Five strings, one surprise
Standard bluegrass banjo tuning is Open G — written low to high as g4–D3–G3–B3–D4. Strummed open, it rings a G major chord. The surprise is the 5th string, written with a lowercase g: it’s a short drone string that starts at the fifth fret and runs to its own little peg, tuned to G4 — the highest pitch on the whole instrument despite being called the “5th” string. This tuner reads it exactly like any other note — pluck it and check the letter, octave and cents same as the rest.
- G45th string · short drone, highest pitch!392.00 Hz
- D34th string · lowest pitch146.83 Hz
- G33rd string196.00 Hz
- B32nd string246.94 Hz
- D41st string293.66 Hz
Tap a tone, then tune your string until the two sounds merge — or play each string into the tuner above and center the needle.
Tuning order
- Tune the four long strings first: D3 → G3 → B3 → D4. Check the letter before the needle — the 1st and 4th strings are both D, an octave apart, so the octave display is what keeps them straight.
- Tune the 5th string to G4 last. Its short scale makes it twitchy — small peg moves, and check it twice. Friction pegs on the 5th string are notorious for slipping right after you let go.
- Strum all five open and listen for a clean G major chord. If it sounds sour only when fretted (fine when open), that’s a bridge position problem, not a tuning one — the bridge is held on by string pressure alone and can creep out of place.
Beyond Open G
The same tuner handles every other banjo tuning too — double C (g–C–G–C–D) for old-time fiddle tunes, D tuning (f♯–D–F♯–A–D), and G modal “sawmill” (g–D–G–C–D). It’s chromatic, so it names whatever note it hears; just aim each string at your target and center the needle. For the full write-up — including the 5th-string-won’t-hold-tune fix and how mandolin tuning compares — see our mandolin & banjo tuning guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a real banjo tuner, or just a generic app?
It’s a chromatic tuner — it names any note it hears rather than only recognizing five fixed targets, which means it works for Open G, double C, D tuning, or anything else you play, including the 5th-string drone. No banjo-specific mode is needed because the dial already reads letter, octave and cents for every note there is.
My 5th string won't hold its tuning. Is that normal?
Very common — most banjos use a friction peg there, which holds by pressure alone. Push it firmly inward while turning, like a violin peg. If it still slips, the small screw in the peg’s end is usually loose; tightening it often fixes things for good, and a geared 5th-string peg is a cheap, permanent upgrade if it keeps happening.
Do I need to install an app, or does this work in the browser?
Everything runs right on this page through your browser’s microphone — no install, no account, no ads. It works the same on a phone, tablet or computer, and the reference tones above also work with no microphone at all if you’d rather tune by ear.