Mandolin Tuning: Standard GDAE and How to Tune the String Pairs

Standard mandolin tuning is G D A E, from the lowest string to the highest: G3, D4, A4 and E5. That's the same as a violin. The difference is that a mandolin has eight strings in four pairs (courses), and both strings in each pair are tuned to the same note. Tune the two strings of a pair separately, then check that they sound as one note with no wobble.

Standard tuning notes

The strings are a perfect fifth apart, like a violin, fiddle or viola family instrument. The 2nd course is the A4 = 440 Hz reference pitch from ISO 16.

How to tune a mandolin step by step

1. Open Struno and choose the mandolin, set to standard GDAE, or use chromatic mode.
2. Start with the G course. Pick only one of the two strings: rest a finger on the other or pick very close to it.
3. Turn its peg until the tuner reads G3 in the centre, approaching the note from below.
4. Tune the second string of the pair the same way.
5. Pick both together. If you hear a slow "wah-wah" beating, one is slightly off: adjust the second string until the beating stops.
6. Repeat for D, A and E, then do a second pass.

Which peg is which?

On an A-style or F-style mandolin, the four pegs on the upper side of the headstock usually hold the G and D courses, the four on the lower side hold A and E. Pluck a string while turning a peg slightly to confirm before you go far: turning the wrong peg is the most common way to break an E string.

Tuning by ear

The mandolin is tuned in fifths, so the "5th fret" trick from guitar becomes the 7th fret:

• G string at the 7th fret = D: match the open D course.
• D string at the 7th fret = A: match the open A course.
• A string at the 7th fret = E: match the open E course.

Tune the G course to a reference first, then work up.

Other mandolin tunings

• Cross tunings (e.g. A E A E, A D A E) are used for old-time fiddle tunes.
• Mandola (C G D A) and octave mandolin (G D A E an octave lower) are related instruments with their own tunings.

For these, use Struno's chromatic mode: it shows any note and how many cents you are off.

Chords and keeping it in tune

Fifths tuning makes chord shapes compact. Struno's chord library includes mandolin chords with diagrams in every key, useful when a song sheet only lists chord names.

Mandolins drift for the same reasons as other acoustic instruments: new strings stretching, temperature and humidity changes, and a floating bridge that can shift. If the bridge moves, intonation goes off even when the open strings are in tune.

FAQ

Is mandolin tuning the same as violin?

Yes. Both are G D A E, low to high. Fiddle players can read the same notes on a mandolin, though the mandolin has frets and string pairs.

Why does my mandolin sound out of tune when the tuner says it's fine?

Usually the two strings of a pair are slightly different from each other. Tune each string separately, then check the pair together for beating.

Do both strings in a pair have the same gauge?

On a standard mandolin, yes: both strings of each course are the same gauge and tuned in unison.