Gaohu tuner – Standard (G-D)
G-D · Standard
This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows how close each string of your Gaohu is to Standard (G-D) tuning (G-D). 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-D) tuning
Standard (G-D) is the reference tuning for the Gaohu – 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-D – from G4 at the bottom to D5 at the top, a span of 7 semitones. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fifth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
Strummed open, the strings spell G5 – root and fifth with no third, so the tuning stays neutral between major and minor.
The gaohu is the high huqin, tuned G-D a fourth above the erhu, and it is the lead voice of Cantonese music. It was developed in the 1920s from the erhu, and its small resonator is traditionally held between the knees, which damps it and gives the bright, slightly nasal tone the style is known for.
Its top string sits around D5, so the pitch detector has an easy time with it; the harder part is that the strings are short and very tight, and a tiny turn of the peg moves the pitch a long way. Tune in small steps.
History
Gaohu
The gaohu (“high huqin”) was developed in the 1920s by Lü Wencheng (1898–1981), a musician in Shanghai and Guangzhou, who raised the pitch of the erhu, used steel strings and held the sound box between his knees to damp it. The result was the bright, piercing lead voice of Cantonese music (guangdong yinyue).
Lü's own compositions, such as “Autumn Moon over a Calm Lake” (Pinghu Qiuyue), are still the core of its repertoire. The gaohu leads Cantonese opera ensembles and plays the top line of the huqin section in the modern Chinese orchestra.
Where the Standard (G-D) tuning comes from
G-D, a fourth above the erhu, is the standard gaohu tuning, established by Lü Wencheng in the 1920s for Cantonese music.
Other Gaohu tunings
Standard
How do I tune my Gaohu to Standard (G-D)?
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).
Which notes are used in Standard (G-D) tuning?
Standard (G-D) tuning for Gaohu uses the notes G-D, 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.