Viola
Authority: Equal Temperament Pitch Frequency Table
Standard viola tuning uses four strings in perfect fifths, low to high: C3, G3, D4, and A4. At A440 concert pitch these correspond to 130.81 Hz, 196.00 Hz, 293.66 Hz, and 440.00 Hz -- one perfect fifth below the violin's tuning and one octave above the cello's.
| String # | Note Name | Scientific Pitch | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (Thickest) | C | C3 | 130.81 Hz |
| 3 | G | G3 | 196.00 Hz |
| 2 | D | D4 | 293.66 Hz |
| 1 (Thinnest) | A | A4 | 440.00 Hz |
History & Tuning Logic
The viola is the alto voice of the violin family, tuned a perfect fifth below the violin's G3-D4-A4-E5 and an octave above the cello's C2-G2-D3-A3 -- sharing the same C-G-D-A pitch classes as the cello, just an octave higher. Like its family members, it emerged alongside the violin in 16th-century Italy and kept the same fifths-based interval structure between its four strings.
That consistent use of fifths across violin, viola, and cello isn't incidental: strings tuned a fifth apart share closely related overtones, so adjacent strings resonate sympathetically with each other and reinforce the instrument's overall tone. The double bass breaks from this pattern -- tuned in fourths rather than fifths -- making the viola's tuning scheme representative of the violin family's shared acoustic logic rather than the exception.