Octave Mandolin tuner – Standard (GDAE)
G-G-D-D-A-A-E-E · Standard
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 Octave Mandolin is to Standard (GDAE) tuning (G-G-D-D-A-A-E-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 Standard (GDAE) tuning
Standard (GDAE) is the reference tuning for the Octave Mandolin – 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-G-D-D-A-A-E-E – from G2 at the bottom to E4 at the top, a span of 1 octave and 9 semitones.
The octave mandolin is tuned GDAE like a mandolin, an octave lower. It occupies the space between the mandolin and the bouzouki, and in Irish and Scottish bands it usually plays the role of a rhythm instrument with a melodic voice available when needed.
The longer scale makes the fifths a genuine stretch. Many players use a partial capo or simply accept that some mandolin fingerings have to be rethought.
History
Octave Mandolin
The octave mandolin, tuned an octave below the mandolin, was part of the mandolin orchestras of the early 20th century, where it filled the tenor register between mandola and mandocello. In Britain and Ireland the same instrument is often called an octave mandola.
It returned in the 1970s with the Irish and British folk revival. Luthiers such as Stefan Sobell built flat-topped octave mandolins, citterns and bouzoukis for players who wanted a deeper instrument than the mandolin with the same fingering, and the boundaries between these instruments have stayed blurry ever since.
Where the Standard (GDAE) tuning comes from
G-D-A-E an octave below the mandolin is the tuning of the octave mandolin, established in the mandolin orchestras of the early 20th century and revived in the folk music of the 1970s.
Other Octave Mandolin tunings
Standard
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my Octave Mandolin to Standard (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-G-D-D-A-A-E-E).
Which notes are used in Standard (GDAE) tuning?
Standard (GDAE) tuning for Octave Mandolin uses the notes G-G-D-D-A-A-E-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.