How Chromatic Tuning Works
This tuner uses autocorrelation โ a signal processing technique that compares a waveform against time-shifted copies of itself to find repeating patterns. The period of that repetition gives the fundamental frequency. It's the same math that powers pitch correction in professional studios.
Equal Temperament & Cents
Modern Western music uses equal temperament โ the octave divided into 12 equally-spaced semitones, where each is a frequency ratio of 2^(1/12) โ 1.0595. A cent is 1/100th of a semitone โ a unit fine enough to measure tuning accuracy that the ear can't distinguish. Most people perceive differences under ยฑ5 cents as "in tune." The gauge above maps your pitch to ยฑ50 cents from the nearest note.
Why Guitars Drift Out of Tune
Temperature changes alter string tension โ metal contracts in cold and expands in heat. New strings stretch. Aggressive bending fatigues the windings. And even a perfectly-tuned guitar has intonation issues: if the bridge saddle position isn't precise, notes higher up the fretboard will be sharp or flat even when open strings are perfect. This is physics, not user error.
Tips for Accurate Tuning
Tune in a quiet room โ background noise confuses pitch detection. Pluck near the 12th fret for a cleaner fundamental with fewer overtones. Always tune up to pitch (if sharp, go below and come back up) to take slack out of the tuning peg. And let the string ring โ the first few milliseconds of attack contain transients that can mislead the algorithm.