5-String Bass tuner – Drop A
A-E-A-D-G · 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 5-String Bass is to Drop A tuning (A-E-A-D-G). 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 A tuning
Compared with Standard (BEADG), Drop A moves 1 string. Every change is downward, the largest by 2 semitones, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Standard (BEADG).4 strings stay exactly where they were.
| String | Standard (BEADG) | Drop A | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B0 | A0 | down 2 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound A-E-A-D-G – from A0 at the bottom to G2 at the top, a span of 1 octave and 10 semitones. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fifth, a fourth, a fourth, a fourth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
The drop is small enough that a standard set handles it. If the lowest string starts to rattle against the frets, one step up in gauge fixes it.
History
Where the Drop A tuning comes from
Drop A on the five-string lowers the B a whole step to follow the downtuned seven-string guitars of metal. It is a modern tuning of the 2000s with no single originator.
Other 5-String Bass tunings
Standard
Drop
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my 5-String Bass to Drop A?
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 (A-E-A-D-G).
Which notes are used in Drop A tuning?
Drop A tuning for 5-String Bass uses the notes A-E-A-D-G, 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.