5-string bass tuning (B E A D G)
Gospel, modern metal, session and worship bassists: anyone who needs notes below the E without detuning.
A 5-string bass adds a low B below standard: B E A D G. The top four strings are a normal 4-string bass; the fifth gives you a fourth more range underneath, down to B0 at 30.9 Hz.
That B is one of the lowest notes any stringed instrument plays routinely. Tuning it takes patience: the string moves slowly and the tuner needs a clean, single pluck to read it.
Notes and frequencies
From the thickest string to the thinnest, at concert pitch (A4 = 440 Hz). This is the reference every other 5-string bass tuning is measured against.
| String | Note | Frequency (A4 = 440 Hz) | Change from standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | B0 | 30.87 Hz | as standard |
| 4 | E1 | 41.20 Hz | as standard |
| 3 | A1 | 55.00 Hz | as standard |
| 2 | D2 | 73.42 Hz | as standard |
| 1 | G2 | 98.00 Hz | as standard |
Tuning to Standard in TuneGlass
- Open Settings and choose 5-string bass.
- Standard tuning is already selected. Play any string: the dial shows the nearest string and how far off it is.
- Play one string at a time. The needle turns green and the scale fills when the string is in tune. Hold a string circle to hear its reference note.
Tips
- Tune the B last and by a single pluck. Repeated plucking on a string this low gives the detector overlapping waves and a jumpy reading.
- Check the B against the fretted B on the E string (7th fret) an octave up.
- Select 5-string bass in TuneGlass Settings so the string row has five circles and the low range is on.
Questions
What is standard tuning on a 5-string bass?
B E A D G, low to high. The extra string is a B a perfect fourth below the E.
Can I tune a 5-string with a high C instead?
Yes, E A D G C is the other common layout. TuneGlass has it as the High C preset.
Related tunings
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