Flute Tuner

Flute tuning notes

Tuning note	Alto flute in G reads	Concert pitch	Frequency (A4 = 440)
Orchestra tuning note	D5	A4	440.00 Hz
Band tuning note	E♭5	B♭4	466.16 Hz
Check the octave	D6	A5	880.00 Hz
Low register check	B♭4	F4	349.23 Hz

Concert pitch vs written pitch

The flute is a concert-pitch (C) instrument: the note you read is the note that sounds, so the tuner shows exactly what is on your page. If you play alto flute, choose Alto flute in G and the tuner will show the note you read, a perfect fourth above what sounds.

How to tune a flute with this tuner

Warm up for a couple of minutes first — a cold flute plays flat and rises as it warms.
Press Start tuner, allow the microphone and hold the flute about 30–50 cm from your phone or laptop.
Play a long, relaxed A (orchestra) or B♭ (concert band) at a comfortable mezzo-forte.
If the needle is left of centre you are flat: push the headjoint in. If it is right of centre you are sharp: pull it out. Move it a millimetre or two at a time.
Check a low note and the same note an octave higher. If the high octave is sharp, you may be overblowing or rolling the flute out.

Flute tuning tips

Start with a small pull

Most flutes play in tune with the headjoint pulled out roughly 2–5 mm. Mark your usual spot with a pencil line or tape.

Embouchure changes pitch

Rolling the flute in or blowing more downward lowers the pitch; rolling out or blowing harder raises it. Tune with your normal, relaxed tone.

Dynamics

Flutes go sharp when loud and flat when soft. Tune at a medium volume, then practise long tones at different dynamics with the tuner on.

Piccolo

Piccolo music is written an octave lower than it sounds. The tuner shows the sounding note, so a written A will read as A one octave up — the letter name is what matters.

Tune by ear with reference notes

No microphone? Press a reference note above to hear it for three seconds and match it, listening for the "beats" (a wobble) to slow down and disappear. The buttons are labelled with the note you read in the selected setting, with the concert pitch underneath.

FAQ

What note does a flute tune to?

Orchestral flutists usually tune to A4 (440 Hz, or 442 in many orchestras). In concert band the tuning note is usually concert B♭4 (466.16 Hz). Both work with this tuner.

Is the flute a transposing instrument?

No. The C flute sounds the written pitch, so no transposition is needed. Alto flute (in G) and bass flute are transposing; choose the matching setting above.

Why is my flute flat?

Usually because it is cold, the headjoint is pulled out too far, or the embouchure is covering too much of the hole. Warm up, push the headjoint in slightly and check again.

Can I use this as a piccolo tuner?

Yes. The piccolo sounds an octave above written, so the octave number will be one higher than on your music, but the note name and the cents reading are correct.