Upright Bass tuning

[AlsoRan]

Can someone tell me the tuning used in 50's / 60's Jazz for the Upright Bass? I am creating a few songs and the bass line that I am hearing in my head seems to extend below E1, yet all my research is saying that Upright basses are tuned the same as electric basses - with the 4th string being E1. Thanks in advance.

[FatJeff]

AFAIK the tuning is the same as your bottom 4 strings on your guitar: E_A_D_G. At least that's how I have my bass tuned.

[paynow]

Originally Posted by FatJeff

AFAIK the tuning is the same as your bottom 4 strings on your guitar: E_A_D_G. At least that's how I have my bass tuned.

My father was a stand up player and later Fender. E-A-D-G, as Jeff says. Perhaps there is a different tuning but I'm not familiar with it.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Double basses can have extensions that lets them play down to C. But I've only seen this in classical music, so that the bass can double the cello lines an octave below. A few bassists, like Red Mitchell, tune their basses just like cellos, but an octave lower: C G D A.

[AlsoRan]

Thanks folks.

I spent a little more time researching and could not find out whether or not notes lower than E were routinely used in Jazz. Apparently there is some sort of C-extension device that a double bass player could use or he/she could just use alternate tunings.

I am having fun slowly creating my own Jazz songs but it is challenging getting that good bass line going. I can hear that bass walking away in my mind, but I am going to have to retune my bass since my songs are often in the key of E minor.

Keep on throwing out that good advice!

[JakeAcci]

This may be false, so I'm open to correction, but I've heard that because of timbre we really hear the upright bass an octave lower than it's actual pitch.

AlsoRan - do you own an upright bass, or are you creating lines on an electric or using some sort of synthesizing program? If it's the latter, that might be what is mentally throwing you off.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Originally Posted by JakeAcci

This may be false, so I'm open to correction, but I've heard that because of timbre we really hear the upright bass an octave lower than it's actual pitch.

I don't know about an octave lower, but a double bass (plucked, of course) sounds *bassier* to me than the same notes on a piano. Maybe the overtones of the double bass emphasize the fundamental more. Could that be?

[hot ford coupe]

I've always seen uprights tuned like the electric bass. I played plenty of jazz on a 4 string electric without fooling with the tuning and it's always sounded more than adequate.

[AlsoRan]

Originally Posted by JakeAcci

This may be false, so I'm open to correction, but I've heard that because of timbre we really hear the upright bass an octave lower than it's actual pitch.

AlsoRan - do you own an upright bass, or are you creating lines on an electric or using some sort of synthesizing program? If it's the latter, that might be what is mentally throwing you off.

I think you are right, Mr. A.

Since I am using an electric bass, I don't seem to be able to capture the really deep sound of the acoustic (upright bass). What a shame, but now I know.

I guess thats why I love so much Jazz that uses the upright bass. No knock on the organ trio or electric bass format, mind you.

[JakeAcci]

In comparison with an electric bass, EQ is pretty important. I definitely hear upright as "deeper," for whatever that is worth.

[hot ford coupe]

When it comes to the electric bass, the amp you use has a lot to do with the sound. I remember going to a vintage guitar store years ago where they had a 60's Fender P and a 60's bassman head and speaker combo. The low E on this set up must have been 10 miles deep. I would have bought the bass but the truss rod was busted. In any case, I've noticed that with most set ups I've played, once you've gone lower than the C on your A string, the bass depth drops off dramatically. You have to remember that the solid body electric bass just doesn't have the huge body to get a lot of air moving. If you want that upright sound, ----you have to use an upright. (Didn't Yogi Berra say something like that?)

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Electric basses can deliver the bottom end - it just takes watts. On the other hand, double basses have that sound that just defines jazz to me.

[timscarey]

EQ'd right, an electric, muted, through a large speaker can sound as deep or deeper than an upright.

And yeah, bass, both electric and upright sounds one octave lower than written, just like guitar. It's tuned EADG

Six string is BEADGC.

[AlsoRan]

Thanks, folks!

[Leopold71]

Once again, this is E A D G, just like the lowest four strings of a guitar,
only an octave lower.
Check with your nearest middle school orchestra teacher if you don't believe
us.