How to Tune a Cello With a Korg

This painting by Vermeer features a cello.

Although it has mostly classical music applications, the cello has its place in musical forms ranging from rock to jazz. It has a warm, vocal tonal range which makes it a good choice for a variety of different compositions. No matter what you play on or write for the cello, it must have the proper tuning. Korg manufactures a wide range of electrical tuners for acoustic instruments. With the right technique, you can tune a cello with a Korg tuner.

Things You'll Need

• Korg contact microphone
• Korg CA1

Instructions

1. Connect the 1/4-inch end of a Korg contact microphone into the "Input" jack of a Korg CA1 chromatic tuner.

2. Clip the contact microphone onto the edge of a cello's sound hole.

3. Press the red power button on the tuner, marked with a circle and a vertical line.

4. Bow an open string on the cello and check the note on the tuner's display.

5. Turn the string's corresponding tuner knob clockwise to lower the note or counter-clockwise to raise it. Continue this process until the correct note appears in the display and the center green LED light turns on. Repeat this process with the remaining strings.

Tips & Warnings

• Tune the string below the correct pitch and raise it to the correct pitch. This will help keep the string in tension and in tune. Standard cello tuning is C, G, D, A from low to high.

References

• Korg: CA1
• Cello Online: Tuning