Bass tuning

Tenor bass (A-D-G-C)

Tenor tuning raises the bass to A-D-G-C, a fourth above standard E-A-D-G. It is usually set up by removing the lowest string and adding a high C, or by tuning a normal bass up.

馃幐 Open the tuner in this tuning

The tuner opens already preconfigured; you only need to allow microphone access.

Strings and frequencies

String Note Hz
String 1 C3 130.81 Hz
String 2 G2 98.00 Hz
String 3 D2 73.42 Hz
String 4 A1 55.00 Hz

How it sounds

It places the bass in a brighter, more singing register, midway between bass and guitar. It is a tuning much prized for playing melodies, solos and chords with a more agile timbre.

Styles and genres

Jazz Fusion Solo bass Funk

Recommended string gauges

Because you are tuning up, use lighter gauges than usual to avoid overshooting tension: a set made for tenor, or the high strings of a five/six-string set, works well.

Tuning tip

Think of tenor as a bridge toward melodic phrasing: being higher, solo lines project better over a band without crowding the low register.

Updated