How to Tune a Bass Guitar (4, 5, and 6 String)

Standard tuning for a 4-string bass

The standard 4-string bass is tuned E, A, D, G, from the lowest and thickest string to the highest and thinnest. Those are the same note names as the lowest four strings of a guitar, but the bass sounds one octave lower. That octave is why a bass anchors a band the way it does.

From the thickest string to the thinnest, the order is:

• 4th string (lowest, thickest): E
• 3rd string: A
• 2nd string: D
• 1st string (highest, thinnest): G

A common way to remember the order is to say the notes out loud a few times while you pluck each string. After a week it becomes automatic.

The 5-string bass and its low B

A 5-string bass adds one string below the standard four, tuned to a low B. So the full set, low to high, is B, E, A, D, G. That extra string gives you five more low notes without moving your hand off the neck, which is why it is popular in modern styles that call for a deep low end.

The low B is very low: its pitch is around 31 Hz. Many basic tuners and phone apps cannot hear a note that low and will either read nothing or jump to a wrong octave. If you play a 5-string, make sure your tuner is rated to read down to at least 30 Hz. Fretwork's mic tuner is built to catch these low notes.

The 6-string bass

A 6-string bass keeps the low B of the 5-string and adds a high C on top. The full tuning, low to high, is B, E, A, D, G, C. You get the deep low B for weight and the high C for melody and chords, all on one instrument.

Everything about tuning the 6-string is the same as the 5-string, you just have one more string to set at the top. As with the 5-string, the low B near 31 Hz is the note that needs a tuner able to read that far down.

Drop D tuning on bass

Drop D on a 4-string bass means lowering the thickest string from E down to D, so the tuning becomes D, A, D, G. It gives you a lower root note and lets you play a power-chord shape or a driving root line with one finger. Many rock and metal players use it.

To get there, tune the bass to standard first, then lower the 4th string until it matches the pitch of your open 3rd string but one octave below, or simply match it to a D from a tuner. On a 5-string you can drop the B down to A instead, though standard drop D is more common on the 4-string.

Tuning with a tuner

A tuner is the fastest and most reliable way to get in tune, especially for the low strings where your ear can struggle to hear pitch clearly.

• Open the tuner and pluck one string at a time, letting it ring cleanly.
• Watch the readout: it tells you the note and whether you are flat (too low) or sharp (too high).
• Turn the tuning peg slowly until the note lands in the center and reads in tune.
• For the low B on a 5 or 6 string, confirm your tuner reads down to around 31 Hz, or it may show the wrong note.

With Fretwork's mic tuner you can also tap a string on screen to hear its target pitch, then match your bass to it by ear before you fine-tune with the readout.

Tuning by ear

Tuning by ear is a good skill to build, and it works well on bass once you have one reference pitch to start from. The idea is that each open string can be matched to a note on the string below it.

• Fret the 5th fret of the E (4th) string: that note is A. Match your open A (3rd) string to it.
• Fret the 5th fret of the A string to get D, and tune the open D string to match.
• Fret the 5th fret of the D string to get G, and tune the open G string to match.
• For a 5-string, fret the 5th fret of the B string to get E, and tune your open E to it.

Get your starting reference from a tuner, a keyboard, or a tuned instrument, then work up the strings. Play the two notes together and listen for the wobble to slow down and disappear as they lock in.

Frequently asked questions