Play Bass Guitar Online

Play Bass Guitar with Bass Line Presets. Click any string or fret to pluck it, or use keyboard shortcuts for a fast playing style. Play Bass Online for free & record. Choose 4 or 5 strings, navigate frets, and feel the deep low-end thump — all in your browser with no download needed.

Fret 0
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💻 Keyboard: 1 2 3 4 = open strings  |  Q W E R / A S D F = frets 1–4 per string

Screen Recording

Record your performance and download it as a WebM video.

Ready to record screen.

🎸 Bass Line Presets

💡 Tip: Real bass players mostly use the first 5 frets. Start with open strings and the 1st–3rd frets to learn root notes for common chord progressions.

✅ How to Use

  1. Click any string at a fret position to pluck it — the thicker the string, the lower the pitch.
  2. Use ◀ ▶ to navigate up and down the neck, or jump directly with the fret display.
  3. Switch between Fingers (warm), Pick (bright attack), and Slap (punchy percussive) tone modes.
  4. Try 4 strings for standard EADG tuning, or 5 strings to add the low B string.
  5. Pick a bass line preset and press Play or Loop to hear common patterns.
  6. On desktop, keyboard shortcuts let you pluck strings and frets without a mouse.

🎸 Bass Guitar — Open String Notes

Standard tuning for 4-string (EADG) and 5-string (BEADG) bass.

String Note (open) Octave Frequency Character
1st (thinnest) G 2 98 Hz Bright, melodic runs
2nd D 2 73.4 Hz Mid-range, versatile
3rd A 1 55.0 Hz Deep punch, roots
4th (thickest) E 1 41.2 Hz Deepest, foundation
5th (5-string only) B 0 30.9 Hz Sub-bass, extreme low end

About the Bass Guitar

The bass guitar is the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of virtually every band — rock, funk, jazz, reggae, pop, and metal all rely on the bass to lock the groove and connect the drum kit to the harmony. While guitarists play chords and lead melodies, the bassist defines the root of each chord and works with the kick drum to create the pulse that holds everything together.

The standard 4-string bass is tuned to E A D G — one octave lower than the bottom four strings of a guitar. Fender introduced the Precision Bass in 1951, making the electric bass a viable alternative to the upright double bass. Today, 5-string and 6-string basses extend the range further, with the 5-string adding a low B string at 30.9 Hz — below the threshold of distinct pitch perception on most speakers.

This virtual bass uses Karplus-Strong string synthesis — an algorithm that models the physical behaviour of a plucked string by cycling noise through a feedback loop with a lowpass filter. It produces the characteristic pluck attack and smooth exponential decay of a real bass string, without needing audio samples.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tuning does this virtual bass use?

Standard bass tuning: E1–A1–D2–G2 for 4 strings (lowest to highest). The 5-string mode adds B0 as the lowest string. This is the same tuning used on a real bass guitar.

What is Karplus-Strong synthesis?

Karplus-Strong is an algorithm that models a plucked string using a short delay line filled with noise. Feeding this back through a lowpass filter simulates the way real strings ring and decay — longer strings decay slower, shorter (higher-pitched) strings decay faster. The result sounds surprisingly like a real plucked string without any audio samples.

What is the difference between Fingers, Pick, and Slap tone?

Finger-style bass has a warm, rounded attack. A pick gives a brighter, more aggressive transient — common in rock and punk. Slap bass pops the string against the fretboard for a percussive, funky thump — used in funk, R&B, and bass solos. All three are emulated here using different filter settings and envelope shapes.

How do I play a bass line?

The simplest bass line follows the root note of each chord in the song. If the chord is C major, play a C on the bass. If it moves to F, play F. Most pop and rock songs use only 3–4 different root notes, and all of them are within the first 5 frets on a real bass.

Can I use keyboard shortcuts?

Yes. Keys 1–4 (or 1–5 in 5-string mode) pluck the open strings. Q W E R and A S D F pluck frets 1–4 across pairs of strings. Use the ◀ ▶ buttons to shift your position up and down the neck while keeping your keyboard in the same hand position.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes — tap anywhere on a string to pluck it. The fretboard is touch-responsive and scales to your screen width.

📚 References & Notes

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