4-String Banjo tuner – Irish Tenor (GDAE)
G-D-A-E · Alternative
Press “Start tuner” – the browser will ask for microphone access. Sound is analysed on this device and never uploaded.
This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows how close each string of your 4-String Banjo is to Irish Tenor (GDAE) tuning (G-D-A-E). 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 Irish Tenor (GDAE) tuning
Compared with Tenor Standard (CGDA), Irish Tenor (GDAE) moves 4 strings. Every change is downward, the largest by 5 semitones, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Tenor Standard (CGDA).
| String | Tenor Standard (CGDA) | Irish Tenor (GDAE) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C3 | G2 | down 5 semitones |
| 2 | G3 | D3 | down 5 semitones |
| 3 | D4 | A3 | down 5 semitones |
| 4 | A4 | E4 | down 5 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound G-D-A-E – from G2 at the bottom to E4 at the top, a span of 1 octave and 9 semitones. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fifth, a fifth, a fifth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
Irish tenor tuning, GDAE, is the octave-below-a-fiddle tuning, and it is what most tenor banjo players in Irish traditional music actually use. Every fiddle tune transfers to the banjo note for note without rethinking a single fingering.
It is a full tone below standard tenor tuning, so it wants heavier strings; sets sold specifically for Irish tenor exist for exactly this reason.
History
Where the Irish Tenor (GDAE) tuning comes from
Irish tenor tuning, G-D-A-E, is an octave below the fiddle, so Irish players can use fiddle fingerings. Barney McKenna of the Dubliners, from the 1960s, was the key figure in making the tenor banjo an Irish traditional instrument in this tuning.
Other 4-String Banjo tunings
Standard
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my 4-String Banjo to Irish Tenor (GDAE)?
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-D-A-E).
Which notes are used in Irish Tenor (GDAE) tuning?
Irish Tenor (GDAE) tuning for 4-String Banjo uses the notes G-D-A-E, 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.