Bandurria tuner – Standard (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A)
G#-C#-F#-B-E-A · Standard
This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows how close each string of your Bandurria is to Standard (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A) tuning (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A). Play a string, watch the needle, and turn the peg until the meter glows green. If you prefer tuning by ear, tap any string card to hear its reference tone.
About Standard (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A) tuning
Standard (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A) is the reference tuning for the Bandurria – the pitch the instrument normally ships at, and the starting point every other tuning on this page is measured from.
Played open, the strings sound G#-C#-F#-B-E-A – from G#3 at the bottom to A5 at the top, a span of 2 octaves and 1 semitone. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fourth, a fourth, a fourth, a fourth, a fourth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
The Spanish bandurria has six double courses tuned in fourths from G#: G#-C#-F#-B-E-A. That is the same interval pattern as a guitar in all fourths, and its top string sits an octave and a fourth above the guitar's, which is why it takes the melody in the rondalla and tuna ensembles.
It is played with a pick, usually in tremolo, and its short scale makes it very sensitive to temperature. The Philippine bandurria keeps the same tuning, so the reference works for both.
History
Bandurria
The name bandurria appears in Spain in the 16th century: the theorist Juan Bermudo described a small three-string bandurria in 1555. Over the following centuries it grew into the instrument known today, with a short neck, a teardrop body and six double courses, played with a pick.
In the 19th century the bandurria became the lead voice of Spanish plucked ensembles – the rondallas and the student tunas that still perform in university towns. Spanish colonists brought it to the Philippines, where it remains the melody instrument of the rondalla.
Where the Standard (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A) tuning comes from
G#-C#-F#-B-E-A, six courses in fourths, is the standard tuning of the Spanish bandurria. It became standard in the 19th century with the growth of rondallas and tunas.
Other Bandurria tunings
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my Bandurria to Standard (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A)?
Allow microphone access, pluck a string, and the tuner will detect it automatically. The needle shows whether the string is flat or sharp – adjust until the reading is within ±5 cents (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A).
Which notes are used in Standard (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A) tuning?
Standard (G#-C#-F#-B-E-A) tuning for Bandurria uses the notes G#-C#-F#-B-E-A, listed from the lowest string to the highest.
Can I tune without a microphone?
Yes. Every string card plays a reference tone – tap it and match your string to the sound by ear.