Have you ever showed up to violin lesson or a performance and realized that you completely forgot your violin tuner?
If you answered “yes,” then you’re probably familiar with the feeling of having your stomach drop and your cheeks turn red.
Keeping your violin in tune is extremely important. Not only does it ensure you get the best sound, but it also helps train your ear.
There are tons of ways in which you can tune a violin. However, many of them require a certain skill set or an actual device.
Thanks to technology, there are dozens of easy-to-use violin tuner apps that can replace your old device that you always seem to forget or that’s taking up unnecessary room in your violin case.
Choosing the best violin tuner app can be difficult when there are so many to choose from. To make things easier for you, we’ve rounded up the best violin tuners apps.
But first, let’s explore the benefits of using a violin tuner app as well as how they actually work.
How a Violin Tuner App Works
Every violin tuner app works a little differently, but they are all usually pretty easy to work with after a little getting used to.
Generally, there will be a display that tells you what note you’re playing and a needle hovering over a dial in the middle that will show you how in tune your string is.
Ideally, you want the needle to be as close to the center point as possible. Most violin tuners light up green when the string is in tune.
If the needle is hovering over to the right of the dial your string is “sharp,” which means it’s too high or tight. If it’s hovering over to the left of the dial your string is “flat,” which means it’s too low or loose.
Benefits of Using a Violin Tuner App
So what are the benefits of using a violin tuner app? Below are just a few of the benefits you’ll experience when you use a violin tuner app.
- Convenient: With a violin tuner app, you don’t have to worry about whether or not you remembered to pack your electronic tuner. Because if you’re anything like most people, chances are you’re glued to your smartphone and rarely forget it. Also, a violin tuner app is perfect for those impromptu violin jam sessions.
- Cost-effective: An electronic tuner or tuning fork can cost you around $30 to $40 dollars. Many violin tuner apps, however, are free or cost a little as $3. You can’t get much better than that!
- Easy-to-use: Tuning a violin using a different instrument or harmonics can be difficult for beginner violin students. Most violin tuner apps are very straightforward and easy to use. A violin tuning app works very similarly to the electronic tuner in that it can sense and tell exact pitch.
Top 10 Violin Tuner Apps
Now that you’ve reviewed all of the benefits of violin tuning apps, let’s take a look at the best apps available.
1. ClearTune-Chromatic Tuner
Talk about star power. This violin tuning app is used by some of today’s biggest musical acts, including The Black Keys and The Killers. The chromatic instrument tuner and pitch pipe allows users to accurately tune their violin using the built-in mic in their smartphone. The app includes features such as selectable notations, support for transposing instruments, and automatic or manual note section. Cost: $3.99 Learn more about the app here.
2. Tuner Lite
Another chromatic instrument tuner and pitch pipe, this free tuner app is perfect for beginner violin players. With glowing customer reviews, Tuner Lite by plusadd has an LED display that’s easy to understand and features an automatic reference note calibration. Users describe the app as being reliable, easy-to-use, and helpful. Cost: Free Learn more about the app here.
3. Tuner-gStrings
Haven’t mastered tuning your violin by ear yet? No problem. The Tuner-gStrings app is perfect for those who need an extra hand in tuning their violin. The free tuner app is a chromatic tuner application measuring sound pitch and intensity. Features include orchestra tuning, various temperaments, and a variable range nonlinear scale. Cost: Free. Learn more about the app here.
4. Pano Tuner – Chromatic Tuner
With Pano Tuner you can tune your violin in seconds! The violin tuning app listens to the sound you make and shows you the pitch. All you have to do is look at the offset from the pitch that you want to tune to. The app also has a feature that allows you to adjust the concert-A frequency to make your violin in harmony with others. Cost: Free. Learn more about the app here.
5. Violin Multi-Tuner
This violin tuner app was made specifically for violinists so you know you’ll experience fast and accurate pitch detection. Violin Multi-Tuner has an abundance of really great features, including a metronome, playable fingerboard, ear and sight reading exercises, and more. Cost: $0.99 Learn more about the app here.
6. Violin Tools Free
This violin tuning app is perfect for beginners. Not only can you use this app to help you fine tune your violin with a high precision and efficient pitch detection algorithm , but you can also use it while you practice to see if you’re playing the right notes. Using a color scale, the Violin Tools Free app will tell you which direction you need to adjust your finger positions. Cost: Free Learn more about the app here.
7. nTune: Violin Free
If you’re searching for an accurate app to tune your violin, then look no further than NTune: Violin Free. The app uses actual recorded violin notes rather than generated sound effects. What’s more, the violin tuner app contains the basic tuning of G, D, A and E and includes playback options of Arco (bowing) or Pizzicato (plucking). Cost: Free Learn more about the app here.
8. PitchPerfect
Are you sick of playing out of tune? PitchPerfect is the easy-to-use tuning app that you’ve been looking for. All you have to do is play a string to see if you are sharp, flat, or in perfect pitch. Then use the app’s preset tunings to tune the note you want. Cost: Free Learn more about the app here.
9. Tune-O-Rama
This foolproof tuning app features a chromatic tuner that you can access at the touch of a button. Tune-O-Rama uses an impressive 4-tier detection algorithm for near 100% accuracy and sensitivity. Featuring a detection range of 1200+ Hz, Tune-O-Rama is suitable for many instruments, including the violin Cost: $2.99 Learn more about the app here.
10. Tuna Pitch
If you’re a more advanced player that knows how to tune by ear then you might want to consider downloading the Tuna Pitch. This tuning app has a built-in pitch pipe lets you play a reference tone for tuning by ear. Tuna Pitch automatically finds the pitch using the microphone and shows note name, octave, frequency. Cost: $2.99 Learn more about the app here.
Each one of these apps offers something a little different. If you’re still not quite sure which violin tuner app to choose, consult your violin teacher. He or she might suggest an app that they currently use or have used in the past.
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