At the standard reference of A = 440 Hz, C4 is 261.6 Hz, C3 is 130.8 Hz and C2 is 65.41 Hz. Each octave doubles or halves the frequency. At A = 442 every C is about 0.8% higher.

Which instruments tune to C?

Viola (C string (4th), C3); Cello (C string (4th), C2); Ukulele (C string (3rd), C4); 5-string bass (low B string tuned up to C on some basses, C1). Play the drone in the matching octave and tune until the beating between the string and the drone stops.

Which octave of C should I use?

The one nearest what you play. Cello, bass and guitar sit comfortably against C2 or C3; violin, viola, voice and most wind instruments against C3 or C4. A lower drone is easier to hear beating against; a higher one is closer to a melody line.

How do I practise intonation with a C drone?

Start the drone, play C yourself and adjust until the wavering (beating) disappears. Then play the C major scale slowly, listening for each note to lock in against the drone — the fifth and the octave should sound perfectly still, the third and seventh will pull. Add the fifth to the drone for a fuller reference chord.

C Tuning Drone — Play a Sustained C (261.6 Hz)

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C tuning drone — what it is for

The C drone is the lowest string of the viola and the cello, so it is the drone cellists and violists reach for to settle the bottom of the instrument, and the home note of the first key most pianists learn.

At the standard A = 440 Hz, C4 is 261.6 Hz; each octave down halves that (C3 is 130.8 Hz, C2 is 65.41 Hz) and each octave up doubles it (C5 is 523.3 Hz). Orchestras that tune to A = 442 hear every C a little higher — the table below gives both.

Press Play drone above and tune or play against C: match the pitch until the beating disappears, then hold long notes, scales and intervals over it. Pick the octave nearest your instrument — C2 or C3 for cello, bass and guitar, C3 or C4 for violin, voice and winds — and add the fifth for a fuller reference.

C in every octave

Frequencies in hertz at the three reference pitches you are likely to meet: baroque A = 415, the standard A = 440, and A = 442 used by many orchestras.

Note	A = 415	A = 440	A = 442
C1	30.85 Hz	32.70 Hz	32.85 Hz
C2	61.69 Hz	65.41 Hz	65.70 Hz
C3	123.4 Hz	130.8 Hz	131.4 Hz
C4	246.8 Hz	261.6 Hz	262.8 Hz
C5	493.5 Hz	523.3 Hz	525.6 Hz
C6	987.0 Hz	1046.5 Hz	1051.3 Hz

Instruments tuned to C

Open strings and tuning notes on C. Set the drone to the same octave and tune until the beating stops.

Viola — C string (4th) (C3)
Cello — C string (4th) (C2)
Ukulele — C string (3rd) (C4)
5-string bass — low B string tuned up to C on some basses (C1)

Tuning a guitar or bass? The guitar tuner listens to the string and shows how far it is from C in cents; come back to the drone to train your ear to hear that difference without a needle.

Scales to practise over a C drone

Each opens on the scale finder, lit up on the keyboard, so you can hear the notes before you play them against the drone.

Frequently asked questions

What frequency is C?: At the standard reference of A = 440 Hz, C4 is 261.6 Hz, C3 is 130.8 Hz and C2 is 65.41 Hz. Each octave doubles or halves the frequency. At A = 442 every C is about 0.8% higher.
Which instruments tune to C?: Viola (C string (4th), C3); Cello (C string (4th), C2); Ukulele (C string (3rd), C4); 5-string bass (low B string tuned up to C on some basses, C1). Play the drone in the matching octave and tune until the beating between the string and the drone stops.
Which octave of C should I use?: The one nearest what you play. Cello, bass and guitar sit comfortably against C2 or C3; violin, viola, voice and most wind instruments against C3 or C4. A lower drone is easier to hear beating against; a higher one is closer to a melody line.
How do I practise intonation with a C drone?: Start the drone, play C yourself and adjust until the wavering (beating) disappears. Then play the C major scale slowly, listening for each note to lock in against the drone — the fifth and the octave should sound perfectly still, the third and seventh will pull. Add the fifth to the drone for a fuller reference chord.