Published by PitchChanger · Updated · How these guides are made
Hear the difference
These original sine tones show a calculated A2 reference and offsets of 25 cents in either direction. They illustrate frequency differences, not recorded guitar strings.
Pause your workspace preview before comparing these clips.
Four-second synthetic WAVs at 48,000 Hz, mono, 16-bit PCM. The tuner accepts microphone input, not uploaded files. No physical guitar, speaker, microphone or device calibration was measured for these examples.
How to use this workflow
Choose one intended target
Start tuning and allow microphone access. Select Standard or another available preset, then choose the intended string. A locked target prevents automatic string selection from changing the reference.
Pluck and wait for a useful reading
Mute other strings, pluck once and let the note settle. If the display disappears or jumps an octave, improve the single-note input and check the target before changing tension.
Make a small adjustment and repeat
Raise a flat string or lower a sharp one gradually. Pluck again and check a sustained portion. Finish by checking other strings, then stop the tuner to release the microphone.
What does a guitar tuner’s cents value mean?
A cent is one hundredth of an equal-tempered semitone; an octave spans 1200 cents. Cents measure a frequency ratio, so a fixed difference in hertz does not represent the same tuning error at every note.
The calculation is cents = 1200 × log2(measured frequency ÷ target frequency). At A2 = 110 Hz, 111.600 Hz is approximately +25 cents and 108.423 Hz approximately −25 cents. These are calculated references, not measured microphone readings.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| Deviation from A2 | Calculated frequency | Direction relative to 110 Hz |
|---|---|---|
| -25 cents | 108.423 Hz | Flat |
| -10 cents | 109.366 Hz | Flat |
| 0 cents | 110.000 Hz | Reference |
| +10 cents | 110.637 Hz | Sharp |
| +25 cents | 111.600 Hz | Sharp |
Wait for a stable note rather than a perfect-looking instant
Fender’s tuning guidance recommends a sustained, clear pluck. Observe more than the first instant of a string attack. Other ringing strings, room sound and strong harmonics can change what a microphone detector follows. One flash at zero is less useful than consistent readings of the intended note.
The current tuner waits for usable single-pitch input and may show Waiting for sound when it loses one. Its In tune indicator uses a ±5-cent display band. That is a software threshold, not proof of intonation across the fretboard or a guarantee of microphone accuracy.
Check the note and octave before following the needle
A small cents value matters only relative to the correct target. A2 is 110 Hz while A3 is 220 Hz: the same note letter, one octave apart. In automatic mode, a strong harmonic can make a detector identify a higher octave and still show a small deviation from that higher note.
Select the intended string and compare its reference. Start tuning first to enable reference buttons; detection pauses while a reference tone plays. Reference playback is separate from microphone monitoring: the tuner does not send microphone input to the speakers.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| Observed problem | Next check |
|---|---|
| Note or octave changes | Mute unused strings, confirm the target, then pluck again. |
| Stable note, positive cents | Pitch is above the reference; lower it gradually. |
| Stable note, negative cents | Pitch is below the reference; raise it gradually. |
| No reliable pitch | Check permission and clear single-note input. |
What the supplied tones can demonstrate
The files use frequency = 110 × 2^(cents ÷ 1200), with cents at −25, 0 and +25. Each has the same four-second duration and generated amplitude, with short edge fades. They isolate a reference frequency difference without pretending to reproduce a string’s changing envelope and harmonics.
Use the table to understand the sign and scale of cents. Playing a file through a speaker into a microphone adds the room, device and detection chain; that is another test. These downloads do not certify your playback system or tuner input.
Finish with the intended tuning and musical context
Available targets are Standard, DropD, HalfStepDown and DADGAD, plus Auto note detection. The reference is fixed at A4 = 440 Hz; there is no custom concert-pitch calibration. Use an explicitly adjustable reference tool if an ensemble requires another standard.
After checking the open strings, play the intended passage and recheck anything that seems wrong. A tuner cannot diagnose mechanical intonation or choose the musical tuning for you. Keep adjustments small, compare the intended note and stop the microphone session when finished.
Common questions
Does positive cents mean I should raise the string?
No. Positive cents means the detected pitch is above the selected reference, so lower it gradually. Negative means it is below. Check the target note and octave before following either instruction.
Why does it say In tune a few cents away from zero?
This interface uses a ±5-cent display band to communicate a near-reference reading. It does not establish perfect intonation or measurement accuracy. Check a stable note in its musical context instead of treating one decimal or indicator color as certification.
Can I set this tuner to A4 = 432 Hz?
No. Its target notes and reference tones use A4 = 440 Hz. A different concert-pitch standard requires an explicit calibration setting. Changing the selected tuning preset does not change concert-pitch calibration.