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Step 1
Make sure your bass guitar is in tune already. The standard tuning for a four-string bass guitar is just like the standard tuning for a six-string guitar. The notes are, starting from the fourth (bottom, or thickest) string; E, A, D, G.
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Step 2
Tune your bass by using the corresponding keys on the piano keyboard or by using a hand-held tuner, which you can buy at any good music or guitar store.
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Step 3
Pluck the second string, D, to get the sound in your mind, You will be tuning the fourth (low-E) string to match this one.
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Step 4
Play the 12th-fret harmonic note on the low-E string by holding your finger lightly on the fourth string directly over the bar of the 12th fret (not to the left or the right of it, as you normally do when playing individual notes), plucking the string with your pick and immediately lifting your finger off the string. When you hear a "ping" or a "bell" tone, you'll know that you've got the harmonic right. It takes a little practice, but you can figure out the timing if you're patient.
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Step 5
Tune the low-E string down, while the harmonic note is ringing, so that it matches the tone of the second (open D) string. When both notes are played together, you will hear them clash if the notes are off from one another. The less they clash, the tighter is your sound and you'll know that you have the string tuned correctly and you can play your bass guitar in drop-D tuning.
