Drop D Bass Tuner
Tune your bass to Drop D (D A D G) using your microphone. The tuner below is already set to bass in Drop D — press Start Recording and pluck your low string.
Auto-select string
Switches to string automatically
Target 36.71 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. String 4 is the low D; strings 3 to 1 are the same as standard bass tuning.
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | D1 | 36.71 Hz |
| 3 | A1 | 55.00 Hz |
| 2 | D2 | 73.42 Hz |
| 1 | G2 | 98.00 Hz |
How to Use This Drop D Bass Tuner
- Press Start Recording on the tuner above and allow microphone access.
- The tuner is already on Bass Guitar with Drop D selected.
- Check the A, D and G strings — they stay at standard pitch.
- Lower the E string a whole step to D. Tune slightly below, then bring it up to the note.
- For a steadier reading on the low D, play the harmonic at the 12th fret. It is the same note an octave up, and much easier for a phone microphone to hear.
A check by ear: the open low D should match the open D string an octave below, and the 7th fret of the low D should match the open A string exactly.
What is Drop D on Bass?
Drop D on a 4-string bass is D A D G: standard bass tuning with the E string lowered a whole step. It gives the bass two semitones of extra range — the low D and E♭ that a 4-string normally cannot reach — and puts the open low string on D, the most common key for down-tuned rock riffs.
It also changes the shape of the bottom two strings. With D and A a fifth apart, one finger across the same fret on both strings plays a root and fifth, the bass equivalent of a power chord, and octave shapes on the low string move too.
When to Use Drop D
- Playing with a Drop D guitarist.Riffs built on the guitar's open low D need a bass D below them, and only a dropped or 5-string bass has one.
- Songs in D or D minor. An open low D rings under everything and frees your fretting hand.
- A bigger low end. Two extra semitones is a noticeable difference in weight.
If you need to go lower than D regularly, a 5-string bass with a low B is the better tool: see the 5-string bass tuner.
Fingering Changes to Watch
Every note on the low string moves up two frets: the F you used to play at fret 1 is now at fret 3, and G is at fret 5. Lines that cross between the E and A strings will need new fingerings, so practise the parts of a song that use the low string before you play it live. The fretboard trainer helps relearn the notes on the dropped string.
Related: standard bass tuner, Drop D guitar tuner, and the full tunings chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the notes in Drop D bass tuning?
D A D G, from the lowest string to the highest: D1, A1, D2 and G2. Only the E string changes, dropping a whole step to D. The low D is 36.71 Hz.
Do I need different strings for Drop D on bass?
Usually not. A standard .045–.105 or .045–.100 set handles one string dropping a whole step. If the low D feels floppy or buzzes, a .110 E string firms it up without changing the rest of the set.
Why can't my phone hear the low D properly?
36.71 Hz is below what most phone microphones and laptop speakers reproduce, so the tuner hears the string's overtones more than its fundamental. It recognises the octave above and folds it back down, but the steadiest reading comes from playing the 12th-fret harmonic, which sounds D2 at 73.42 Hz. Plugging in and holding the phone near the amp helps too.
Should my bass be in Drop D if the guitarist is?
Usually, yes. A guitar riff in Drop D leans on the low D, and the bass normally doubles it an octave below. In standard tuning that note is out of the bass's range on a 4-string. If you play a 5-string, you already have notes below D and can stay in standard.
What is a D-tuner?
A replacement tuning key for the E string with a lever that drops it to D and back in one movement, stopping exactly at preset pitches. It lets bassists switch tunings mid-song. Set the stops with this tuner so both positions are accurate.