The open strings on a standard 4-string bass are E, A, D and G, from thickest to thinnest, and each fret raises the pitch by one half step. The notes repeat one octave higher at the 12th fret. Learn the natural notes on the E and A strings first, because they give you the root of most chords.
Knowing the bass guitar notes is what turns tab-reading into real bass playing. It’s the second step in our bass guitar for beginners learning path, right after getting your instrument playing well with our bass setup guide.
Below you’ll find a complete chart of bass guitar notes to the 12th fret, the patterns that make it easy to memorise, and a short practice plan. Once the notes stick, they’ll make bass scales and walking lines far easier to learn.
You can print the chart, keep it on your music stand, and test yourself for a few minutes before each practice session. Most players are surprised how quickly the low strings become automatic once they start naming notes out loud instead of just reading fret numbers.
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Bass Guitar Notes and the Musical Alphabet
Western music uses 12 notes: A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, then back to A. Two pairs of natural notes have no sharp or flat between them: B–C and E–F. Everywhere else, natural notes are two frets apart.
A sharp (#) raises a note one fret, and a flat (b) lowers it one fret, so A# and Bb are the same pitch with two names. Which name you use depends on the key, but on the fretboard it’s the same fret.
Bass Guitar Notes Chart (Frets 0–12)
This bass fretboard chart shows every note on a standard-tuned 4-string bass, from the open string (fret 0) to the 12th fret. The G string is at the top, as in tab.
| Fret | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | G | G#/Ab | A | A#/Bb | B | C | C#/Db | D | D#/Eb | E | F | F#/Gb | G |
| D | D | D#/Eb | E | F | F#/Gb | G | G#/Ab | A | A#/Bb | B | C | C#/Db | D |
| A | A | A#/Bb | B | C | C#/Db | D | D#/Eb | E | F | F#/Gb | G | G#/Ab | A |
| E | E | F | F#/Gb | G | G#/Ab | A | A#/Bb | B | C | C#/Db | D | D#/Eb | E |
Frets 13–24 repeat the same pattern one octave higher, so fret 15 has the same note name as fret 3, fret 17 the same as fret 5, and so on.
Natural Notes Only
Most beginners find it easier to learn the natural bass guitar notes (no sharps or flats) first:
E string: E(0) F(1) G(3) A(5) B(7) C(8) D(10) E(12) A string: A(0) B(2) C(3) D(5) E(7) F(8) G(10) A(12) D string: D(0) E(2) F(3) G(5) A(7) B(9) C(10) D(12) G string: G(0) A(2) B(4) C(5) D(7) E(9) F(10) G(12)
Bass Guitar for Beginners Notes: 5 Shortcuts
You don’t need to memorise 52 positions one by one. These patterns make bass guitar for beginners notes manageable:
- Fifth-fret rule. The note at the 5th fret of each string is the next open string: E string fret 5 = A, A string fret 5 = D, and D string fret 5 = G. That’s also how you tune by ear.
- Octave shape. To find the same note an octave up, go up two strings and two frets. For example, G at the 3rd fret of the E string is also G at the 5th fret of the D string.
- Same note, one string down. The note at fret 5 on one string equals the open string above it, and fret 10 on the E string equals fret 5 on the A string (both D).
- Fret markers. The dots at frets 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 are landmarks. On the E string they are G, A, B, C# and E, and on the A string they are C, D, E, F# and A.
- The 12th fret resets. The double dot at fret 12 is the open string one octave higher.
Octave shape (G): G|---------| D|-----5---| <- G A|---------| E|-3-------| <- G
How Bass Notes Compare to Guitar
The four bass strings are tuned to the same note names as the lowest four strings of a guitar (E A D G), but one octave lower. That means guitarists already know the shapes. Our guide Learn Guitar Notes: What Are the Notes on a Guitar? uses the same patterns.
The lowest note on a standard bass, open E, is about 41.2 Hz (E1). That’s why basses need long necks and heavy strings, a topic we cover in why bass necks are longer. A 5-string adds a low B, about 30.9 Hz.
| String | Note | Scientific pitch | Frequency (A4 = 440 Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (thickest) | E | E1 | 41.20 Hz |
| 3 | A | A1 | 55.00 Hz |
| 2 | D | D2 | 73.42 Hz |
| 1 (thinnest) | G | G2 | 98.00 Hz |
| 5-string low B | B | B0 | 30.87 Hz |
Frequencies use equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz, the concert-pitch reference standardised as ISO 16 (see A440 pitch standard). The UNSW Physics note-frequency table lists every pitch.
A 2-Week Plan to Memorise Bass Guitar Notes
| Days | Focus | Exercise (5–10 min) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | E string naturals | Say each note aloud as you play E–F–G–A–B–C–D–E, up and down |
| 4–6 | A string naturals | Same exercise, then jump between random notes on E and A |
| 7–8 | Octave shape | Play each E- and A-string note, then its octave two strings up |
| 9–10 | D and G strings | Learn them using the octave shape from the E and A strings |
| 11–12 | Sharps and flats | Find every F#, then every Bb, across all four strings |
| 13–14 | Root notes in songs | Play the roots of a chord chart without tab |
Do these exercises slowly and say the note names out loud. Speaking engages your memory far better than silent repetition. Apply the notes straight away with the root-note songs in easy bass songs for beginners.
Using Bass Guitar Notes to Find Chord Roots
Most of the time, bass players use bass guitar notes to find the root of a chord. If the chord chart says “C – G – Am – F”, you play C (A string, 3rd fret), G (E string, 3rd fret), A (open A or E string 5th fret) and F (E string, 1st fret).
From there you can add fifths and octaves. The fifth of any root is two frets up on the next string, so the fifth of C (A string, fret 3) is G (D string, fret 5). This root–fifth–octave pattern is the foundation of country, rock and the walking bass lines in jazz and blues.
Bass Guitar Notes on a 5-String Bass
A 5-string bass adds a low B string below the E. Every note on it follows the same rules: fret 1 is C, fret 3 is D, fret 5 is E (the same pitch as your open E string) and fret 12 is B again. The fifth-fret rule still works, because fret 5 of the B string matches the open E.
B string: B(0) C(1) D(3) E(5) F(6) G(8) A(10) B(12)
If you’re just starting, stick with four strings. Nearly all beginner material is written for a 4-string, and the extra string adds muting work. Once the bass guitar notes on the E, A, D and G strings are second nature, moving to a 5-string takes only a few days.
Three Quick Drills for Daily Practice
- Note of the day. Pick one note, for example C, and find it on every string in two octaves. Say the string and fret aloud as you go.
- Random root. Ask a phone voice assistant, or use a random note generator, to call out a note every four beats, and play it on the E or A string before the next beat 1.
- Chart reading. Take any chord chart from a song you like and play just the roots, in whole notes, without tab. Then repeat it in eighth notes.
Five minutes of these drills before your song practice will fix the bass guitar notes in your memory faster than an hour of staring at a chart.
Common Mistakes When Learning Bass Guitar Notes
- Relying only on tab. Tab is useful, but it hides the note names. Say the names even when you read tab.
- Forgetting B–C and E–F. These half steps are where most wrong notes come from.
- Learning only the E string. Many songs sit mostly on the A string.
- Skipping the octave shape. It’s the fastest bridge from the low strings to the high ones.
Curious why basses usually have exactly four strings? Read why bass guitars only have four strings. And if you’re practising fingerstyle, our article on why bass players use their fingers explains the tone benefits.
A quick tip for unplugged practice: electric bass is very quiet acoustically, so you may struggle to hear the pitch clearly. Plug into headphones or a small amp when you drill bass guitar notes. Our post on why bass guitars are so quiet explains why.