Bass fretboard notes
A standard four-string bass is tuned E A D G from the thickest string to the thinnest (E1, A1, D2, G2). Each fret is a half step, and the 12th fret repeats the open string one octave higher.
Swipe sideways to see all 12 frets.
Why the bass fretboard is easy to learn
On bass, every string is tuned the same distance from its neighbor: five half steps, a perfect fourth. So the 5th fret of each string always gives the next string's open note: 4th string fret 5 = A, 3rd string fret 5 = D, 2nd string fret 5 = G. Unlike guitar, there's no B string to break the pattern, which means every shape you learn works on every pair of strings.
The four bass strings are the same letters as the four lowest guitar strings, one octave lower. If you already know those note names on guitar, you already know them on bass.
Natural notes on each string
| String | Natural notes, fret numbers in brackets |
|---|---|
| 1st string (G2) | G (0) · A (2) · B (4) · C (5) · D (7) · E (9) · F (10) · G (12) |
| 2nd string (D2) | D (0) · E (2) · F (3) · G (5) · A (7) · B (9) · C (10) · D (12) |
| 3rd string (A1) | A (0) · B (2) · C (3) · D (5) · E (7) · F (8) · G (10) · A (12) |
| 4th string (E1) | E (0) · F (1) · G (3) · A (5) · B (7) · C (8) · D (10) · E (12) |
Between each pair of natural notes there's a sharp/flat fret, except B–C and E–F, which are neighbors.
Landmark frets
Learn the notes at the inlay dots and you are never more than a fret or two from a known note.
| String | Open | Fret 3 | Fret 5 | Fret 7 | Fret 9 | Fret 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st string (G2) | G | A♯ | C | D | E | G |
| 2nd string (D2) | D | F | G | A | B | D |
| 3rd string (A1) | A | C | D | E | F♯ | A |
| 4th string (E1) | E | G | A | B | C♯ | E |
Octave shapes
To find the same note one octave higher, skip a string and move up: from the 4th string, two strings over and 2 frets up; from the 3rd string, two strings over and 2 frets up. Because bass is tuned evenly, it's the same shape from either low string.
Bass players use this constantly. Most bass lines lean on three notes of the chord: the root, the fifth and the octave. From A on the E string (fret 5), the fifth is on the A string, fret 7, and the octave is on the D string, fret 7. Hear all three: . Move that shape anywhere on the E or A string and it works for any root.
Five-string bass
A five-string bass adds a low B string (B0) below the E. It keeps the same fourths tuning, so the 5th fret of the B string is E, and every shape on this page carries down one more string.
How to practice
- Learn the natural notes on the E string first, then the A string. Those two strings hold the root of almost every bass line.
- Say the note name out loud each time you play it.
- Pick one note and find it on all four strings, then in both octaves.
- Take the quiz below for a couple of minutes a day. Speed comes from repetition, not from staring at a chart.
Quiz: name the note on the bass
A fret is marked with a question mark. Pick its letter; you'll hear the note after each answer.
A fret is marked. Pick its letter. You'll hear it either way.
Press Start.
Next: read those notes on paper with bass clef notes, get in tune with the bass tuner, and lock in your timing with the metronome. To know which roots to play, look up a chord progression and play the root of each chord.
Bass fretboard questions
What are the notes of the bass guitar strings?
On a standard four-string bass, from thickest to thinnest: E1, A1, D2, G2. They are the same letters as the four lowest guitar strings, one octave lower.
How is bass tuned compared to guitar?
The four bass strings (E A D G) match the lowest four guitar strings, one octave lower. So note names and shapes on those strings carry straight over from guitar to bass.
What note is the low string on a five-string bass?
A low B (B0), five half steps below the E string. Because the tuning stays in fourths, the 5th fret of the B string is E, the same as the open E string.
Why does bass music look an octave higher than it sounds?
Bass guitar is written one octave higher than it sounds so the notes sit on the bass clef staff instead of on many ledger lines below it. The open E string is written on the ledger line under the staff.
Updated September 2026.