Tune Your Bass Without a Tuner 

Tuning your bass without the aid of an electric tuner is no easy task and it can take months to master, but it can be done.

Your bass doesn’t need to be in the perfect tuning of E, A, D, G for your basslines to sound right but your bass needs to be relatively in tune and each string needs to be tuned to each other. E.g. if your E string was in Eb you could get the rest of the bass to the following: Eb, Ab, Db, Gb. Your bass wouldn’t be in the standard tuning but every string would be in tune with each other. You can tune your bass in starting with any string, although it is best to start with your E string.

Tuning The E String

With The E string being the starting point, let’s begin. Fret the 5th fret on the E string, then with the note still ringing hit the open A string like the following.
 

Is the A string higher or lower than the Fretted E string? If the A string is higher then you want to tune the A string down until both notes sounds the same. If the A string sounds flatter then you want to tune the A string up until both notes sound the same.

It is best to tune the string up rather than down as it is easier to tune this way and it also makes sure the tension is tight in the string.


Tuning The D String

Fret the 5th fret on the A string, then with the note still ringing hit the open D string like the following.

Is the D string higher or lower than the Fretted A string? If the D string is higher then you want to tune the D string down until both notes sounds the same. If the D string sounds flatter then you want to tune the D string up until both notes sound the same.


Tuning The G String

Fret the 5th fret on the D string, then with the note still ringing hit the open G string like the following.

Is the G string higher or lower than the Fretted D string? If the G string is higher then you want to tune the G string down until both notes sounds the same. If the G string sounds flatter then you want to tune the G string up until both notes sound the same.

If for example only one string gets knocked out of tune it is possible just to tune in that string using this lessons. What ever string you wish to tune just hold the string above on the 5th fret and use this note to tune in the open string below.