Tune the Strings

Bass Guitar Tuner

Tune your bass guitar with your microphone or by ear: 4-string E A D G, 5-string B E A D G, or drop D.

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Press Start and allow the microphone. Audio stays on your device.

Bass string notes

4-string standard (E A D G)
NoteFrequency (A4 = 440 Hz)
E141.20 Hz
A155.00 Hz
D273.42 Hz
G298.00 Hz
5-string (B E A D G)
NoteFrequency (A4 = 440 Hz)
B030.87 Hz
E141.20 Hz
A155.00 Hz
D273.42 Hz
G298.00 Hz
Drop D (D A D G)
NoteFrequency (A4 = 440 Hz)
D136.71 Hz
A155.00 Hz
D273.42 Hz
G298.00 Hz

Listed in the same order as the string buttons in the tuner.

How to tune a bass with this tuner

  1. Choose your tuning, press Start tuner and allow the microphone.
  2. An acoustic or unplugged electric bass is quiet: hold the body close to the microphone, or play through an amp at low volume.
  3. Pluck one string with your thumb or fingers and let it ring. Use the 12th-fret harmonic for a cleaner, steadier reading.
  4. Turn the tuning machine until the needle is centred. Retune all strings once more.

Bass tuning tips

Use harmonics

Lightly touch the string above the 12th fret and pluck: the harmonic is an octave higher and has fewer messy overtones, so tuners lock on faster.

Very low notes and small speakers

Phone and laptop speakers can't reproduce a bass's low reference tones well, so tuning by ear with the reference buttons works best on headphones.

Tune by ear with reference notes

No microphone? Press any string button above to play its note for three seconds, then adjust the string until the two sounds stop "beating" (wobbling) against each other. Headphones or decent speakers make low notes much easier to hear.

FAQ

What are the notes of a 4-string bass?

E1 (41.2 Hz), A1 (55 Hz), D2 (73.42 Hz) and G2 (98 Hz) — the same notes as the four lowest guitar strings, one octave lower.

Can a phone microphone hear a bass guitar?

Yes. Microphones pick up the overtones of low strings and the tuner works out the true note from them, but an unplugged electric bass is quiet, so hold it close.

Does this work for an upright (double) bass?

Yes. A double bass in orchestral tuning uses the same notes as a 4-string bass guitar: E1 A1 D2 G2.

Other tuners