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Free online sitar tuner
A tuner for the sitar's seven playing strings, four presets, right in your browser.
- No account
- No ads
- Nothing to install
In short
To tune a sitar online, allow the microphone, pick Sitar and tune the seven main strings. In standard tuning (Sa = C), the targets run from G2 (98 Hz) to C5 (523.25 Hz). Center the needle within ±5 cents. The sympathetic strings (taraf) have no preset.
- 4 tunings: standard Sa = C, Vilayat Khan gharana, surbahar (one octave lower) and Sa = A.
- Standard: C5, C5, G4, C4, G3, C3, G2 (98 Hz) on the seven main strings.
- Sa = A: the highest string rises to A5, 880 Hz.
- In-tune zone of ±5 cents, free, no account.
The Jam Jam sitar tuner listens through your microphone and tells you, in real time, which note is sounding and how far sharp or flat you are, across the seven main strings. With Sa on C, the standard preset targets C5, C5, G4, C4, G3, C3, G2: the tonic and fifth across octaves. Three more presets: the Vilayat Khan gharana with an F3, the surbahar an octave lower, and Sa on A for a higher voice. In-tune zone at ±5 cents, cents to the unit, frequency to a tenth of a hertz.
How to tune a sitar
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Allow the microphone
Open the tuner, pick Sitar and grant mic access: the audio is analysed on your device, nothing is uploaded.
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Choose your Sa
Pick Sa = C, the Vilayat Khan preset, surbahar, or Sa = A depending on your instrument and your voice.
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Tune the main strings one by one
Pluck each of the seven playing strings open; the tuner locks onto the nearest and shows the target, tonic or fifth.
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Use chromatic mode for the rest
Strings not covered by the preset can be tuned in chromatic mode, which names any pitch you play.
How to tune a sitar
- Pick the tuning from your Sa: Sa = C (standard), or Sa = A for a higher voice.
- Tune the main playing string (baj tar) first, then the drone and rhythm strings (chikari).
- Sitar pegs hold by friction: turn while pushing inwards, then fine-tune with the bridge beads if your instrument has them.
- Then tune the sympathetic strings (taraf) to the raga, in chromatic mode: Jam Jam has no preset for them.
Sitar tunings: notes and frequencies
| Tuning | String 1 | String 2 | String 3 | String 4 | String 5 | String 6 | String 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (Sa = C) | C5523.25 Hz | C5523.25 Hz | G4392.00 Hz | C4261.63 Hz | G3196.00 Hz | C3130.81 Hz | G298.00 Hz |
| Vilayat Khan gharana | C5523.25 Hz | C5523.25 Hz | G4392.00 Hz | C4261.63 Hz | F3174.61 Hz | C3130.81 Hz | G298.00 Hz |
| Surbahar (one octave lower) | C4261.63 Hz | C4261.63 Hz | G3196.00 Hz | C3130.81 Hz | G298.00 Hz | C265.41 Hz | G149.00 Hz |
| Sa = A (high voice) | A5880.00 Hz | A5880.00 Hz | E5659.26 Hz | A4440.00 Hz | E4329.63 Hz | A3220.00 Hz | E3164.81 Hz |
A tuner that follows the sitar's own logic
Sa and Pa across octaves
The seven targets are the tonic and fifth at several octaves, exactly as the main strings are set, not a borrowed guitar layout.
Four presets, one instrument
Standard, Vilayat Khan, surbahar and Sa = A: change the preset, keep the same needle.
Reference note in a sitar voice
Every string plays its target note with a real sitar timbre, so you can check a string by ear before touching the peg.
Auto, manual or chromatic
It locks the nearest string by itself; one tap freezes a string, another returns to auto. Chromatic mode covers anything outside the presets.
Why this sitar tuner
- Seven playing strings, four presets from Sa = C to Sa = A
- ±5 cents to be in tune, cents to the unit and hertz to a tenth
- 100% free, in your browser, no sign-up and no ads
- Everything is computed on your side: nothing is uploaded
A single-purpose tuner site stops the moment you are in tune. Here the tuner is one tab among others in the Jam Jam notebook: import a song, transpose it, export it to PDF. Offline in the mobile app.
Open the tuner →Related guides
More Jam Jam tools
Sitar tuner FAQ
Is this sitar tuner free?
Completely: no account, no ads, nothing to install. It all runs in your browser, and the microphone audio is analysed on the spot. It is never sent to a server.
Which strings does the preset cover?
The seven main playing strings, set to the tonic and fifth across octaves. Other strings are not part of the preset: tune them in chromatic mode, which reads any pitch.
What changes in the Vilayat Khan preset?
One string moves from G3 to F3, matching that gharana's setup. Everything else stays on the tonic and fifth. The surbahar preset is the same standard pattern an octave lower.