Double Bass Tuner
Tune your double bass to E A D G using your microphone. The tuner below is already set for upright bass — press Start Recording and bow, pluck, or play a harmonic.
Auto-select string
Switches to string automatically
Target 41.20 Hz
Action Required
Start tuner and pluck highlighted note.
Peg Rotation & Offset
Standby
Headstock Alignment
Tap a peg to tune that string specifically.
Instrument
Tuning Preset
Reference Pitch
Concert pitch for A4. 440 is the standard; many orchestras use 442.
Quick Tuning Guidelines
- 1.Tap the Start Recording button at the top to initialize your microphone.
- 2.Pluck one string cleanly at a time. Let it vibrate naturally to get a continuous frequency reading.
- 3.Adjust your tuning pegs until the dial centers in the green zone (around 0 cents).
- 4.Watch indicators: amber is the currently selected note, green is the automatically detected audio feed.
String-by-String Frequency Chart
These are the exact target frequencies this tuner listens for, at A4 = 440 Hz equal temperament. The double bass sounds an octave lower than it is written, so its low E, written as E2, sounds as E1.
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | E1 | 41.20 Hz |
| 3 | A1 | 55.00 Hz |
| 2 | D2 | 73.42 Hz |
| 1 | G2 | 98.00 Hz |
How to Use This Double Bass Tuner
- Press Start Recording on the tuner above and allow microphone access. Place the phone near the f-holes or the bridge.
- Start with the A string. Orchestras tune to A, and if you are joining one, match its A first.
- Bow or pluck firmly and let the note ring. Short, light plucks give the microphone almost nothing to work with on a string this low.
- If the reading jumps around, play the harmonic halfway along the string instead. It is the same note an octave up and gives a far steadier reading.
- Tune D, then G, then E, and check A again at the end.
Tuning With Harmonics
Double bassists tune with harmonics because they are clear, long and high enough to hear properly. Because the strings are a fourth apart, a neat pair of harmonics on neighbouring strings are the same note:
- The harmonic a quarter of the way along the lower string — two octaves above it — and
- the harmonic a third of the way along the higher string — an octave and a fifth above it.
Sound them together and listen for beats, a slow wobble in volume. Adjust the higher string until the wobble stops. Do this for E–A, A–D and D–G, starting from an A you have set with the tuner. It is the same method guitarists use with the 5th- and 7th-fret harmonics, and our guide to tuning by ear walks through it.
Why the Double Bass Is Tuned in Fourths
Every other bowed string instrument is tuned in fifths. The double bass is so large that fifths would put the notes too far apart for the hand to reach: on a bass, even a whole tone can need a full stretch. Fourths keep scales playable across strings without shifting position constantly. It is also the reason the bass guitar, invented as a portable replacement for the upright, uses exactly the same tuning.
Machine Heads, Not Pegs
Unlike the violin, viola and cello, the double bass uses geared machine heads, so tuning is more like a guitar than a violin: small, controlled turns and no fine tuners. Turn slowly. The strings are heavy and under a lot of tension, and a big move takes the bridge with it — check that it is still standing straight, leaning neither towards the fingerboard nor the tailpiece, after any large retune.
Related: cello tuner, bass guitar tuner, and the full tunings chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the notes of the double bass strings?
From lowest to highest: E1, A1, D2 and G2 — 41.20, 55.00, 73.42 and 98.00 Hz. The strings are tuned in fourths, unlike the violin, viola and cello, which are tuned in fifths. These are the same pitches as a 4-string bass guitar.
Why tune a double bass with harmonics?
The open strings are so low that phone microphones, and many people's ears, struggle to judge them. Harmonics are one or two octaves higher, ring for a long time, and are easy to compare. The tuner recognises an octave harmonic and reads it against the string you selected.
What is solo tuning?
Solo tuning raises every string a whole step, to F♯1 B1 E2 A2, using thinner solo strings. It makes the bass brighter and more resonant for solo repertoire, and the music is written a whole step lower so the fingering stays the same. This tuner is set to orchestral tuning; use the chromatic display to tune to solo pitches.
My bass has a low C extension. Can I tune it here?
The four main strings, yes. A C extension lowers the E string to C1 (32.70 Hz), which is below what nearly any phone microphone can capture. Tune it by playing the harmonic at the middle of the string, C2, and matching that.
How often should I tune an upright bass?
Every time you play. A double bass is a big wooden box that reacts to temperature and humidity, and the strings can move noticeably between a cold car and a warm hall. Let the instrument settle in the room for a few minutes, then tune.