Online 5-string bass tuner

5-string bass string notes

Frequencies are calculated with the reference A at 440 Hz. If your group tunes to a different reference, such as 442 Hz, adjust it with the − and + buttons next to “A = 440 Hz” and the tuner shifts every note.

All five strings are a perfect fourth apart, including the new one: from B to E is five half steps, just like between the others. So the fingerings you know on a four-string bass repeat one string lower, and the B string fretted at the 5th fret sounds the same as the open 4th string.

How to tune the low B string

Many phone and laptop microphones struggle to pick up such low frequencies: they mostly hear the string's harmonics, not its fundamental. If the tuner doesn't respond to the open B string, try these steps in order:

1. Plug the bass into the amp at a moderate volume and hold your phone close to the speaker.
2. Play the 12th-fret harmonic (B1, 61.74 Hz). The tuner recognizes it as the 5th string and tells you it sounds an octave higher.
3. Check by ear: the B string pressed at the 5th fret should sound the same as the open 4th string (E).

Low B or high C

The most common five-string bass setup is B-E-A-D-G, with the extra string in the low register. Some bassists prefer a high C string, also a fourth up: E-A-D-G-C. If that's you, tune E, A, D and G with the bass tuner and find C3 (130.81 Hz) on the chromatic tuner. Six-string basses usually combine both: B-E-A-D-G-C.

How to tune your 5-string bass with this tuner

1. Tap Enable microphone and accept the browser's permission request. The sound is analyzed on your device: it isn't recorded or sent anywhere.
2. Leave the tuner on Auto so it recognizes which string you're playing, or tap a note to lock it (tap it again to go back to Auto).
3. Play a single open string with medium force and let it ring.
4. If the needle is to the left, the note is flat: tune up. If it's to the right, tune down. Anywhere between −5 and +5 cents counts as in tune.
5. Once a string stays in tune for a moment, its button gets a green check mark. Keep going until every string has one.
6. Use the speaker icon under each note to hear the reference and train your ear.
7. Go over every string again at the end: the tension of some strings shifts the others slightly.

Tips for tuning your 5-string bass

• Tune the 4th string (E) first, since the microphone reads it better, then check the B string by fretting it at the 5th fret.
• Mute the strings you're not tuning with your palm: low strings vibrate sympathetically very easily.
• If the B string feels floppy or buzzes against the frets, it may need a heavier gauge or a neck adjustment; check with a tech.
• Pluck with the pad of your finger and let the note ring for a few seconds: on such a low string, the attack takes longer to settle.

Common tuning problems

• The needle jumps between notes: play a single string, a little more softly, and wait for the sound to settle. The first instant of every note always sounds slightly sharp.
• It doesn't pick up the low strings: phone microphones struggle with low frequencies. Hold your phone closer to the instrument or play the harmonic at the middle of the string (12th fret): the tuner recognizes it as the same string and tells you it sounds an octave higher.
• The open strings are in tune, but what you play sounds off: check that no string is in the wrong octave and that your strings aren't old. If it still sounds wrong, ask your teacher or a luthier to check the instrument's intonation.
• It goes out of tune right away: new strings keep stretching for several days, and changes in temperature and humidity shift the tuning. Tune in the same place where you're going to play.
• The browser doesn't ask for the microphone: check the site permissions in your browser settings and make sure no other app is using the microphone.

Frequently asked questions