Bass Guitar Tuner

Standard 4-string bass tuning is E-A-D-G low to high, exactly an octave below the bottom four strings of a guitar. The Bass Tuner plays a clean reference pitch for each string so you can match your bass to it by ear: pluck the open string, listen for the wobbling 'beat' between your note and the reference, and turn the tuner until the wobble slows to nothing. A 5-string bass adds a low B below the E (B-E-A-D-G); a 6-string adds both a low B and a high C (B-E-A-D-G-C).

The trick most beginners miss is tuning up to the note rather than down. Always start a half-step flat and tighten the string up to pitch; if you go past and have to loosen back down, the slack in the tuning post lets the string sag again as soon as you play hard. This is why basses go out of tune mid-set: the string was tuned down to pitch and the post is unwinding under playing tension.

An out-of-tune bass clashes with everything: the kick drum, the rhythm guitar, the keyboard left hand. The lower the frequency, the more obvious the wobble; a slightly sharp top G is forgivable but a slightly flat low E sounds like the whole band is detuned. Always tune the low strings first and check them against the rest of the band's reference pitch, particularly if a keyboard is involved (electric pianos and synths are calibrated to A=440Hz and won't compromise).

If you play with a guitarist who uses the [Guitar Tuner](/guitar-tuner), tune to the same reference. For bedroom practice with a [Metronome](/metronome) and click track, use the bass tuner first to lock in pitch before you start. New bass strings (especially flatwounds) take a few days to settle, so you'll need to retune more often during the first week of a fresh set.