4-String Bass tuner – Drop C
C-G-C-F · Drop
Press “Start tuner” – the browser will ask for microphone access. Sound is analysed on this device and never uploaded.
This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows how close each string of your 4-String Bass is to Drop C tuning (C-G-C-F). Play a string, watch the needle, and turn the peg until the meter glows green. If you prefer tuning by ear, tap any string card to hear its reference tone.
About Drop C tuning
Compared with Standard (EADG), Drop C moves 4 strings. Every change is downward, the largest by 4 semitones, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Standard (EADG).
| String | Standard (EADG) | Drop C | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E1 | C1 | down 4 semitones |
| 2 | A1 | G1 | down 2 semitones |
| 3 | D2 | C2 | down 2 semitones |
| 4 | G2 | F2 | down 2 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound C-G-C-F – from C1 at the bottom to F2 at the top, a span of 1 octave and 5 semitones. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fifth, a fourth, a fourth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
Left open, the strings together spell Csus4. That is a by-product of how the intervals are laid out rather than the point of the tuning, but it does mean some chords need very few fingers here. See Csus4 shapes in this tuning →
Drop C on a four-string means the whole bass a tone down and then the lowest string dropped another – the same arithmetic as on guitar, and usually done for the same song.
Four-string basses were not designed to go this low. A heavier set helps, but many players who work in this register move to a five-string, where the low C is a fretted note on a properly tensioned B string.
Dropping 4 semitones takes the tension down noticeably. A heavier set – or at least a heavier bottom string – keeps the intonation honest and stops the low string buzzing.
History
Where the Drop C tuning comes from
Drop C on the bass matches the Drop C guitars of 1990s and 2000s metal. It requires heavier strings and appeared as the heavy genres pushed their tunings down.
Other 4-String Bass tunings
Alternative
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my 4-String Bass to Drop C?
Allow microphone access, pluck a string, and the tuner will detect it automatically. The needle shows whether the string is flat or sharp – adjust until the reading is within ±5 cents (C-G-C-F).
Which notes are used in Drop C tuning?
Drop C tuning for 4-String Bass uses the notes C-G-C-F, listed from the lowest string to the highest.
Can I tune without a microphone?
Yes. Every string card plays a reference tone – tap it and match your string to the sound by ear.