Fine Tuna, a tuning and temperament-exploration app created by harpsichordist and conductor Jeffrey Grossman, is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Developed from the practical needs of an early-music performer, the app brings together instrument tuning, historical temperament references, and tools for exploring how tuning choices affect the music.
Fine Tuna includes 40 built-in temperaments, adjustable reference pitch, and the ability to create, transpose, and share custom temperaments. It supports distinct enharmonic pitches—such as separate C-sharps and D-flats in meantone—and offers customizable tuning displays, including several styles of strobe.
For performers, teachers, and students, the built-in keyboard and Temperament Explorer provide a way to investigate tuning systems by ear and eye. Users can hear the same chord progression in different temperaments, compare the sizes of thirds and fifths, and explore how a temperament’s character changes from key to key, without retuning a physical instrument. Historical background and source references accompany the temperament library.
The app also includes tools for practicing and evaluating intonation. Passage Review lets musicians record a short passage, listen back to individual notes, and examine pitch tendencies across a phrase. These tools extend its use beyond keyboard tuning to instrumental practice and teaching.
Fine Tuna is free to download, with additional features available through a Fine Tuna Pro subscription. More information, demonstrations, and download links for the App Store and Google Play are available at finetuna.app.
