How to Tune Your Violin

Tuning your violin is something that you will need to do every time you play and as a beginner, this can be a very difficult task. Don’t worry though! The more you practice tuning your instrument, the easier it gets, so you will soon be a pro.

In this video Andrea shows us how to tune using a digital tuner. There are also some written instructions below:

There are two different places on the violin where you are able to make tuning adjustments: the pegs (located in the scroll) and the fine tuners (located in the tailpiece). If you are just starting out, we strongly recommend only using the fine tuners as it takes some time and experience to learn how to use the pegs. The pegs should only be used if the violin is severely out of tune, otherwise you can just use the fine tuners to make those small adjustments.

If your violin goes completely out of tune we recommend taking it to our store or to your teacher for it to be tuned by a more experienced player. String breakages are the most common result of an inexperienced player attempting to use the pegs. Having said this, everyone has to gain some experience in using the pegs and we are happy to give you a tutorial if you come into the store.

One of the easiest ways to tune your violin is with the aid of an electronic tuner. When you pluck a string, the tuner will let you know what note you are playing and whether the note is sharp of flat. You can then make the string sharper by turning the fine tuners clockwise, or flatter (anticlockwise). The same principal applies to the pegs however you have to firmly push the pegs inwards whilst turning in very small increments.

Occasionally we hold classes on ‘how to tune your instrument’ so be sure to sign up to our newsletter to receive notifications. These classes tend to fill up very quickly so RSVPs are a must!

If you have any further questions about tuning please do not hesitate to contact us.