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Tuning Archives

My Double Bass Setup: Part 2 – Number of Strings, Tuning and Fingerboard Length
The Lowdown with Dr. D

My Double Bass Setup: Part 2 – Number of Strings, Tuning and Fingerboard Length

I play a five-string bass with both a higher string and a low C, via an extension. My specific tuning is (from lowest to highest) C, B, E, A, D. The low C string can be tuned via capos (on the C extension) to any chromatic note between C and E (the more standard low string on a double bass)....

SteadyTune: A Look at the Tuning App for Mac
Apps

SteadyTune: A Look at the Tuning App for Mac

While I typically stick to iOS apps here, I realize many of you iOS users are likely also Mac users. So I thought I’d deviate from the norm a little here and focus on a handy app I’ve discovered for the Mac. SteadyTune is as simple as it gets. When opened (I set mine to open when I start the...

The Lowdown with Dr. D

Common Upright Bass Tunings (Part 2 of 2)

This is part 2 of the Common Upright Bass Tunings series. This time, we’ll cover 5 String Tunings, C extensions and some practice suggestions. Check out Part 1. Five String Tunings As long as there have been basses, there have been basses with 5 strings. Traditionally, the extra string has been used to extend the range of the instrument lower....

The Lowdown with Dr. D

Common Upright Bass Tunings (Part 1 of 2)

One of the beautiful things about upright bassists is their unwillingness to conform. When it comes to tuning, we often refuse to conform not only to the practices of other instruments in our family, but also to each other! Although 3 string basses are largely a thing of the past, there are still uprights with 4 strings, with and without...