Mandolin · 8 STRINGS
Mandolin Cross A Tuning
A E A E, low to high — 2 of the 4 strings move from standard.
How to tune
Getting into Cross A
Work down the list in order — each string's tension moves the ones already set.
Allow microphone access
Asked once. Detection runs on your device; nothing is uploaded.
Play one string at a time
Let it ring open. A strummed chord gives the detector several pitches.
Centre the needle
Sharp means loosen, flat means tighten. Inside three cents is in tune.
Work up from string 4, one at a time
The lowest string carries the most tension, so setting it first means the rest hold. The panel below lists every target in that order.
Run through every string once more
Setting one string drifts the rest; the second pass makes it hold.
Changing from Standard
2 strings a whole step up
The other 2 strings keep their standard pitch.
Each bar shows how far that string sits from standard tuning. Select a string in Note Locking above to hold the tuner on it while you turn the peg.
About this tuning
About Cross A Tuning
Mandolin Cross A tuning sets the 4 strings to A3 E4 A4 E5, listed from the lowest-pitched string up.
Compared with standard tuning it moves string 3 from D4 to E4 (a whole step up) and string 4 from G3 to A3 (a whole step up). The other 2 strings stay where they are.
Also known as
- AEAE tuning
Note frequencies
Cross A string frequencies
The 4 open strings of Mandolin Cross A, lowest first, at A4 = 440 Hz. Each one is the pitch the tuner is listening for — A3 is A in octave 3.
| Note | Also | Solfège | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | — | La | 220.00 Hz |
| E4 | — | Mi | 329.63 Hz |
| A4 | — | La | 440.00 Hz |
| E5 | — | Mi | 659.26 Hz |
Sharps and flats share a pitch on a tuner: C♯ and D♭ are the same frequency, and which name you use depends on the key you are in, not on what the meter reads.
Questions
Cross A tuning, answered
A E A E, low to high — 2 of the 4 strings move from standard. The 4 strings are tuned A3 E4 A4 E5, from the lowest-pitched string up.
It moves string 3 from D4 to E4, string 4 from G3 to A3. The remaining 2 strings stay at standard pitch.
Yes. The tuner on this page listens through your device microphone and compares what it hears against the exact frequencies for A3 E4 A4 E5. Play one string at a time in a quiet room, and let the note ring rather than strumming.
No. This Cross A tuner runs in your browser — there is nothing to download, nothing to install and no account to create. Allow microphone access when the browser asks and the tuner starts listening. It works the same way on a phone, a tablet and a desktop.
Related tunings
Where to go from Cross A
Each one is described as the move from Cross A, so you can see how far away it is before you commit to turning a peg.