Double Bass Tuning

[mightyd]

I am a newbie double bassist. I am also a grade 8 violinist and i am used to tuning in 5ths.....

Whats the way to tune a Double Bass to itself??

Do i just have to get used to the sound of 4ths???

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Congrats on taking up the DB.
Tuning lowest to highest: EADG
Some bassists do tune in 5ths but I'd say you should learn with the standard tuning and get used to it. If sometime down the road you would like to try 5ths you could, but not yet.

Good luck!

 

[Bob Branstetter]

Whats the way to tune a Double Bass to itself??

Do i just have to get used to the sound of 4ths???

One of the easiest ways is to tune using harmonics after you have tuned the "G". You will find there is a harmonic on the G string that is usually located about 4 inches or so up from the end of the fingerboard, that will give you "D". Just find the octave harmonic on the "D" string and tune it to the (D) harmonic on the "G" string. Repeat the process on each of the other strings.

After a while, you will start hearing 4ths just like you now hear the 5ths for tuning.

 

[sibass89]

If you are used to 5ths you can first tune your open G and then tune the open G against the octave D harmonic of the D string. This will create a 5th but it can become hard to hear on the lower strings.

The most common way of tuning is by using harmonics. Play up the D string until you get to the A, and then play that harmonic which is the octave A. Match that harmonic with the same harmonic on the A string (which is the closed). You can then do this for all the strings.

BTW - this is much easier to explain in person, try to find a bass player and ask them.

 

[Blazemourne]

Well if you don't like the 4ths, you can try tuning in 5ths (C-G-D-A) which allows more range and resonance but you will have to shift more if you use the simandl fingering system (which is what most basses use) which uses only the index, middle, and pinky.

 

[Chasarms]

In short, the harmonic at the 5th stop position should sound the same tone as the harmonic at the 7th stop position of the next highest string.

So:

E string harmonic at the 5th stop = A string harmonic at the 7th stop
The 5th stop A string harmonic = 7th D string harmonic
The 5th stop D string harmonic = 7th G string harmonic

 

[toman]

What they all said. Also, most orchestras tune to A, so you'll probably get in the habit of tuning your A first, then the other strings from that.

 

[mightyd]

Hi, thanks for all the tips.... i'll try them out and see which one's best.

 

[Matthew Tucker]

and its much easier tuning this way if you use a bow ...