How to Tune an Electric Bass Guitar

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Steve Bauman from Summerhays Music. We're talking about the bass guitar today, and this topic is how to tune a bass guitar. Very essential, you've got to play in tune, so if someone, if you're just starting out on the bass, don't be discouraged if it doesn't come to you right away. Tuning takes some practice and it takes some getting used to. Mostly just being able to hear one pitch and then hear another pitch and then match them to where it's the same pitch. Sometimes it's a little hard to tell, well is that pitch higher or lower than the other one? So you will get better at it as you go. So but the process that you go with on how to tune is, first of all you have to know the names of the notes. This is E, the low E of the bass, this is A, this is D and this is the high G. Now you've got to tune your low E first. You've got to get it into tune with something, whether it's a piano or a tuner or another guitar, you've got to find a way to get that into tune. Once you get the low E in tune, you can tune the other strings based off of that string. So you, what you do is you, now that you've got your E in tune, you press down the fifth fret of the E string and that should be the exact same note as the open A. So those are both an A. So what you do is you pluck both strings and let them ring out and then you just match that A to the fifth fret on the E string. So when you hear it, sometimes it might be a little hard to tell if it's higher or lower, so one thing I like to do is just reach over while the notes are ringing out, reach over with your right hand and purposely bring this A string out of tune and bring it lower, bring the pitch lower so at least now you know which direction you're going. So then pluck both notes with your thumb again so that both notes can ring out and you don't, you don't deaden the note, let it ring out, reach over with your right hand, and bring it up into tune. Repeat those steps for the D string, and the G string and you'll be ready to go. Visit us for musical instrument information at summerhaysmusic. com."