Banjo Tuner: 5-String, Tenor, and Irish Tenor

Banjo Tuner for 5-String, Tenor, and Irish Tenor

Tune a 5-string banjo, a tenor banjo, or an Irish tenor banjo (G D A E) with your device's microphone.

How to Tune Your Banjo

Choose your tuning under Settings: Open G (the standard 5-string tuning), Double C, Tenor (C G D A), or Irish Tenor (G D A E).
Tap Start Tuning and pick one string at a time. If it says Tune up, tighten the string. If it says Tune down, loosen it. Stop when it shows In tune.
To tune a particular string, tap its button. The tuner then measures against that string and plays its note.

The Short Fifth String

On a 5-string banjo the fifth string is the short one, with its peg partway up the neck. It is tuned to a high G (G4), above every other string. This is called re-entrant tuning.

Its button comes first, the way banjo players write the tuning: g D G B D. To check it by ear, fret the first string at the 5th fret: that is also G4.

To go from open G to double C, lower the fourth string from D3 to C3 and raise the second string from B3 to C4. The other three strings stay put.

Tenor Banjos

Tenor banjos have four strings and no short string. Standard tenor tuning is C3 G3 D4 A4, the same notes as a viola, and is used in jazz and Dixieland. Irish tenor tuning is G2 D3 A3 E4, one octave below a fiddle or mandolin, so fiddle tunes use the same fingering. Irish tenor banjos usually have a shorter neck and heavier strings to suit the lower pitch.

A banjo bridge is held in place only by the pressure of the strings. If the tuning won't settle after a big change, check that the bridge hasn't moved or tilted.

String Notes and Frequencies

At the standard reference pitch, A4 = 440 Hz. String 1 is the highest-pitched string.

Open G

String	Note	Frequency
5	G4	392.00 Hz
4	D3	146.83 Hz
3	G3	196.00 Hz
2	B3	246.94 Hz
1	D4	293.66 Hz

Double C

String	Note	Frequency
5	G4	392.00 Hz
4	C3	130.81 Hz
3	G3	196.00 Hz
2	C4	261.63 Hz
1	D4	293.66 Hz

Tenor

String	Note	Frequency
4	C3	130.81 Hz
3	G3	196.00 Hz
2	D4	293.66 Hz
1	A4	440.00 Hz

Irish Tenor

String	Note	Frequency
4	G2	98.00 Hz
3	D3	146.83 Hz
2	A3	220.00 Hz
1	E4	329.63 Hz

Questions

What are the notes of a 5-string banjo?+

In standard open G tuning, from the fifth string to the first: G4, D3, G3, B3, and D4. The open strings make a G major chord. The fifth string is the short drone string, tuned higher than the others.

What is the difference between tenor and Irish tenor tuning?+

Both are for 4-string tenor banjos. Standard tenor tuning is C3, G3, D4, and A4, like a viola. Irish tenor tuning is G2, D3, A3, and E4, one octave below a fiddle, and is the usual tuning in Irish traditional music.

How do I tune an Irish tenor banjo?+

Choose Irish Tenor under Settings, then tune the four strings to G2, D3, A3, and E4, lowest first. That is G D A E, one octave below a fiddle or mandolin. Fiddle tunes sit under your fingers the same way.

What happens to the fifth string when I use a capo?+

A banjo capo covers only the four long strings, so the fifth string has to be raised to match the new key. Players either retune it or hook it under a small spike fitted to the neck. Retune it with this tuner after moving the capo.

Is my audio recorded?+

No. The sound is analyzed in your browser, on your device. Nothing is saved or uploaded.