THE BEST BANJO TUNER
A banjo is an incredible instrument that has an amazing, unique sound, but nothing will make its appeal go downhill like playing one that is out of tune. As with most string instruments, a banjo needs to be tuned properly so that everything you play on it sounds as ‘jangly’ as it should, without clashing or sounding dissonant.
The answer? A good banjo tuner! With GuitarTuna’s banjo tuner, you have a professional-level tuner on your smartphone whenever you need it.
Additional Banjo Tuning Tools
A LOT OF TUNINGS
The standard CGDA and GDGBD banjo tunings
METRONOME
With tap-for-tempo and multiple time signatures
CHROMATIC TUNER
For alternative tunings and any instrument
TOOLS
Ear training, chord guide, games, and exercises
Free Banjo Tuner App
Tuners made for specifically for the banjo are particularly hard to come across. Most players may end up using some type of clip-on chromatic unit that was meant to be used with a guitar. No matter what you end up using, there’s a big catch – you’ll have to pay for it. What’s even worse is that physical tuners you get from a music store that are pro quality can tend to be at the upper end of the price range.
That’s not the case with our banjo tuner. Not only was it designed and intended to be used with the banjo, you can download it absolutely free! Android and iOS platforms are both supported, and with the tuner app on your smartphone you’ll never have to worry about not having your tuner with you right when you need it.
How to Use Our Banjo Tuner
Getting your banjo tuned up is a piece of cake when using our app! Once you have it downloaded and opened, go to the Settings section. Select ‘Folk Instruments’ and you’ll see standard and alternative tunings for both 4-string and 5-string banjos.
Our banjo tuner has two operating modes: Manual and Auto. Manual mode allows you to choose which string you want to tune. Auto mode is even easier – with the Auto mode, all you have to do is play a string, and our app will automatically determine what string you are trying to tune. You’ll see a small indicator right above the picture of the instrument headstock. As you adjust the tension on the string by turning the tuning pegs, the indicator will move on the screen, telling you if the pitch is too high or too low. Once the indicator reaches the middle of the screen, the string is in tune.
With our Auto mode it’s even easier – no ear training needed! In Auto mode you play a string and based on the pitch, the app will figure out which string you are trying to tune. Above the image of a banjo headstock you’ll see a small circle with a pointer at the bottom. As you adjust your tuning, this indicator will move until it is centered on the red line that runs vertically on the screen. Once it’s locked onto that line, the string is perfectly in tune.
Banjo Tuner Quality
A great feature of our banjo tuner app (particularly Auto mode) is that it uses the mic in your smartphone to pick up the sound – you don’t need any cables.
The big problem here is with how these other apps and tuners decode the signal. Often the quality level just isn’t there, which results in your tuning indicator (or needle) moving erratically. That makes it very hard to tune, as you can never truly trust if the indicator is correct – meaning your tuner might say you are in tune but you really aren’t.
With our banjo tuner, that will never be a problem! Our audio recognition algorithm is built upon the same exact, world-class technology that is found in the Yousician app. You can always be assured of fast, accurate, and reliable tuning when using our tuner.
How to Tune a Banjo
The process for properly tuning a banjo is the same as most other stringed instruments. If you play a string open, you’ll typically find it to be sharp or flat. ‘Sharp’ means that the string is too tight, and the resulting note is higher than it should be. On the other hand, being ‘flat’ means you have a string that is too loose, producing a pitch that is below what is correct.
Using our banjo tuner app you can easily tell where your pitch is relative to the proper note, and you can then adjust the string tension by using the tuning peg on the headstock. A few tips to help you: we recommend starting out with your note being a little flat, then tuning up to the correct note – this will help to even out the tension and will keep your tuning more stable. Another trick is to take it slow and smooth when making your adjustments. Sometimes it doesn’t take a whole lot to get to the correct pitch, and by taking it slow as you get closer to the target note you’ll find it much easier to get the tone ‘just right’.
Tuning your banjo shouldn’t have to be a task that is difficult to do, and you definitely shouldn’t have to pay a lot of money to get a professional tool to do the job right the first time. Get your hands on the best banjo tuner around by downloading GuitarTuna today!
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