text: how do you tune a violin?   it depends if you are playing solo or with a piano accompaniment. if you are playing solo, you would use a tuning fork (440 hz)to tune your "a" string. then, you would use your "a" string as a reference to tune the other strings. the strings on a violin are "g" "d" "a" and "e". basically, the pitch of the strings is in ascending fifth. you want to try to tune to a perfect fifth: ie. "g and d" "d and a" and "a and e".   with a piano accompaniment, you tune to the a above the middle c on the piano. and use that as your reference.