4-String Bass tuner – Low B
B-E-A-D · Alternative
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 Low B tuning (B-E-A-D). 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 Low B tuning
Compared with Standard (EADG), Low B moves 4 strings. Every change is downward, the largest by 5 semitones, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Standard (EADG).
| String | Standard (EADG) | Low B | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E1 | B0 | down 5 semitones |
| 2 | A1 | E1 | down 5 semitones |
| 3 | D2 | A1 | down 5 semitones |
| 4 | G2 | D2 | down 5 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound B-E-A-D – from B0 at the bottom to D2 at the top, a span of 1 octave and 3 semitones. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fourth, a fourth, a fourth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
BEAD is the five-string's bottom four strings put on a four-string bass: the whole instrument a fourth lower, reaching the same low B without adding a string.
It gives you the extended low range with a narrower neck and simpler string spacing, at the cost of the high G. Players who never use the G string above the twelfth fret often prefer this trade.
This is a long drop: 5 semitones below Standard (EADG). Standard gauges will flap at this pitch. A heavy set, and often a longer scale, is what makes the tuning playable rather than merely possible.
History
Where the Low B tuning comes from
B-E-A-D gives a four-string bass the low range of a five-string by dropping the G string and adding a low B. It became popular in the 1990s with metal and gospel players who wanted the low notes but preferred the narrower four-string neck.
Other 4-String Bass tunings
Alternative
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my 4-String Bass to Low B?
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 (B-E-A-D).
Which notes are used in Low B tuning?
Low B tuning for 4-String Bass uses the notes B-E-A-D, 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.