How to tune a guitar with a phone tuner

Standard tuning, low to high

E2, A2, D3, G3, B3, E4. In Maestro, choose the guitar preset and the strings appear as labeled chips.

Steps

1. Find a quiet spot and allow microphone access. Maestro only uses it to detect pitch in real time.
2. Open the tuner and choose the Guitar preset.
3. Pluck the low E string once, firmly, and let it ring. Do not keep plucking while you turn the peg.
4. If the needle is left of center the string is flat — tighten the peg. Right of center is sharp — loosen it.
5. When the needle settles within a few cents of center the tuner shows a green locked cue and a haptic tick.
6. Repeat for A, D, G, B and high E.
7. Go around once more: changing one string's tension shifts the others slightly.

What 'cents' means

A cent is one hundredth of a semitone. Within about five cents is close enough to sound in tune for most playing.

Common mistakes

• Tuning down to a note from above rather than coming up to it, which can let the string slip flat again. Tune up to pitch.
• Noisy rooms or other instruments confusing the microphone.
• A4 reference set to something other than the 440 Hz your band uses. Maestro lets you adjust it from 415 to 466 Hz.

Then set the tempo

Switch to the metronome, tap the tempo or type a BPM, choose a time signature and subdivision, and use the count-in. Start slower than feels necessary. Log the session in the practice log to build a streak (Pro).

Frequently asked questions

How do I tune a guitar with my phone?

Open a chromatic tuner, pluck one string at a time, and turn the peg until the needle is centered and shows in tune.

Does the phone tuner work offline?

Maestro's tuner analyzes audio on-device, so it does not need an internet connection.

Can Maestro tune a ukulele, violin or bass?

Yes. It has presets for guitar, bass, violin, ukulele, brass and voice, and it is also a chromatic tuner for any pitched instrument.