Double Bass Tuner
Tune an orchestral double bass to standard tuning EADG with a free mic tuner that shows note, Hz and cents for every string.
Values use equal temperament with A4 fixed at 440 Hz. Play one open string at a time and match it against the tuner below.
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Standard orchestral double bass tuning is E1, A1, D2 and G2, tuned in fourths rather than the fifths used by the rest of the string family. It is the same letter names and octave as a 4-string electric bass guitar, which was modelled on the double bass.
Tuning a double bass string by string
The four strings run E1 at 41.2 Hz, A1 at 55 Hz, D2 at 73.42 Hz and G2 at 98 Hz, each a fourth above the string below rather than a fifth like the violin, viola and cello. That wider interval matches the bass guitar exactly, letting fretted-instrument players transfer their EADG knowledge directly.
The long, thick strings and low frequencies mean the note takes a moment to speak fully, so draw a slow, even bow or a firm pizzicato pluck and let it settle before reading the tuner. Some players add a low C extension below the E string; that extra range is a specialised addition, not part of standard tuning.
Frequently asked questions
What is standard double bass tuning?
E1, A1, D2, G2 from the lowest string to the highest, tuned in fourths, the same note names and octave as a standard 4-string bass guitar.
Why is double bass tuned in fourths and not fifths?
Fourths keep the very large hand stretches on the double bass's long strings more manageable than the wider fifths used on violin, viola and cello.
What frequency is the lowest string?
E1 is 41.2 Hz, the same pitch as the low E on a 4-string bass guitar and one of the lowest common pitches in orchestral music.