Chromatic Tuner

Hold your instrument up to the microphone and Chromatic Tuner immediately shows you the detected pitch, how far you are from the nearest note, and whether you need to go sharp or flat. It works with anything that produces a sustained tone — guitar, bass, violin, ukulele, brass, woodwinds, even a singing voice. The needle-style display updates in real time, so you can make small adjustments and watch the reading settle as you get closer to center.

Because it listens through your device's microphone rather than a cable, background noise matters. A quieter room gives you more reliable readings, especially for lower-pitched instruments where harmonics can confuse the detector. It's a browser app with no installation, so it loads fast when you need it between sets or during a practice session. If you enjoy making music in the browser, the creative apps category has more tools worth exploring, and Piano is worth a look if you want to play or cross-reference notes by ear.

Works best on a phone or tablet held close to the instrument's sound hole or bell.