Tuning a bass

  • Thread starter Thread starter Michael Jones
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Reggie said:
BTW, what is the standard tuning for bass again? I forgot already. :confused:
Thx
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Standard open tuning, for a 4-string bass = E, A, D, G. If 5-string, then B, E, A, D, G.

Always willing to do my part for this thread. :)

Matt
 
Lurk_R said:
Actually, Rokket was talking about me. I got the idea from a guy who played guitar and about 12 other stringed instruments with in the early 80's. He would do that when he changed all the strings on his guitars if we were gigging heavily so that he wouldn't have to mess with retuning in the middle of a set. It works pretty good, if your action and intonation are already set.
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Yeah, I was talking about Chuck. I knew it wouldn't be long until you found this forum. You get some new recording gear yet? I hope to see something you've posted in the mp3 clinic when I get back....
 
Unsprung said:
Maybe the confusion about tuning in 4ths or 5ths comes from guitar tuning - E, A, D, G, B, E - where the G & B strings are only tuned a 4th apart.
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No, it comes from people confusing the number of FRETS and the proper musical terminology (nothing i claim to be great at).

E to A is five frets up for example, but only a "4th" up.

The G and B strings are actually a third apart ;) i think
 
This has been covered before. I suggest a detailed reading of the posts up to this page. A bass is tuned in 4ths; a guitar is tuned in 4ths and a 3rd, unless it's in open tuning, in which case it's probably tuned in some combination of 5ths and major or minor 3rds, or sometimes 6ths or 7ths, depending. And, of course, a bass can be tuned in other than 4ths (someone mentioned earlier that it's tuned in 5ths, if you count from the top down -- I mean, from the highest pitched string to the lowest). Don't be confused.
 
snappyfool said:
No, it comes from people confusing the number of FRETS and the proper musical terminology (nothing i claim to be great at).

E to A is five frets up for example, but only a "4th" up.

The G and B strings are actually a third apart ;) i think
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You're right.

Frets are all 1/2 "step" or semitone apart.

If you number the steps of the major diatonic scale from I to VII, the fourth is 5 semitones (frets) above the first. G and B are 4 semitones (or two "tones") apart, or the third of a major scale. It's 1 semitone from the VII to I of the next octave.

I
2semitones = 1 step = 1 tone
II
2 semitones
III
1 semitone = 1/2 step
IV
2 semitones
V
2 semitones
VI
2 semitones
VII
1 semitone
I

An octave is 12 semitones or frets.
 
just ask yourself....what are the names of the strings......Eadg...wait what thats what they are tuned too.....holy crap
 
Eadg...wait what thats what they are tuned too.....holy crap

Somebody doesn't understand feng shui.
 
lpdeluxe said:
Somebody doesn't understand feng shui.
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I myself prefer sheng fui...sort of an antithesis of "Oh you just have to try feng shui!" Um...no I don't. If I want to feel good, I'll go noodle on my guitars or basses for a while. I guess maybe I should make up some kinda explanation for what "sheng fui" is, other than just "the antithesis of feng shui." The first thing that springs to mind...bachelor pad. "Hey, where the *&#@ is my bass!?! I know I just laid it down, like, 10 minutes ago..."

Matt
 
lp - feng shui is about being in tune with your surroundings so I congratulate you on an exquisitely topical post. (In a fortnight from now I will be in Barbados on honeymoon - I could find an internet cafe and make an exquisitely tropical post :D)
 
Thank you Mr Sharp.

You'll have to give us a full report on bass tuning in the Barbados*. I'll leave it to others to double the entendres.


_________
*So far, we haven't even touched upon the effects of longitude & latitude on bass tuning, nor on the related topics of altitude, rectitude and attitude.
 
lpdeluxe said:
You'll have to give us a full report on bass tuning in the Barbados*. I'll leave it to others to double the entendres.


_________
*So far, we haven't even touched upon the effects of longitude & latitude on bass tuning, nor on the related topics of altitude, rectitude and attitude.
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Let's talk a bit about that. Here in Japan, it is very humid most of the year. I have to be very careful with my bass to make sure it is climate controlled as much as possible. We all know what effect humidity can have on a wooden instrument: warpage. Has anyone used one of these?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=bass/search/detail/base_pid/420981/
 
We all know what effect humidity can have on a wooden instrument...

I once lived in Southern California, which is very dry, and had the opposite problem: instruments had to be kept damper than the climate. Here in Deep East Texas, it's probably more like Japan (although I don't know that it's as humid). I have my late mother-in-law's 1910 grand piano and it has a full-time dehumidifier running in the room it's in (this is probably a mad coincidence, but the lowest E, A, D and G notes are tuned just like a bass! Imagine that).
 
lp - the lowest A on an 88 key piano is an octave below the lowest A on a bass (even a 5 stringer, just ;)).

I win the pedant medal. Send me my pedant award forthwith :D
 
Mr Sharp's pedant pendant

Simply save as a .jpg, print it, glue it on a suitable piece of wood, plastic or whatever (tip: avoid toxic fumes, and anything too heavy to wear around your neck or too small to distinguish).

I'll leave it up to you to decipher what it says.
 

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Ya know the humidity's bad when...

...yer sitting there, playing an acoustic guitar, and actually hear it go out of tune, as yer playing, 'cause of the humidity. Of course, at that point, I stopped playing, put my guitar back in its case and went inside. Probably not even a minute after that, the skies opened up.

Matt
 
lpdeluxe said:
Simply save as a .jpg, print it, glue it on a suitable piece of wood, plastic or whatever (tip: avoid toxic fumes, and anything too heavy to wear around your neck or too small to distinguish).

I'll leave it up to you to decipher what it says.
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Ha ha ha ha :D

(I used to play trombone in an orchestra - can still sight read a bass clef G#)

ROFLMAO

Edit - PS I would like it as an avatar but it's too big and I'm useless at graphic things. How do I get a 60x60 one?
 
Garry Sharp said:
Ha ha ha ha :D

(I used to play trombone in an orchestra - can still sight read a bass clef G#)

ROFLMAO

Edit - PS I would like it as an avatar but it's too big and I'm useless at graphic things. How do I get a 60x60 one?
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Let me play with it. I'll attach it to the next post, and you can have it!
 
Garry Sharp said:
Edit - PS I would like it as an avatar but it's too big and I'm useless at graphic things. How do I get a 60x60 one?
Click to expand...

For the future, there is a free program called Avatar Sizer available on Tucows. It works pretty well.
 
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