How to Tune Your Bass Guitar

For a lot of new bass guitar or electric guitar players, tuning is no fun. beginners rush to start learning their favorite songs without learning to play on key. But tuning is super-important for a guitar or bass guitar, and without it, your riffs won't sound good. Tuning a bass guitar is much like tuning a regular guitar. Actually, it's a little easier, since there aren't as many strings to tune.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Find an electric tuner. Lots of experienced players just tune by ear, but for a beginner, a tuner is a good idea. Battery-operated tuners are for sale at music shops and department stores.
2. Start on the lowest string. Play the string and see if it is on key. The tuner will tell you using digital displays or a dial and needle.
3. Adjust the string as necessary. To do this, locate the peg at the end of the neck, on what is called the head stock. The bass guitar pegs are large, silver "keys." Each one holds string in a certain tuning. Turn the peg left to raise the tuning of the string and right to lower it.
4. When you have the bottom (E) string in tune, play the next string up (A) and see if it is in tune. The correct tuning for the A string is equal to a note played on the fifth fret of the E string.
5. Turn the A string's peg to raise or lower the tuning correctly.
6. Use the same process with the other two strings. The correct tuning for each string is equal to a note played at the fifth fret on the string below.

Tips & Warnings

• Use harmonics. Playing certain harmonic notes helps some musicians tune an instrument by checking for dissonance. To play the harmonics for tuning, put your finger lightly against the fifth fret (on the actual fret, not in between) of the lower string and the seventh fret of the string above it. When you brush the strings, you should hear light, soft notes. Listen for a wavering sound that indicates your strings are not in tune to each other.