4 strings · E Standard
Bass tuner.
Tune a 4-string bass: E A D G, Drop D, half step down or any shift, at any A4.
Tuner · Any tuning
Tune your bass.
Pluck a string and the meter shows how far off it is. Tap any string to hear it at its true pitch and tune by ear.
- Pick any instrument and tuning
- Shift it down or up by half steps
- Set A to anything: 440, 432, 442…
E A D G
Check string tension →The sound never leaves your device.
Keys: Space start or stop · ← → half step · ↑ ↓ A (Shift: bigger steps) · 1–9 string · M mode · R hear · − + volume · L copy link · Esc done
Ready
Strings 1 → 6
3 times each
Tap Start, then pluck any string.
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Strings · tap to hear
Instrument
Try uke, bari, 5 string, cello…
Tuning
E Standard
Shape
Shift
Standard pitch
Higher or lower
Fine-tune
Moves every string a little, for example to match a recording.
Custom tuning
Any strings, any notes
One row for each string. The top row is the top string, usually the thickest.
Start from
Strings
+ adds a lower string at the top. − takes the top string away.
Notes from C0 to C8. Type a note like D2, F♯3 or B♭1, or use − and +.
Save and use keeps it on this device (up to 8 tunings). Use without saving tunes with it for now.
Reference A
Slider 380–500 Hz. Type any value from 300 to 600 Hz.
More pitches
Sound
Violin, viola, cello and double bass start with Bowed, the rest with Acoustic.
Note length
Match a recording Beta
Find the A a song was recorded at, then tune to it and play along.
…listening
Play the song, loud and clear.
Result
This recording sits on A 440
The tuner already matches it: nothing to change.
A recording is only known within a half step: if the song is a half step down, also change the tuning.
Beta: tested on real records and synthetic songs. Check the result by ear.
Nothing is uploaded: the sound is measured on this device.
Settings
Mode
Guided: one string at a time, from the thickest.
Meter
Bar: a slider with a mint in-tune zone.
Note length
How long a tapped string and Hear sound. Repeat plays the string again every few seconds, Continuous holds it: tap it again to stop.
Reference sound
Violin, viola, cello and double bass start with Bowed, the rest with Acoustic. A sound you pick stays.
Volume
Phone speakers play very low notes an octave up.
Note names
Sharps and flats
Octave numbers (E2, E4)
Tells the two E strings apart: E2 is the low one, E4 the high one.
Frequencies (Hz)
Each string's pitch in hertz, such as 82.4 Hz.
In tune within
Precise is not used with harmonics: Normal ±3 applies.
Harmonic mode
For one low string: play its 12th-fret harmonic (×2) or its 5th-fret one (×4).
Pro view
The pitch heard in Hz, tenths of a cent and the input picker. Turns on octave numbers and frequencies.
Device names appear after you allow the microphone.
Input channel
Auto picks the channel with sound. Interfaces: choose the input your instrument is plugged into.
Background
Night ocean, cosmos, forest and more.
The sound never leaves your device. No account, no cookies.
Standard tuning
Bass tuning
A standard bass sounds an octave below the four lowest guitar strings: E1 A1 D2 G2. The low E is 41.20 Hz, near the bottom of what phone mics hear well.
Pluck with the fleshy part of your finger, near the neck, for a clean note with fewer overtones.
Tip. If the low E is slow to read, play the 12th-fret harmonic and switch on the ×2 harmonic mode. The phone's own mic usually works better than a Bluetooth headset.
E A D G
Standard tuning: notes and frequencies
| String | Note | A = 440 | A = 432 | A = 442 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | E1 | 41.20 | 40.45 | 41.39 |
| 3 | A1 | 55.00 | 54.00 | 55.25 |
| 2 | D2 | 73.42 | 72.08 | 73.75 |
| 1 | G2 | 98.00 | 96.22 | 98.44 |
Measured
How the tuner hears a bass
On a phone, E1 is the hardest bass string to hear: in our phone-mic model its fundamental arrives about 16 dB quieter, so the tuner works from the overtones and checks the octave against your tuning. In our phone-mic test E1 still read within about 2 ¢, the bass strings above it within about 1.5 ¢, and clean test tones within 0.2 ¢.
Low notes. The lowest string here is E1 at 41.20 Hz. Most phone mics lose a lot of level below 80–100 Hz, so they mostly hear the string's overtones. If the reading jumps, play the 12th-fret harmonic with the ×2 harmonic mode, or plug in through an audio interface. That's physics, not you.
String tension
String tension
A typical 45–105 set on a 34″ scale pulls about 173 lb (78 kg) in E Standard, or 43.3 lb per string on average.
Check string tension → String by string, with your own set and scale length.
- String by stringPounds, kilograms or newtons for each string, so you see which one goes slack first.
- Your set, your scalePick a common set or type your own gauges, on any scale length.
- Any tuning, any A4Drop, standard and open tunings, shifted by half steps, at the A you use.
Other bass tunings
Shift the whole tuning
The tuner can move all four strings together, from an octave down to an octave up, and add fine cents on top. Each step keeps every chord shape the same.
- F♯ StandardAll strings 2 half steps higher. Notes: F sharp B E A
- F StandardAll strings 1 half step higher. Notes: F B flat E flat A flat
- E StandardThis pageThe usual bass tuning. Notes: E A D G
- E♭ StandardAll strings 1 half step lower
- D StandardAll strings 2 half steps lower
Questions
What are the standard bass notes?
From String 4 to String 1: E1 A1 D2 G2 (E Standard). At A4 = 440 Hz they are 41.20, 55.00, 73.42, 98.00 Hz.
Why does the tuner read my bass an octave high?
Phone mics hear the overtones of a low string better than the string itself. TuneLit checks the octave against your target string. If it still reads high, use the 12th-fret harmonic with the ×2 mode.
Can I tune my bass lower or higher?
Yes. Use the ◂ ▸ arrows on the tuning chip to move every string by a half step. One half step down takes about 11% of the tension off; one half step up adds about 12% (approx.).