Guide · Centz
How to tune a guitar, and what the numbers on the tuner mean
A tuner shows a note and a needle. This is what the needle is measuring, how close is close enough, and what to do when a song wants a tuning that is not standard.
What a cent is, and how close is close enough
A cent is a hundredth of a semitone. Most ears stop hearing a difference below about five cents, and a chord starts to sound sour past ten. That is why a good tuner reads to a few cents rather than just saying sharp or flat.
Tune up to the note, not down. Strings settle when brought up to pitch and slip when brought down, so if you overshoot, go below the note and come up again. Centz’s meter runs amber while you are off and resolves to a single green within four cents, with a fine mode for the last few.
A = 440, 432 and 442
Concert pitch is the frequency the A above middle C is tuned to. 440 Hz has been the standard since the middle of the twentieth century and is what almost every recording, piano and other player uses. 442 is common in orchestras; 432 has its adherents for its warmer feel.
The right answer is whatever you are playing with. If you are alone, 440. If you are matching a piano, an old record or an ensemble, set the reference to match — Centz tunes to any concert pitch from 430 to 446 Hz, with one-tap presets for 432, 440 and 442.
Drop D, Open G and DADGAD
Alternate tunings change which notes the open strings play. Drop D lowers the sixth string a whole tone for a deeper root under power chords. Open G (D G D G B D) makes a G major chord with no fingers down — the sound of slide guitar. DADGAD sits between major and minor, the tuning of Celtic and folk guitar.
The mistake is tuning by ear from a string that is itself out. Pick the tuning first so the tuner knows the target for each string, then take the strings in order. Centz includes a free tuning for every instrument — standard on guitar, bass and ukulele, open G on banjo — and Centz Pro unlocks the alternates once, with no subscription.
Questions
- Why does my guitar go out of tune so quickly?
- New strings stretch for a day or two; temperature changes move the neck; and tuning down to a note leaves slack at the peg. Stretch new strings gently, tune up to pitch, and check again after the first song.
- Should I tune with a tuner or by ear?
- Both. A tuner gets each string to pitch quickly and objectively; checking a chord by ear afterwards catches intonation that a tuner on open strings cannot. Doing the first well makes the second easy.
- Is Centz free?
- Yes. Centz is free with a tuning for every instrument, no ads and no subscription. Centz Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks the alternate tunings — Drop D, DADGAD, open tunings and more.
Tuner
In tune. In colour.
A fast, accurate tuner with a colour for every note. The meter snaps to a single green the instant your string lands — on guitar, bass, ukulele and banjo.