Drop B on a 4-String Bass: Notes, Setup and Reference Tones
Drop B on a four-string bass is B0–F#1–B1–E2, read from the lowest (4th) string to the highest (1st): a low B at 30.87 Hz, F#1 at 46.25 Hz, B1 at 61.74 Hz, and E2 at 82.41 Hz. That is not the same note order as a five-string bass in B standard, which runs B0–E1–A1–D2–G2. The two share only their lowest note — the same 30.87 Hz B0 — so a chart, preset, or piece of tab written for one puts your fingers on the wrong notes on the other.
Play the four drop B reference tones
Each button synthesizes a sine tone in your browser at the exact open-string frequency of one string. Hold a tone and match your string to it, or play it against the harmonic at the 12th fret to confirm you are in the right octave.
Synthesized reference pitches, not recordings. A sine tone carries no string attack or harmonic content, so it matches pitch only — not tone.
Four-string drop B is not five-string B standard
These two tunings get confused because both are called "B" and both start on the same low note. They are different note orders, and only the first note is shared.
| String | 4-string drop B | 5-string B standard |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (highest) | E2 — 82.41 Hz | G2 — 98.00 Hz |
| 2nd | B1 — 61.74 Hz | D2 — 73.42 Hz |
| 3rd | F#1 — 46.25 Hz | A1 — 55.00 Hz |
| 4th | B0 — 30.87 Hz | E1 — 41.20 Hz |
| 5th (lowest) | — | B0 — 30.87 Hz |
Read the same string number on both sides and the difference is immediate: on the four-string drop B the third string is F#1, on the five-string B standard it is A1. The bottom two strings of a four-string in drop B are a fifth apart — the same relationship as drop D on a guitar — so a power chord is a straight barre across them. In B standard every string is a fourth apart, and the same chord needs a two-fret stretch.
B0–E1–A1–D2, the lowest four notes of a five-string in B standard, is often called "BEAD" on a four-string. That is a real four-string tuning, but it is not drop B. Drop B changes the interval between the bottom two strings; BEAD keeps four strings a fourth apart and simply moves them all down.
Which one do you actually need
| If you need | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A low B on a four-string, with one-finger power chords under a drop-tuned guitar | 4-string drop B — B0 F#1 B1 E2 | The bottom two strings are a fifth apart, matching drop-tuned guitar shapes |
| The lowest four notes of a five-string played on a four-string | 4-string BEAD — B0 E1 A1 D2 | This is the bottom of B standard, not drop B; all four strings stay a fourth apart |
| Five notes, a high G, and the widest low range | 5-string B standard — B0 E1 A1 D2 G2 | Adds G2 at 98.00 Hz and keeps fourths throughout |
| Standard tuning with no relearning | 4-string standard — E1 A1 D2 G2 | Drop B lowers every string, not just one |
What a four-string neck will take
The low B is the constraint. A standard set's fourth string — usually .100 or .105 — will not hold B0 at usable tension on a 34-inch scale. It reads flat, wobbles under a pick, and loses definition. Published starting points for a four-string drop B set cluster around .060–.125 and .065–.130, and the low B is the string to check first.
The other three strings sit a whole step above their B-standard equivalents: F#1, B1 and E2 are each two semitones higher than the E1, A1 and D2 that occupy the same positions on a five-string. A five-string set's bottom four strings will reach the tuning, but they will feel progressively tighter as you move up the neck. If that is uncomfortable, buy singles instead.
A heavier low B often will not sit flat in a nut slot cut for a .100. If the string pings or jumps in pitch while you tune, the slot needs widening. If you have not cut nut slots before, that is a job for a technician.
Total tension usually falls rather than rises when you move from a light EADG set to a drop B set, because the three upper strings lose more than the heavier low B adds. A neck that straightens under the lighter load can start buzzing — the correction there is more relief, not less. A very heavy low B can move the total the other way. Measure instead of assuming.
Scale length matters as much as gauge. 34 inches is the common working minimum for B0, 35 inches gives more tension and definition, and short-scale basses around 30 to 31 inches usually need custom singles or an adapted five-string set to reach B0 cleanly.
Set up the bass in this order
Fit the strings and bring them to pitch, tuning the 4th string to B0 last. The low B settles more slowly than the others, so check it again once the rest are up.
Measure the relief. Capo the 1st fret, hold the 4th string down at the last fret, and measure the gap between the top of the 8th fret and the bottom of the string with a feeler gauge.
Compare that gap against the manufacturer's specification and adjust only if it falls outside it. Fender publishes factory setup specs that include a bass relief figure of .014 in at a 7.25-inch radius, and states on the same page that those figures assume the factory string gauges and need compensating when gauges change.
Turn the truss rod a quarter turn at a time, re-tune, and re-measure. Stop if the nut will not move under normal force — a seized or bottomed-out rod is a repair, not an adjustment.
Set string height at the 17th fret, then check intonation: compare the 12th-fret harmonic with the fretted 12th-fret note on the low B and on the 1st string, and move the saddle if the fretted note is sharp.
Set pickup height last. A heavier low B swings wider, so a pickup that was clean at E standard can clip or warble under B0.
If the instrument will not hold pitch across a session, work through the string-change causes before adjusting anything else — see Guitar Won't Stay in Tune After Restringing for that checklist.
When it still sounds wrong
| What you hear | Most likely cause | What to check | What to change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The low B reads flat no matter how you tune it | The string is too light for B0 | Gauge on the 4th string and the instrument's scale length | Move up to a heavier low B |
| The low B wobbles or sounds dull under a pick | Not enough tension on the 4th string | Gauge, scale length, and how hard you attack | Heavier low B, or play nearer the bridge |
| Every string buzzes after the switch | The neck straightened under lower total tension | Relief gap at the 8th fret | Loosen the truss rod in quarter turns |
| Fretted notes go sharp as you move up | Intonation is still set for E standard | 12th-fret harmonic against the fretted 12th-fret note | Move the saddle back |
| A ping or jump in pitch while tuning | The string is binding in the nut slot | Whether the string sits flat in the slot | Have the nut slot widened |
| The low B sounds an octave off against tab | You are reading a B-standard or five-string chart | Whether the second string is F#1 or E1 | Re-check the tuning: it is B0 F#1 B1 E2 |
Limits of this reference
- The tones on this page are pure synthesized sine waves. They give you a pitch to match; they do not reproduce how a bass string sounds, and they are not a substitute for tuning against a real instrument.
- The tones need browser audio support. If your browser does not provide it, the page says so instead of pretending to play.
- Every frequency here assumes A4 = 440 Hz equal temperament. If your band tunes to a different reference, all four numbers shift with it — the guitar tuning frequency chart shows the same notes under a different A4.
- The setup figures are starting points, not specifications for your instrument. Scale length, string gauge, neck construction, and playing style all move the numbers.
- This page covers four-string basses only. Five-string B standard, drop A, and drop B on a guitar are different note sets and are not interchangeable with anything here.
Questions
Is drop B on a 4-string the same as B standard on a 5-string?
No. Both start on the same low B0 at 30.87 Hz, but the next string is F#1 at 46.25 Hz on the drop-tuned four-string and E1 at 41.20 Hz on a five-string in B standard. A five-string in B standard runs B0–E1–A1–D2–G2; a four-string in drop B runs B0–F#1–B1–E2. Only the lowest note is shared, so tab and presets do not transfer.
Can I tune a standard EADG four-string to drop B with the strings it came with?
Usually not. Standard sets ship with a .100 or .105 fourth string, which is too light to hold B0 at usable tension on a 34-inch scale — it reads flat, wobbles, and loses definition. A set built around a heavier low B is the practical route, and the 4th string is the one to change first.
Do I have to adjust the truss rod when I switch to drop B?
Only if the relief has moved outside specification — but measure rather than assume. Moving from a light EADG set to a drop B set usually lowers total string tension, which lets the neck straighten and can cause buzz; the correction there is more relief, not less. A very heavy low B can push the total the other way. Capo the 1st fret, hold the low string down at the last fret, read the gap at the 8th fret, and adjust in quarter turns.
Tune the four strings in order
Set the 4th string to B0, then F#1, B1, and E2, and re-check the low B before you play.
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