The note is low
The reed is too heavy or effectively too long
To raise the pitch, very carefully lighten the reed by removing a minute amount of material. Another option is a slight bend that shortens the effective vibrating length.
Free Brumlista tool
Online jaw harp tuner
Play one clean strike. The chromatic tuner finds the jaw harp fundamental, shows the deviation in cents and holds the result until your next strike.
Start tunerSimple measurement
Find the exact tuning of your jaw harp
A jaw harp does not produce a single frequency. A whole series of overtones sounds above the fundamental, and players emphasise them with the mouth, tongue and breath. This is why an ordinary meter may mistake a harmonic for the fundamental.
This tuner looks for the regular spacing of several harmonic peaks in the spectrum and checks the result against the waveform. Its controls remain as simple as those of a normal chromatic tuner.
Your microphone is processed only in your browser. Audio is not recorded, stored or sent to a server.
Chromatic tuner
–
– HzTarget – Hz
–cents
Play one clean note.
Holding the result. Play the next note.
Microphone signal–
How to measure
Three steps to a repeatable result
- 1
Start the tuner
Allow microphone access and let the tool briefly measure the room noise.
- 2
Play one clean strike
Do not use your voice or strongly shape the mouth. Keep the phone or microphone about 15–30 cm from the jaw harp.
- 3
Check the note again
The needle stops after a stable reading. Play the same note at least three times and look for a repeatable result.
Practical tuning
What a low or high reading means
Negative cents mean the jaw harp sounds below the nearest note. Positive cents mean it sounds above it. Make only minute adjustments and measure again after every step.
The note is centred
Within ±5 cents is very good for normal playing
Individual strikes may differ slightly. A repeatable result from several equally strong strikes matters more than a single number.
The note is high
The reed is too light or effectively too short
To lower the pitch, add material to the reed or bend it very gently farther from the root so that its effective length increases.
Removed metal cannot be put back, and repeated bending may fatigue or damage the reed. If you are unsure about the construction of your instrument, contact its maker or an experienced tuner.
Why the reading holds
A steady needle instead of wandering numbers
After a strike, the tuner briefly compares several matching readings, removes isolated octave errors and only then locks the result. The value remains visible after the sound decays. A new strike starts a new reading.
Frequently asked questions
Jaw harp tuning without unnecessary confusion
Answers about measuring the fundamental, using the microphone and adjusting the reed.
What does the tuner measure on a jaw harp?
It finds the fundamental frequency of the vibrating reed and assigns it to the nearest note of the chromatic scale. It also shows the exact frequency in hertz and the deviation in cents.
Why does an ordinary tuner sometimes show the wrong octave?
A jaw harp contains many strong overtones and its fundamental may be quieter. A simple detector may therefore label the second or another harmonic. This tuner looks for the spacing of several harmonic peaks and includes octave-error protection.
How should I play the jaw harp while measuring?
Play one straight, clean strike without using your voice or strongly shaping the mouth. Keep the microphone about 15–30 cm from the instrument, avoid draughts and verify each note with several strikes.
What does the deviation in cents mean?
One semitone contains 100 cents. A negative value is below the target and a positive value is above it. A reading within approximately ±5 cents is very good for normal playing.
Why does the needle stop after a strike?
A jaw harp decays quickly, and a live needle would begin following noise as the signal weakens. The tuner confirms several matching readings, holds the result and updates it after the next strike.
How do I raise a jaw harp that is tuned too low?
Lighten the reed by removing a minute amount of material, or adjust its bend so that the effective vibrating length becomes shorter. Work in very small steps and measure after every adjustment.
How do I lower a jaw harp that is tuned too high?
The reed can be weighted by adding material or bent very gently farther from the root to increase its effective length. The exact procedure depends on the construction of the instrument.
Does the tuner work with bass jaw harps?
Yes. Its range begins at approximately 28 Hz, covering deep instruments around C1. Let a bass jaw harp sound cleanly and take several readings.
Is microphone audio stored?
No. Analysis happens only in browser memory. The page does not record audio, send it to a server or save the result in your account or browser.