Bass Guitar Notes Chart (Every Fret)

The open strings of a 4-string bass are E, A, D and G. Each fret raises the note by one semitone, so the E string runs E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, A♯, B, C, C♯, D, D♯ and back to E at the 12th fret, an octave higher. The notes from fret 12 to 24 repeat frets 0 to 12. The lowest note is E1, about 41.2 Hz.

Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK music words (bar, crotchet, quaver, stave); the US version uses measure, quarter note, eighth note and staff. · US version of this page

Updated 1 November 2026 · By the Classfern Music Department

Key facts

Open strings, lowest to highest: E1, A1, D2, G2.
The natural notes on the E string are at frets 0 (E), 1 (F), 3 (G), 5 (A), 7 (B), 8 (C) and 10 (D).
There is no sharp between B and C or between E and F: B to C and E to F are one fret apart.
The 12th fret (two dots) is an octave above the open string; frets 13–24 repeat frets 1–12.
Fret marker dots are usually at frets 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 24.
Middle C (C4) is at the 17th fret of the G string. On a 20-fret bass the highest note is D♯4/E♭4.
A 5-string bass adds a low B0 string (about 30.87 Hz) below the E string.

Bass notes chart, open to the 12th fret

Every note is a button: press it to hear it. Choose Every… to mark all the places a note appears (marked with a star and a ring). The top row is the G string, like tab. Numbers after the letters are octaves (E1 is the open E string).

Find a noteShow black-key notes as

Bass guitar notes, 4-string standard tuning (E A D G), open to fret 12
String	Open	1	2	3 •	4	5 •	6	7 •	8	9 •	10	11	12 ••
G
D
A
E

Kids’ mode: bigger buttons

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What are the notes on a bass guitar?

The open strings are E, A, D and G, and every fret adds one semitone. The 12 notes are C, C♯/D♭, D, D♯/E♭, E, F, F♯/G♭, G, G♯/A♭, A, A♯/B♭ and B, and they repeat every 12 frets.

The chart above is the whole pattern you need: past the 12th fret the notes start again, one octave higher, as the table below shows.

Bass guitar notes from the 13th to the 24th fret (4-string, standard tuning)
String	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
G	G♯3	A3	A♯3	B3	C4	C♯4	D4	D♯4	E4	F4	F♯4	G4
D	D♯3	E3	F3	F♯3	G3	G♯3	A3	A♯3	B3	C4	C♯4	D4
A	A♯2	B2	C3	C♯3	D3	D♯3	E3	F3	F♯3	G3	G♯3	A3
E	F2	F♯2	G2	G♯2	A2	A♯2	B2	C3	C♯3	D3	D♯3	E3

How do you memorise the notes on a bass guitar?

Learn the natural notes on the E and A strings first, because most root notes live there. Then use octave shapes (two strings up, two frets up) and the 5th-fret rule to find every other note.

E string first: E (0), F (1), G (3), A (5), B (7), C (8), D (10), E (12).
A string next: A (0), B (2), C (3), D (5), E (7), F (8), G (10), A (12).
Octaves: from any note on the E or A string, go two strings up and two frets up for the same note an octave higher.
The 5th-fret rule: fret 5 on the E, A or D string is the same note as the next string up, played open.
Test yourself with the quiz below, a few minutes a day.

Shapes for finding the same note somewhere else
From a note on…	The same note an octave away	The same pitch on the next string down
E string, fret n	D string, fret n + 2 (octave up)	– (no lower string on a 4-string)
A string, fret n	G string, fret n + 2 (octave up)	E string, fret n + 5
D string, fret n	E string, fret n − 2 (octave down)	A string, fret n + 5
G string, fret n	A string, fret n − 2 (octave down)	D string, fret n + 5
Any string, fret n	Same string, fret n + 12 or n − 12	–

Where is middle C on a bass guitar?

Middle C (C4) is at the 17th fret of the G string. The C notes you will play most are lower: C2 at the 3rd fret of the A string and the 8th fret of the E string, and C3 at the 5th fret of the G string and the 10th fret of the D string.

Bass music is written in the bass clef an octave higher than it sounds, so the C written in the second space from the bottom of the bass clef stave is played as C2 on the A string at fret 3. See bass clef notes to read it.

Mr Chopin, Classfern’s head of music (grey hair, round glasses, sage-green cardigan and bow tie), explaining the notes chart

What notes are on a 5-string bass?

A 5-string bass is tuned B0, E1, A1, D2, G2. The extra low B string adds five notes below the E string, down to B0 at about 30.87 Hz, and its 5th fret is the same E as the open E string.

The low B string on a 5-string bass, open to the 12th fret
String	Open	Fret 1	Fret 2	Fret 3	Fret 4	Fret 5	Fret 6	Fret 7	Fret 8	Fret 9	Fret 10	Fret 11	Fret 12
B	B0	C1	C♯1	D1	D♯1	E1	F1	F♯1	G1	G♯1	A1	A♯1	B1

Why are there dots on the neck?

The dots (fret markers) help you find your place: single dots at frets 3, 5, 7 and 9, a double dot at 12, and the same again from 15. On the E string, the dots are G (3), A (5), B (7), C♯ (9) and E (12). The dot frets are shaded in the chart above.

Miss Clara Schumann (auburn curls with a teal bow, dark green jacket, tartan skirt), explaining

Classfern’s free music tools on lessonplanner.info run in your browser. For chord shapes, see the bass guitar chords chart; for reading bass parts, how to read bass tabs.

Quiz: name the note on the bass

Ten questions: find the note at a fret on each string. Marked by Classfern Your score stays in this browser.

More music tools

Bass guitar lessonsTuning notes and a first lesson.How to read bass tabsPlayable tabs and a quiz.Bass guitar chordsShapes and arpeggios.Bass clef notesRead bass music.Sharps, flats and naturalsWhy some notes have two names.All music toolsThe Classfern Music hub.

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