Lightweight Tuning,
Perfectly Simple

CentiGrade is a lightweight, fast, and accurate chromatic tuner for musicians who know what they want.

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A
440.0 Hz
0 cents

Quick Start Guide

1

Grant Microphone Access

When you first open CentiGrade, you'll be asked to allow microphone access. This is required for the app to hear your instrument. If you accidentally denied access, you can enable it in Settings → Privacy → Microphone.

2

Select Your Tuning

Tap the tuning preset button in the top-left corner to choose your instrument's tuning. Options include Chromatic (all notes), Guitar Standard, Bass Standard, and more. You can also create custom tunings.

3

Play a Note

Play a single note on your instrument. The app will display the detected note name, octave, and frequency. The cents meter shows how far you are from perfect pitch.

4

Tune to Perfection

Adjust your instrument until the cents meter shows 0 (or close to it). When you're within ±5 cents, the display will glow green to indicate you're in tune!

💡 Pro Tips

  • Quiet Environment: For best results, tune in a quiet space to minimize background noise.
  • Play Clearly: Play notes cleanly and let them ring out. Avoid playing multiple strings at once.
  • Adjust Sensitivity: If the tuner is too jumpy or not responsive enough, adjust the sensitivity in Settings.
  • Visual Modes: Try the rolling trace mode to see your pitch stability over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "cent" is a unit of musical pitch. There are 100 cents in a semitone (the distance between two adjacent notes). When tuning, 0 cents means you're perfectly in tune. Positive cents means you're sharp (too high), and negative cents means you're flat (too low).

There are a few common reasons:

  • Microphone Permission: Make sure you've granted microphone access to the app.
  • Volume: Play louder or move your device closer to the instrument.
  • Background Noise: Try tuning in a quieter environment.
  • Sensitivity: Increase the sensitivity setting in the Settings menu.
  • Note Range: The tuner works best with notes above 30 Hz.

Tap the tuning preset button in the top-left, then tap "Create New Tuning" at the bottom of the menu. Enter a name for your tuning and add the notes you want (e.g., "D2", "A2", "D3", etc.). The tuner will then snap to these specific notes when you play.

Rolling Trace Mode: Shows a scrolling graph of your pitch over time, helping you see pitch stability and trends. Great for understanding how stable your tuning is.

Wave Mode: Shows a simple waveform visualization. More traditional and less distracting.

You can switch between modes in the Settings menu.

This usually happens when:

  • Multiple strings are ringing (mute the others)
  • There's background noise interfering
  • The note is decaying (play it again)
  • Sensitivity is too high (lower it in Settings)

Try increasing the "Smoothing Speed" setting for more stable readings.

Absolutely! CentiGrade works with any pitched sound source. Use the "Chromatic" tuning mode for vocals, wind instruments, or any instrument where you want to see all notes. It's perfect for pitch training and vocal exercises.

Yes! CentiGrade processes all audio locally on your device. No audio data is ever sent to external servers. Your custom tunings and settings are stored only on your device using secure local storage.

Need More Help?

Can't find what you're looking for? Send us a message and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.