Practice tools · reference pitch
Tuning Notes for Band & Orchestra
Sound a steady concert pitch and tune to it. Pick your instrument and the tool shows the note you read as well as the note everyone is tuning to — no signup, no microphone.
Sounds a steady reference pitch to tune against.
How to tune to a reference note
Play your note at the same time as the reference and listen past the pitch to the beats — a slow pulsing in the sound where two close frequencies interfere with each other. The bigger the gap between the pitches, the faster the pulsing. Adjust until the beats slow down and disappear; silence in the wobble means the two pitches have locked together.
Tune warm. A wind instrument rises in pitch as it warms up, so a chilly instrument tuned straight out of the case will be sharp ten minutes later. Play for a minute first, then tune, then check once more after the first piece.
Concert pitch versus what you read
“Tune to concert B♭” means everyone should produce the same sounding pitch — but the note on the page differs by instrument. A B♭ clarinet and B♭ trumpet read C, an E♭ alto sax reads G, and a flute reads B♭ because it is not a transposing instrument. Selecting your instrument above puts both pitches on screen at once, which is the part most tuner apps leave you to work out yourself.
The same relationship runs through every chart on this site — see the clarinet fingering chart for written and concert pitch on every note.
There is no microphone here
This tool cannot hear you. It has no microphone access, records nothing and uploads nothing. If you want a needle that reads your pitch back, this is not that tool — being straight about it saves you looking for a button that does not exist.
What it does instead is the thing an ear actually improves at: give you a true pitch to match. Tuning by beats is more precise than most needle displays at the resolution that matters, and unlike a needle it teaches you to hear when you are out.
Frequently asked questions
Does this listen to my instrument through the microphone?
No, and it is worth being plain about that rather than letting you hunt for a record button. This version has no microphone input at all — nothing you play is heard, recorded or uploaded. It works the other way round: it sounds a steady reference pitch, and you tune your instrument to match it, which is how a band tunes to a director's B♭ anyway.
How do I tune by ear against a reference note?
Play your note at the same time as the reference and listen to the 'beats' — the slow wobble in the sound where the two pitches interfere. The further apart the pitches, the faster the wobble. Adjust your instrument until the beats slow right down and stop; when the wobble disappears entirely, you are in tune. This is more accurate than a needle for most players, because your ear resolves very small differences the display rounds away.
Why does my clarinet read a different note from the tuning pitch?
Because it is a transposing instrument. When the director calls for concert B♭, a B♭ clarinet or trumpet player reads and fingers a C, and an E♭ alto sax player reads a G. Pick your instrument above and the tool shows both pitches side by side: the concert pitch everyone is tuning to, and the note you actually read.
What is A 440, and should I change it?
A 440 Hz is the modern standard pitch for the A above middle C, and it is what almost every band, school and recording uses — leave it alone unless you have a reason. Some orchestras tune slightly higher, commonly 441–443 Hz, for a brighter sound, and period ensembles go much lower. The slider covers 430–446 Hz for those cases.
Why does my instrument go sharp as I play?
Warm air raises the pitch of a wind instrument, so a cold instrument starts flat and drifts sharp over the first few minutes. Always play for a minute before tuning, and expect to check again after a long rest. If you are consistently sharp once warm, pull out slightly at the barrel, mouthpiece or tuning slide rather than fighting it with your embouchure.