ensembles tune to their own reference instrument. Use 440 Hz with Western instruments; with a khlui phiang o or a Thai ensemble, follow the group.
Why don't my fingered notes match the tuner?
Schools use different pitch systems: some play seven Thai tones, others twelve semitones. Tune the open strings with the tuner, then follow your teacher for stopped notes.