Xylophone tuner online
This xylophone tuner listens to each bar and shows its note, octave and cents off. It works for concert xylophones, school and children's xylophones, bell lyres and glockenspiels.
How to use it
- Press Turn on microphone and allow access.
- Strike the centre of one bar with the mallet you normally use.
- Read the needle right after the attack: xylophone bars ring briefly.
- Go along the keyboard and note the bars that differ from the others.
Help and explanations
The concert xylophone sounds one octave above the written note, and the glockenspiel two octaves above. The tuner always shows the real sounding pitch, so expect a higher octave than the one in your part.
Can a xylophone be retuned?
Wooden and synthetic bars are tuned by removing material: from the ends to raise the pitch, from the middle underneath to lower it. On concert instruments it also affects the overtones, so it is best left to a specialist. Toy xylophones with fixed metal bars usually cannot be adjusted.
Tips
- Strike softly: a hard mallet brings out overtones that can confuse the reading.
- Check the instrument in the room where it is played; temperature moves the pitch of wood.
- For a quick comparison, play the same note on the online xylophone.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the tuner show a higher octave than my music?
The xylophone sounds an octave above written (the glockenspiel two). The tuner shows the real pitch.
How do I check if my xylophone is in tune?
Strike each bar, read the cents and compare: bars far from the rest are the ones that drifted.
Does it work for a bell lyre or glockenspiel?
Yes. Metal bars ring longer, which makes the reading even steadier.
Is there a xylophone tuner app?
You do not need one: this tuner works in the browser of your phone or computer.