The light shines on a wheel that spins at a precise speed. They are stroboscopes that flicker a light at the same frequency as the note. Some electronic tuners offer additional features, such as pitch calibration, temperament options, the sounding of a desired pitch through an amplifier plus speaker, and adjustable 'read-time' settings that affect how long the tuner takes to measure the pitch of the note.Īmong the most accurate tuning devices, strobe tuners work differently than regular electronic tuners. More complex tuners offer chromatic tuning for all 12 pitches of the equally tempered octave. The simplest tuners detect and display tuning only for a single pitch-often 'A' or 'E'-or for a small number of pitches, such as the six used in the standard tuning of a guitar (E,A,D,G,B,E). Instrument technicians and piano tuners typically use more expensive, accurate tuners. Tuners vary in size from units that fit in a pocket to 19' rack-mount units. More complex and expensive tuners indicate pitch more precisely. Since the early 2010s, software applications can turn a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer into a tuner. Simple tuners indicate-typically with an analog needle-dial, LEDs, or an LCD screen-whether a pitch is lower, higher, or equal to the desired pitch. 'Pitch' is the perceived fundamental frequency of a musical note, which is typically measured in Hertz. In music, an electronic tuner is a device that detects and displays the pitch of musical notes played on a musical instrument.

Pocket-sized Korg chromatic LCD tuner, with simulated analog indicator needle

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