Hear the pitch.
Land exactly in tune.

The meter shows pitch error in cents, where 100 cents equals one semitone. A steady reading within ±3 cents is treated as in tune. The result depends on microphone quality, room noise and how clearly the string is played, so use fresh strings and a quiet room when accuracy matters.

For the most stable result, loosen until the string is slightly flat, then approach the target by tuning up. This takes slack out of the tuner post and reduces the chance that the pitch slips after you finish.

Cents divide each semitone into 100 equal steps. A reading of −12 cents means the note is slightly flat; +12 means it is slightly sharp. Zero is the exact target pitch for the selected concert-pitch reference.

A plucked string contains several harmonics as well as its fundamental pitch. Pluck once near the middle of the string, mute the other strings and let the note ring. Moving away from fans, speakers and room noise also helps the tuner lock onto the fundamental.

No single string set or scale length suits every tuning. Raising strings above standard or tuning far below it can create unsafe tension, poor intonation or excessive looseness. Check the instrument maker’s guidance and use an appropriate string gauge; baritone and extended-low tunings often need a longer scale.

Start with one reference pitch, stop it, then play the matching string and decide whether your string sounds lower, matched or higher. Tune by ear mode asks for that judgement before revealing the cents meter, then explains the answer so you can connect the sound of flat and sharp pitch with the visual measurement.

A chromatic tuner identifies the closest note in the 12-note chromatic scale instead of expecting one particular string. It is useful for checking fretted notes, intonation, unfamiliar tunings and instruments not covered by a preset. Target-string mode is usually faster when you already know the tuning you want.

A polyphonic tuner analyses several string frequencies from one strum and shows which strings are flat, sharp or in tune at the same time. It is excellent for a fast whole-guitar check, but individual strings can mask one another—especially through a phone or laptop microphone—so finish any uncertain string in a monophonic target or strobe mode.

A strobe tuner turns the phase difference between the heard pitch and the target into visible motion. When the note is flat or sharp the bands drift in opposite directions; as the frequencies match, the pattern slows and appears stationary. Traditional mechanical strobes used a flashing light and a spinning disc, while this digital mode calculates the same phase relationship from the microphone signal.

A needle shows a filtered snapshot of pitch error. A strobe display accumulates tiny phase differences as motion, so a small persistent error remains visible instead of disappearing inside a steady-looking needle. That sensitivity is valuable for setup and intonation, although microphone noise, string attack and unstable sustain still limit the measurement.

Use Target strings for everyday tuning, Chromatic for any note, Polyphonic for a rapid six-string check, Strobe for fine adjustment and intonation, and Tune by ear when you want to develop pitch judgement. Linear, LED and Arrows change only the visual meter style; they use the same pitch measurement.