Stemmingen følger referansetonen.

In Norwegian, -en is the usual definite singular ending for many masculine nouns.

So:

• stemming = tuning
• stemmingen = the tuning

and:

• referansetone = reference tone / reference pitch
• referansetonen = the reference tone / the reference pitch

Unlike English, Norwegian often puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

The base form is å følge, which means to follow.

Here are the forms:

• å følge = to follow
• følger = follow / follows (present tense)

Norwegian verbs do not change depending on the subject the way English verbs do. So the same form følger is used with jeg, du, han, vi, etc. in the present tense.

Examples:

• Jeg følger = I follow
• Hun følger = she follows
• De følger = they follow

Because Norwegian usually expresses definiteness by attaching it to the noun itself.

So instead of saying something like the tuning with a separate article, Norwegian says:

• stemmingen = the tuning
• referansetonen = the reference tone

This is one of the most important differences from English.

No. stemming can mean different things depending on context.

Common meanings include:

• tuning (music, instruments)
• mood / atmosphere in other contexts

For example:

• God stemning = good atmosphere / good vibes
• Stemmingen av gitaren = the tuning of the guitar

In this sentence, because of referansetonen (the reference tone/pitch), the musical meaning is clearly intended.

Yes. Norwegian very often joins nouns into one word.

Here:

• referanse = reference
• tone = tone / note / pitch

Together:

• referansetone = reference tone / reference pitch
• referansetonen = the reference tone / the reference pitch

This is very normal in Norwegian. Where English may use two words, Norwegian often prefers one compound word.

Because å følge often takes a direct object in Norwegian, just like to follow in English.

So:

• Stemmingen følger referansetonen
  = The tuning follows the reference tone

There is no need for a preposition like after or according to here.

That said, in other contexts Norwegian may use different structures depending on meaning, but with følge meaning follow, a direct object is very common.

The sentence has the normal main-clause word order:

• Stemmingen = subject
• følger = verb
• referansetonen = object

So it follows the basic pattern:

Subject + Verb + Object

This is very similar to English in a simple statement.

Mainly from the sentence structure and meaning.

In a normal Norwegian main clause, the subject usually comes before the verb, and the object comes after it:

• Stemmingen = the thing doing the action
• følger = the action
• referansetonen = the thing being followed

So the grammar tells you:

The tuning follows the reference tone.

The ø sound does not exist in standard English, so it can be tricky.

A rough guide:

• følger is approximately pronounced like FUHL-ger or FURL-ger, but neither spelling is perfect.
• The ø is a rounded front vowel: you shape your lips somewhat as if saying o, but try to place the tongue more like for e.

Also:

• the g in følger is pronounced
• the word has two syllables: føl-ger

If you are learning pronunciation, ø is worth practicing separately because it appears in many common Norwegian words.

Yes, depending on context.

Possible translations include:

• The tuning follows the reference tone.
• The tuning matches the reference pitch.
• The tuning is based on the reference tone.

The exact best translation depends on the situation. If this is about tuning an instrument, English might naturally prefer reference pitch rather than reference tone in some contexts.

Yes, grammatically you can, but the meaning becomes less specific.

• tonen = the tone / the note / the pitch
• referansetonen = the reference tone / the reference pitch

So referansetonen tells us it is a specific tone used as a standard or guide. If you say only tonen, that extra idea is lost.

Yes, it is grammatical and understandable, especially in a technical or musical context.

It sounds a bit formal or specialized because of the word referansetonen. In everyday speech, people might sometimes choose a simpler phrasing depending on context, but the sentence itself is perfectly natural if you are talking about tuning relative to a reference pitch.