Lowest string on the left. Each tone keeps sounding until you tap it again or pick another string. Headphones help: most laptop and phone speakers cannot play a bass's lowest notes, so you mainly hear their overtones.
Bass Tuning Chart
| Tuning | Strings | Notes (low → high) | Select |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard 4-string | 4 | E1 A1 D2 G2 | |
| Drop D | 4 | D1 A1 D2 G2 | |
| ½ Step Down | 4 | D#1 G#1 C#2 F#2 | |
| Full Step Down | 4 | D1 G1 C2 F2 | |
| Drop C | 4 | C1 G1 C2 F2 | |
| BEAD 4-string | 4 | B0 E1 A1 D2 | |
| Standard 5-string | 5 | B0 E1 A1 D2 G2 | |
| 5-string High C | 5 | E1 A1 D2 G2 C3 | |
| Standard 6-string | 6 | B0 E1 A1 D2 G2 C3 |
About Bass Tuning Notes
Guitar Tool Hub's bass tuning notes page plays the exact pitch of every string for 9 bass tunings, so you can tune a 4, 5 or 6-string bass by ear with no microphone. Tap a string and its tone keeps sounding while you turn the tuning peg; when the two pitches match, the slow wobble (beating) between them stops. Each string shows its note, octave and frequency in hertz at standard concert pitch (A4 = 440 Hz). The tones are synthesized at the exact equal-tempered frequency rather than sampled, so they are precise references.
- 019 tunings: standard 4, 5 and 6-string, Drop D, Drop C, half step down, full step down, BEAD, 5-string high C
- 02Sustained reference tone for each string — tap to start, tap to stop
- 03Note name, octave and frequency (Hz) for every string
- 04Exact equal-tempered pitch at A4 = 440 Hz
- 05Bass tuning chart of every tuning
- 06Sharp or flat note names
- 07No microphone needed
Frequently Asked Questions
Standard 4-string bass tuning is E A D G, from the thickest string to the thinnest: E1 (41.20 Hz), A1 (55.00 Hz), D2 (73.42 Hz) and G2 (98.00 Hz). These are the same notes as the four lowest guitar strings, one octave lower. A 5-string adds a low B0 (30.87 Hz) below the E, and a 6-string adds a high C3 (130.81 Hz) above the G.
B E A D G, from the thickest string to the thinnest: B0 (30.87 Hz), E1 (41.20 Hz), A1 (55.00 Hz), D2 (73.42 Hz) and G2 (98.00 Hz). It is a 4-string bass with a low B added below the E. A 5-string tuned high C drops the B and adds a C3 (130.81 Hz) above the G instead: E A D G C.
On a standard 4-string it is the open E, E1, at 41.20 Hz. A 5 or 6-string bass goes down to the low B, B0, at 30.87 Hz, and Drop C takes a 4-string down to C1 at 32.70 Hz. Drop D lowers the E string a whole step, to D1 at 36.71 Hz.
It is standard tuning lowered a half step on every string: E flat, A flat, D flat and G flat. It is listed here as half step down. The shapes you play do not change, but everything sounds a half step lower, which is why it is popular for heavier rock and for matching a singer or a guitarist who tunes down.
Drop D lowers only the E string a whole step, to D1 (36.71 Hz): D A D G. Drop C tunes the whole bass down a whole step and then drops the lowest string another whole step: C G C F, with the low C1 at 32.70 Hz. In both, the lowest string is a 5th below the next one, so a power chord or a root and 5th is a single finger across the bottom two strings. Both are in the tuning list here, with a reference tone for every string.
Tap a string to start its reference tone, then play the same open string on your bass and turn its tuning peg. When the two pitches are close you will hear a slow wobble, called beating; it slows down as you get closer and stops when the string is in tune. Tap the tone again to stop it, and repeat for each string.
No. This page does not listen to your bass — there is no microphone. It plays an exact reference pitch for each string so you can match it by ear. For a tuner that listens through your microphone, use the Bass Tuner. For a quick check between strings you can also use the 5th-fret method: the 5th fret of each string should sound the same note as the next string up.
9 tunings: Standard 4-string (E A D G), Drop D (D A D G), half step down (E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat), full step down (D G C F), Drop C (C G C F), BEAD 4-string (B E A D), Standard 5-string (B E A D G), 5-string high C (E A D G C) and Standard 6-string (B E A D G C).
Small speakers cannot reproduce frequencies as low as a bass's open E (41.2 Hz) or low B (30.9 Hz). The reference tone is built with overtones so your ear still hears the right pitch, but headphones or a proper speaker make tuning the lowest strings much easier.
Each tone is synthesized at the exact equal-tempered frequency for standard concert pitch, A4 = 440 Hz, and the frequency is shown on every string to two decimal places.
Yes — completely free. No account, no download and no payment.