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Bass guitar notes

The note on every fret of a bass, 4-string, 5-string, 6-string or in drop D. Tap a fret to hear it, or light up one note or a scale wherever it sits on the neck.

Frets

Tap any fret to hear its note.

Notes on each bass string

On a 4-string bass in standard tuning, from the 1st string, the G, to the 4th, the low E. Each string’s notes run a half step a fret and reach its own note again at the 12th fret.

Notes on each bass string in standard tuning, open to the 12th fret
StringOpen to the 12th fret
1st string (G)G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G
2nd string (D)D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D
3rd string (A)A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A
4th string (E)E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E

A guitar’s six strings are these four an octave up, with a B and a high E above them: see the guitar fretboard notes.

How to learn the notes on a bass

Seven letters, A to G

Notes run A B C D E F G and start again. Between each pair is a sharp or flat, one fret, except B to C and E to F, which sit next to each other.

Each fret is a half step

One fret up raises a note a half step: E, then F, then F♯. Two frets is a whole step, so G on the E string’s 3rd fret is A on its 5th.

The 12th fret starts over

Twelve half steps make an octave, so the 12th fret plays the open string’s note an octave higher, and the frets above it repeat the ones below.

Five frets to the next string

Every string’s 5th fret is the next string’s open note: A on the E string, D on the A, G on the D. A bass’s strings are all a fourth apart, so there is no exception.

Octaves: two strings, two frets

The same note an octave up is two strings higher and two frets further along: G on the E string’s 3rd fret is G on the D string’s 5th.

Roots on the E and A strings

Most bass lines start from a chord’s root. Learn the notes on the E and A strings up to the 12th fret first, and every root is under one finger.

Bass string notes and frequencies

Each open string’s note with its octave, and the frequency a tuner looks for, with A4 at 440 Hz. A 5-string’s low B is B0, 30.87 Hz.

Open string notes and frequencies in standard tuning
StringNoteFrequency
1st string (G)G298 Hz
2nd string (D)D273.42 Hz
3rd string (A)A155 Hz
4th string (E)E141.2 Hz

Every other note’s frequency is on the note frequency chart.

Bass tunings

The basses and tunings the neck above can show, each string’s note from the lowest, and what changes from a 4-string in standard.

Tunings, lowest string first
TuningNotesFrom standard
4-stringE A D GStandard
5-stringB E A D GAdds a low B string
Drop DD A D G4th string down a whole step
6-stringB E A D G CAdds a low B string and a high C string

Each open string to hear, to tune to by ear, is on the bass tuning page.

Questions about bass guitar notes

What are the notes on a bass guitar’s strings?

On a 4-string bass, from the lowest, thickest string: E A D G, which are E1, A1, D2 and G2. A 5-string adds a low B below the E, and a 6-string adds a high C above the G too.

Is a bass tuned like a guitar?

Its four strings are tuned like a guitar’s lowest four, E A D G, an octave lower. A bass has no B string on top, so every string is the same distance, a fourth, from the next.

How many frets does a bass have?

Most have 20 to 24. On a 20-fret 4-string the notes run from E1 on the open E string to D♯4 on the G string’s 20th fret, a half step short of three octaves.

What note is the 5th fret on each bass string?

A on the E string, D on the A string, G on the D string and C on the G string. Each is the next string’s open note, which is how a bass is tuned by ear.

Why does bass music look an octave too high?

Bass parts are written an octave above where they sound, so the notes sit on the bass clef instead of far below it. The open E string is written as E2 and sounds as E1.

How do I learn the notes on a bass?

Start on the E and A strings, where most roots are. Learn the dotted frets, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12, then find the rest a fret or two away. Pick “One note” above to see every place a note sits.

Write a bass line over a beat

Open the free editor with a beat playing, then draw a bass line on its piano roll, part by part, and hear it with the drums. No account needed to start.

Start a beatMusic scales

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