Drop A for 5-String Bass: A Deep Dive

This 'Drop A' tuning for a 5-string electric bass transforms your instrument into a rumbling powerhouse, providing an incredibly deep and heavy low end. Often favored in metal, hardcore, and other aggressive genres, it allows bassists to perfectly match down-tuned guitars while maintaining familiar playing patterns in the upper register.

Verbal Analysis

Imagine your bass as the bedrock of a mighty wall of sound. In Drop A, the lowest string plunges down to a thunderous A1, creating a rich, resonant foundation that adds significant weight and darkness to your band's sound. The beauty of this tuning lies in its simplicity for power chords: with the lowest string dropped to A, you can easily play root-fifth power chords by barring a single finger across the lowest two strings (A1-E2). This opens up new possibilities for riffing and provides a thick, impactful sound without complex fingering. The top four strings remain in standard E-A-D-G intervals, ensuring that your familiar scales, arpeggios, and chord shapes are still readily available and comfortable to play on the majority of the fretboard.

Technical Analysis

The open string notes for this tuning are (from lowest to highest): A1, E2, A2, D3, G3. Compared to a standard 5-string bass tuning (B1-E2-A2-D3-G3), the 5th (lowest) string is tuned down by two semitones from B1 to A1. The remaining strings (E2, A2, D3, G3) retain their standard pitch. This creates a unique intervallic structure across the open strings: a perfect fifth between the 5th and 4th strings (A1 to E2), followed by a perfect fourth between the 4th and 3rd strings (E2 to A2), and then standard perfect fourths for the rest (A2 to D3, D3 to G3). The presence of two A notes (A1 and A2) at the lowest and third lowest positions, along with E2, forms a powerful open A-octave chord (A1-E2-A2) which provides a massive resonance when played open. This tuning significantly extends the bass's range downwards, allowing for darker harmonies and heavier riffs.

Open Chords & Reachable Shapes

• Open A Power Chord: By playing the open 5th string (A1) and the open 4th string (E2) together, you immediately get a strong A5 power chord.
• Open A Octave: The open 5th string (A1) and 3rd string (A2) provide a powerful low A octave, adding depth and fullness.
• One-Finger Power Chords: Any fret on the 5th string barred with the 4th string will yield a root-fifth power chord (e.g., fretting the 5th fret on the 5th and 4th strings gives you a D5 power chord).
• Standard Shapes: All your familiar scales, arpeggios, and chord shapes from standard EADG tuning remain fully functional on the top four strings (E2-A2-D3-G3), making the transition seamless for most playing.

How to Tune

To achieve the Drop A tuning for your 5-string bass, starting from a standard B-E-A-D-G tuning, follow these steps:

• String 5 (Lowest, Thickest String): Tune down from its standard B1 pitch to A1. This is a movement of 2 semitones down.
• String 4: Keep this string as is at E2; no change (0 semitones).
• String 3: Keep this string as is at A2; no change (0 semitones).
• String 2: Keep this string as is at D3; no change (0 semitones).
• String 1 (Highest, Thinnest String): Keep this string as is at G3; no change (0 semitones).

Important Note: The only string movement required is tuning the lowest string down 2 semitones. This is a minor adjustment and should be perfectly safe for standard gauge bass strings. For tunings that involve movements exceeding 4 semitones up or down, it is generally advised to consider using a different gauge string to maintain optimal tension and prevent potential damage to your instrument.