Tuning your Bass

The way I recommend tuning your bass is getting an electronic tuner. Take the guessing out of if you are tuned correctly or not. I suggest going out an purchasing a tuner, to keep with your bass, so that you can quickly get your instrument ready to play. You should make sure your bass is tuned, before everytime you play. Once you tune the bass, getting it into perfect playing shape, should take minimal adjustments each time. However factors such as climate, and handling can cause your bass to be out of tune before each time you play.

If using a tuner is not possible you will need to get a reference pitch from another instrument. The keyboard would be my first choice, since a keyboard can simulate a basses, tone. Have the keyboardist play each note that you need and then attempt to duplicate it by turning the tuning pegs on your bass until you can get as close to the keyboardist sound as possible.

Playing alone? Well, so much for a reference pitch. If you don’t have a electronic tuner, you still need to tune the bass to itself. This can be accomplished, by placing your finger on the 5th fret of the E string, which is an A, and strumming the note, then strumming the open A string, and matching up the tones, then moving to the 5th fret of the A string, which is a D, and strumming the open D string. Then copy the same steps for the D string, and strumming the open G.