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Step 1
Find a harmonic point on a bass string. Any location on the string will theoretically produce harmonics, but the easiest one to make is on the fifth fret.
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Step 2
Rest a finger of your fret hand lightly on a string at the harmonic point and pluck that string firmly with a finger on the other hand. As you do so, remove the fretting finger immediately.
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Step 3
Listen for the harmonic. It should be a clear, bell-like tone quite unlike that of the open string. The timing with which you remove your fret finger is critical and requires some practice. The idea is for the plucked string to hit the fretting finger only once.
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Step 4
Identify the problem with your timing if you're not getting a clear harmonic. If you hear the open string, you're removing your finger too soon. If you hear a muffled harmonic (far more common), you're not removing your finger quickly enough.
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Step 5
Use natural harmonics to tune a bass to itself. The pure tones of harmonics make them more useful for tuning a bass than the open string, which has a more complex sound quality. The standard tuning for a bass means that the harmonic on the fifth fret of a string has the same pitch as the harmonic on the seventh fret of the string above (in pitch) the first string.
