Tuning a Bass Guitar – Part 3 Using Harmonics.

Continuing our discussion of the various methods of tuning a bass guitar, this post talks about an advanced method involving the use of harmonics. At several points along the strings, it is possible to produce bell-like sounds known as harmonics. These harmonics can be used to tune to a high degree of accuracy.

Method 3 Using Harmonics

To produce a harmonic place the index finger of your fretting hand immediately over the 5th fret on the E string. Now pluck the string with the other hand and immediately lift your fretting finger away from the string quickly. You should then hear a harmonic sound which will continue to ring for several seconds. Practice a few times until you can get a good clean harmonic sound every time. It will take a few attempts, but you will soon get the hang of it.

This assumes that you have already tuned your E string using a piano, pitch pipe, etc. Using the method described above, produce a harmonic over the 7th fret of the A string. Now quickly do the same over the 5th fret of the E string so that both strings are ringing simultaneously. If the A string is slightly out of tune you will hear a throbbing or pulsating sound which will become slower as the two harmonics become closer in pitch. Adjust the tuning peg for the A string until the pulsing stops. The two strings are now perfectly in tune with one another. This method may take you a while to master and you may have to repeat it if the harmonic sound fades away before you have finished.

Although producing good harmonics takes a little practice, once you have got the hang of it you will find that it is easy to hear when the strings are in tune and it will also help to train your ear. As with relative tuning, the disadvantage of this method is that you still need means of tuning the first string. In our next and final post on tuning a bass guitar, we look at a method of tuning all of the strings with a single piece of equipment: the electronic tuner.