The microphones in our smartphones have gotten good over the past few years. While some phones are capable of even recording ASMR audios, you can use any modern smartphone for putting that microphone to good use, like tuning a guitar. If you’re a hobbyist guitarist or someone who picked up a guitar to learn music during self quarantine, here are some good apps that you can use to tune your guitar.
Best Guitar Tuner Apps for Android and iOS in 2021
We’ve picked the apps for both Android and iPhones. Although they all serve the same purpose, you can try out and pick the one that suits your needs. Without further ado, let’s get started with the list.
1. Fender Tune
Fender Tune is a feature-packed app from guitar maker Fender to tune your guitar. The app offers four tuning modes namely auto mode, manual mode, chromatic mode, and pro tuner mode. You can choose from a variety of tuning presets including standard (EADGBE), Open G, Drop D, Open D, and Drop C.
Through Tune Plus – free for a limited time, you get access to over 5000 guitar chords, a metronome, and 2000 guitar scales for improving your skillset. The app is available for free and doesn’t have ads. You can use the app to tune your acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, or ukulele.
Supported Instruments: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele
Pricing: Free, offers in-app purchases for tutorials
Download Fender Tune (Android, iOS)
2. GuitarTuna
GuitarTuna is a widely used guitar tuner app and that’s for a good reason. It offers over 100 tunings including standard, drop-D, open tunings, half step down,7-string tunings including drop-A, and 12-string. The app also boasts background noise cancellation technology for better accuracy. One way GuitarTuna stands out from other apps is in the extensive support for instruments.
It even supports folk instruments like Mandolin and Balailaika, which is a nice touch and something artists across the globe would appreciate. That said, you should make in-app purchases or buy GuitarTuna Pro to unlock rare instruments. Besides tuning, the app is home to games for learning and practicing chords.
Supported Instruments: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele, Viola, Violin, Cello, Fiddle, Balalaika, Cavaquinho, Banjo
Pricing: Free, offers in-app purchases
Download GuitarTuna (Android, iOS)
3. Pano Tuner
Pano Tuner offers a simple and straightforward experience to users, making it beginner friendly. It is a chromatic tuner and is fairly accurate when it comes to detection. Thanks to its simplistic approach, Pano Tuner is the preferred app for a lot of guitarists. You can purchase the full version to remove advertisements and enable non-standard tunings including Pythagorean, Just intonation, 1/4-comma mean tone, and more.
Supported Instruments: Guitars, Bass Guitars, Trumpet, Ukulele, Piano, Piccolo, Violin, Keyboard, and more.
Pricing: Free, offers in-app purchases
Download Pano Tuner (Android, iOS)
4. Pitched Tuner
Pitched Tuner offers both chromatic and instrument tuning modes. You get a tuner needle and dial for measuring the frequency. You can define the volume sensitivity, tuning pitch, note name, and customize app theme (light, dark, black). In instrument tuning mode, you can tune guitars, ukulele, violin, mandolin, flute, and more. Moreover, you can define custom tunings and remove advertisements by upgrading to the full version of the app.
Supported Instruments: Banjo, Bass, Cello, Guitar, Ukulele, Viola, Violin, Woodwind
Pricing: Free, offers in-app purchases
Download Pitched Tuner (Android, iOS)
5. Pro Guitar Tuner
Pro Guitar Tuner is a popular chromatic tuner that offers all the features you need in a simple package. You get over 100 tunings and you can favorite the ones that you use the most. The tunings are divided into categories for quick access. You can purchase the app for removing ads and unlocking extra settings.
Supported Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Banjo, Mandolin, Mandocello, Mandobass, Cittern, Greek Bouzouki, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Balalaika
Pricing: Free
Download Pro Guitar Tuner (Android, iOS)
6. Cifra Club Tuner
Cifra Club Tuner is another app you can use to tune your guitar. The app has a modern interface and also packs musical games to help you play you instrument better. Although the app supports a variety of instruments, you’re limited to a single guitar in the free version.
You’ll have to purchase a monthly or yearly subscription of Cifra Club Pro to access tunings for other instruments, precision and noise filter, and a white theme (you get dark theme for free though). The premium subscription also removes banner ads seen in the app’s home page.
Supported Instruments: Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele, Violin, Viola, Cello, Acoustic Bass Guitar, Electric Bass Guitar, Viola Caipira, Balalaika, Cavaquinho.
Pricing: Free, offers in-app purchases
Download Cifra Club Tuner (Android, iOS)
7. BOSS Tuner
BOSS Tuner uses chromatic tuning to tune your guitar. You can use the app in TU-3 or TU-3W pedal tuner skins. Much like other guitar tuning apps, you get visual feedback for tuning the guitar. The app’s tuning range is from A#0 (29.14 Hz) to G8 (6,271.93 Hz). You also get a horizontal view to conveniently see the meter readings. Although the app does a good job, its interface isn’t userfriendly and beginners may get overwhelmed by it. You can try it out to know if it works out for you.
Supported Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Violin, Cello, Brass
Pricing: Free
Download BOSS Tuner (Android, iOS)
8. CarlTune
CarlTune is yet another chromatic tuner capable of tuning multiple music instruments. CarlTune’s home page offers an information view consisting of frequency, octave, note, staff, keyboard,and ±cents. As far as customization goes, you can use the color palette for changing the background color, use the app in landscape mode, and change the notation. You can purchase the app to remove advertisements.
Supported Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double bass, Mandolin, Mandola, Guitalele
Pricing: Free, offers in-app purchases
Download CarlTune (Android, iOS)
9. gStrings
Unlike most apps featured on this list, gStrings is an app that is exclusive to Android. You can use this app to tune guitar, banjo, ukulele, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The app has a needle to denote the frequency. It is worth noting that you can define a custom tuning setting without a premium subscription. The app comes with a set of built-in temperaments and offers custom temperaments too.
Supported Instruments: Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele, Violin, Viola, Violoncello, Double bass
Pricing: Free, offers in-app purchases
Download gStrings (Android)
10. Cadenza: Tuner + Metronome
Cadenza is an iPhone app that you can use for tuning your guitar. The app’s pitch ranges from A0 to A8 and the response latency is below one millisecond. It offers a clean interface and the options are represented in a straightforward manner so that everyone can easily learn the app without a noticeable learning curve. Do note that the app is not available for free and you’ll have to spend 2 dollars for downloading it.
Supported Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Cello, Viola, Violin, Mandolin, Ukulele
Pricing: $1.99
Download Cadenza: Tuner + Metronome (iOS)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I tune my own guitar?
Yes, tuning your guitar isn’t as complicated as it seems from the outside. You can use one of these guitar tuner apps to tune your own guitar.
Q. What is the most accurate guitar tuner app?
I found FenderTune to be fairly accurate. You can also try out other apps like GuitarTuna.
Q. Is there a free guitar tuner app?
Yes, you can use apps like Fender Tune or GuitarTuna to tune your guitar for free.
Q. How do I know if my guitar is tuned?
You can note the movement of markers in the app to know if your guitar is tuned. If tuned correctly, your guitar will sound more rich, full, and produce sound in a pitch that’s true to the respective string.
Q. Are phone guitar tuners good?
Phone guitar tuner apps are fairly accurate and you can use them for tuning your guitar.
Q. Can you tune a guitar without a tuner?
You can technically tune a guitar without a tuner, but it is easier said than done. Tuning a guitar without relying on a tuner means you need to know how all strings sound like and acquiring that skill requires practice and expertise.
Q. What does 440 mean on a guitar tuner?
440Hz is a tuning standard for guitars. 440Hz denotes the note A above middle C, commonly referred to as A4. Some also consider 432Hz as the standard.
Q. What is the best online guitar tuner?
You can use Fender Tune’s online tuning service to tune your guitar right from your web browser.
Q. I have tuned my guitar, but it doesn’t sound good to me?
If you’re confident that you’ve correctly tuned the guitar, chances are, your strings might need a replacement.
Q. Should I buy a guitar tuner or use an app?
If you’re a hobbyist guitarist or a beginner, you’ll be fine with an app. You should consider using a tuner if you are an artist or a professional guitarist.
Tune Guitar Using Your Smartphone
So, these are some apps you can use to tune your guitar.We hope this removes the friction in your guitar journey. If you’re looking for a course to enhance your guitar skills, you should not miss out on our coverage of the best guitar courses. It is a mix of free and paid courses, and I’m confident there’s something for everyone.
Also, don’t forget to check out our articles on music composer apps, music maker apps, and audio editing apps. They will help you record and polish your songs so you can share them with anyone.
