Bass 5-String (High C) Tuner — Tune to 5-String (High C) in Your Browser
Mic-based chromatic tuner pre-set to 5-String (High C). No download, no sign-up, works in your browser.
Tuning summary
- Notes (low to high)
- E1 · A1 · D2 · G2 · C3
- Instrument
- Bass
- About this tuning
- Five-string bass with a high C instead of a low B — favoured by jazz and chordal bassists.
Start tuning
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About 5-String (High C) on bass
5-string bass with a high C extends the standard 4-string upward instead of downward: E A D G C, low to high — E1, A1, D2, G2, C3. The first four strings remain in standard tuning; the fifth string adds a perfect fourth above the G, putting the highest note at C3, the same C as the second fret of the A string on a guitar.
The high-C variant solves a different problem from the low-B. Where low-B players want extended bass range and unison roots with detuned guitars, high-C players want extra register for melodic playing, chord voicings, and soloing without scrambling up to the high frets. Three-note chord voicings that span the top three strings become easier; thumb-position playing transfers neatly into the upper register without losing the box patterns built into the lower four strings.
Jazz and fusion are the natural homes for high-C 5-strings. The extra range supports walking lines that climb above the staff and chord-melody passages that mix bass roots with upper-voice harmony. Solo bassists who blend chordal and melodic playing — a long lineage going back through fusion and contemporary jazz — frequently choose this layout over low-B for exactly this reason. It is far less common in rock or metal, where low end is the priority.
Coming from 4-string, high-C demands a small mental rewiring: the highest string is no longer the G that anchors most rock bass lines. Reach further up the neck on G first, then explore the C string as a melodic extension. Try playing a major scale starting on G2 and continuing onto the high C — you will find smoother fingering than you ever had on a 4-string. Chord shapes from the top three strings of a guitar (without the major-third break) translate directly because the C string sits a fourth above G.
Frequently asked questions
- Will I need different strings for a high-C 5-string?
- Yes — you need a tapered 5-string set with a thin top string, often labelled as a 5-string high-C set or assembled from a 4-string set plus an individual .032 or .035 string for the C.
- Does a high-C 5-string sound different from a low-B 5-string?
- Only in range. The four lower strings are tuned identically. The difference is whether the extra string extends downward or upward.
- Can I play 4-string lines on a high-C bass?
- Yes — the bottom four strings are tuned identically to a 4-string. Every 4-string pattern transfers unchanged.
- Why is high-C used by jazz and fusion players?
- Because the extra range supports chordal voicings and high-register melody work without leaving the comfortable lower-position fingering. Walking lines and solos extend upward without leaping up the neck.
- How do I quickly switch back to a 4-string from a high-C 5-string?
- Mentally treat the C string as if it does not exist and play only on the bottom four. The fingering for everything else is identical to a 4-string.