Free Online Harp Tuner
Pluck a string, see exactly how in tune it is.
A simplified preview of what the Tunable app does. Get the full app
Allow microphone access to begin
How to use this tuner
Click Start Tuning and allow microphone access. Pluck one string near its middle with a firm, even stroke, damp its neighbours, and read the tuner once the note has settled.
The bar spans −50 to +50 cents. Zero is perfectly in tune. A freshly plucked string starts slightly sharp and settles within a moment; the history line shows that settling, so read the level part of the line rather than the first instant.
Harp is already selected, at concert pitch. Harp music is written at pitch, so no transposition is applied. On a pedal harp with all pedals in the flat (top) position, the strings read as the notes of C♭ major: the C strings show as B, the F strings as E, and so on.
Default is A440. Tap + / − to match your ensemble, A441–442 is common in orchestras, A415 for historical pitch.
The harp is written at concert pitch, so written note equals sounding note and this tuner applies no transposition. The harp is also one of the few instruments that is tuned completely, string by string, before nearly every practice session, because gut and nylon strings move with temperature and humidity and the instrument has no way to correct a string while playing. A tuner that shows each string settling is the right tool for the job.
A pedal harp is tuned with all seven pedals in the flat position, at the top of their slots, so that the open strings sound C♭ major. Every C string reads as B, every D as D♭, every F as E, every G as G♭, and so on. That is expected: the pedals then raise each string by one or two semitones to give the naturals and sharps. Tune the flat position carefully and the other two positions follow from the discs. A lever harp is tuned with all levers disengaged, usually in E♭ major (three flats) or in C, depending on how it is set up, so check which your harp uses before you begin.
Work from the middle of the harp outward, and pluck each string firmly near its centre with the neighbouring strings damped so the microphone hears one note. A string sounds slightly sharp at the instant it is plucked and settles as the vibration decays, so watch the history line and read the level part rather than the first spike. Turn the tuning key in small movements and always approach the target from below, tightening rather than loosening, so the string stays seated on the pin and holds its pitch. If a string reads badly out, bring it up in stages and let it rest.
The bass wires have a strong fundamental and are easy to read. The high treble strings are short and decay quickly, so pluck them a little harder and read at once. Colour-coded C and F strings help you keep your place, but the tuner tells you which note you are on regardless, which is a good check against tuning the wrong string. New strings stretch for days and will need retuning several times; a string that will not hold pitch may be slipping on its pin.
Orchestral harpists often tune to A441 or 442 to match the ensemble. Use the A = control to set the reference before you start. Because the whole instrument is tuned at once, a change of reference means retuning every string, so agree the pitch with your ensemble first.
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