Bass Guitar · 4 STRINGS
Bass Guitar Drop C Tuning
The whole bass down a step, then the fourth string down another — C G C F, matching a guitar in Drop C.
How to tune
Getting into Drop C
Work down the list in order — each string's tension moves the ones already set.
Allow microphone access
Asked once. Detection runs on your device; nothing is uploaded.
Play one string at a time
Let it ring open. A strummed chord gives the detector several pitches.
Centre the needle
Sharp means loosen, flat means tighten. Inside three cents is in tune.
Work up from string 4, one at a time
The lowest string carries the most tension, so setting it first means the rest hold. The panel below lists every target in that order.
Run through every string once more
Setting one string drifts the rest; the second pass makes it hold.
Changing from Standard
3 strings a whole step down, string 4 two whole steps down
Nothing keeps its standard pitch, and the strings do not all move together, so the intervals between them change.
Each bar shows how far that string sits from standard tuning. Select a string in Note Locking above to hold the tuner on it while you turn the peg.
About this tuning
About Drop C Tuning
Drop C on bass follows the guitar: every string moves down a whole step, then the lowest moves down one more, landing on C. It exists almost entirely to sit under a guitar already in Drop C, an octave below.
A low C is well outside what a standard bass set is built for. Strings go slack, the low C rattles against the frets and intonation wanders. A heavier gauge and a setup for it are close to mandatory on a 34" scale.
Also known as
- CGCF tuning
Used in
- Metalcore
- Nu metal
- Alternative metal
What it buys you
- Locks to a guitar in Drop C, an octave down
- A low C without moving to a five-string
- Root-fifth shapes stay under one finger
Note frequencies
Drop C string frequencies
The 4 open strings of Bass Guitar Drop C, lowest first, at A4 = 440 Hz. Each one is the pitch the tuner is listening for — C1 is C in octave 1.
| Note | Also | Solfège | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | — | Do | 32.70 Hz |
| G1 | — | Sol | 49.00 Hz |
| C2 | — | Do | 65.41 Hz |
| F2 | — | Fa | 87.31 Hz |
Sharps and flats share a pitch on a tuner: C♯ and D♭ are the same frequency, and which name you use depends on the key you are in, not on what the meter reads.
Questions
Drop C tuning, answered
The whole bass down a step, then the fourth string down another — C G C F, matching a guitar in Drop C. The 4 strings are tuned C1 G1 C2 F2, from the lowest-pitched string up.
It moves string 1 from G2 to F2, string 2 from D2 to C2, string 3 from A1 to G1, string 4 from E1 to C1. The remaining 0 strings stay at standard pitch.
A standard set will reach the pitch, but it will be slack. Dropping the lowest string two whole steps down takes real tension out of it, and the usual fix is a heavier gauge — many players move to a .110 or .115 low string, or to a set sold specifically for the tuning.
No. The neck is built for the tension of standard tuning, and lowering the strings only reduces it. What changes is the relief: less pull straightens the neck slightly and lowers the action, which is what causes buzzing rather than any damage. If you keep the instrument in Drop C permanently, a truss rod and action setup fixes it. Switching back and forth harms nothing.
Yes. 34" is the standard scale for the bass guitar, and most of the players associated with this tuning use it. A longer scale holds the lowest string under more tension, which is why baritone instruments are common at this pitch and below, but it is a preference rather than a requirement — string gauge does most of the same work.
Yes. The tuner on this page listens through your device microphone and compares what it hears against the exact frequencies for C1 G1 C2 F2. Play one string at a time in a quiet room, and let the note ring rather than strumming.
No. This Drop C tuner runs in your browser — there is nothing to download, nothing to install and no account to create. Allow microphone access when the browser asks and the tuner starts listening. It works the same way on a phone, a tablet and a desktop.
Related tunings
Where to go from Drop C
Each one is described as the move from Drop C, so you can see how far away it is before you commit to turning a peg.
Half Step Down
3 strings a semitone up, string 4 a step and a half up
Every string down one semitone, so the bass matches a guitar tuned half a step down without any shape changing.
D#1 G#1 C#2 F#2
Drop D
Every string a whole step up
Standard bass tuning with the fourth string lowered a whole step to D, giving you a low D without leaving first position.
D1 A1 D2 G2
Standard
3 strings a whole step up, string 4 two whole steps up
The reference tuning for the bass guitar: E A D G, low to high.
E1 A1 D2 G2
Guitar
Drop C
The guitar version, 6 strings
Standard tuning down a whole step, then the sixth string down a further whole step — Drop D shapes moved a full step lower.
C2 G2 C3 F3 A3 D4