Hear the bass see the tab

From a recording to bass TAB

1. Choose your audio or video file, then continue to the workspace. Nothing is transcribed just by selecting a file on this page.
2. Choose one instrument for bass alone, or a band for a full mix. Check the preview and confirm the displayed price when required.
3. Open the result and select the bass part. Set the tablature instrument and tuning that match your bass.
4. Listen alongside the original, correct the notes and adjust strings or frets. Save the version you want to keep.
5. Export the score or bass part in the format you need, and open it once before rehearsal.

A bass part from a historical band transcription

This is the first eight bars of the bass part from an uncorrected October 2, 2026 transcription of Slakh2100 Track01881, a synthesized multi-instrument recording. We extracted the bass part and used ScoreStarling to make four-string TAB. The notes were not corrected.

Download the source mix · PDF excerpt · MusicXML with TAB · Guitar Pro 5 excerpt

The TAB export keeps the excerpt’s sounding pitches. The GP5 file was checked by reading its notes and positions back; this was not a native Guitar Pro app test. The historical file’s playback instrument may need adjusting. Slakh2100 is CC BY 4.0; see the source, attribution and export details.

Check the octave before the fingering

Electric bass is commonly written an octave above its sounding pitch. TAB numbers describe physical strings and frets. Those two views can look different while representing the same sound.

For a standard four-string bass, the open strings sound E1, A1, D2 and G2, from lowest to highest. If a result puts the whole line an octave too high, correct the pitch rather than trying to solve every note with a new finger position. A low B requires a five- or six-string tuning with that string, or another tuning that actually reaches it.

ScoreStarling’s TAB assignment uses the score’s sounding pitch, including an instrument’s octave transposition where present. Still check the imported score and the export you'll use: a file with the wrong instrument or transposition can carry the wrong meaning into the next app.

Make the fingering fit your hands

The same note may fit several strings. Lower frets can be comfortable in one phrase, while staying in one position may work better in another. ScoreStarling offers low-fret and fewer-hand-shift choices, then lets you adjust individual notes.

Changing a note’s string keeps its pitch and changes its fret. Changing the fret changes the pitch that string plays. Listen after either edit, particularly around a shift or an open-string passage. Automatic transcription doesn't reliably decide the exact fingering the original player used.

Four strings, low B and alternate tunings

The bass presets cover four-string standard tuning, four-string Drop D, five strings with a low B and six strings with low B and high C. Choose the preset first, then review the line. Changing the tuning after manually assigning frets may change the fingering you intended.

A recording tuned below concert pitch can also confuse the first result. Check an open-string note against the recording. Do not assume every low note is an error, and do not move a whole part by an octave just to make a single note fit.

Listen where bass is hardest to hear

Start with a clear phrase, then compare a busier passage where the kick drum and bass overlap. Listen for notes that disappear, notes that last too long and a line that jumps to a higher octave. A distorted tone or a strong harmonic can make the apparent pitch misleading.

Correct a short section before working through the whole song. You can also ask Starling for a specific change, such as moving a passage down an octave or simplifying a rhythm, then inspect and listen to the result. Keep a saved version before making a larger change.

Take the part to rehearsal or your editor

Print a PDF when you need a reading copy, use text TAB for a quick reference, or export Guitar Pro 5 when you want to continue editing strings and frets in a compatible application. MusicXML is useful for notation work; MIDI is useful for playback and production. The editable formats require Plus or a purchased credit pack.

Check the file once in the app you plan to use. A supported export format doesn't guarantee identical sound or layout. Bends, slides and hammer-ons are not automatically written by this TAB workflow; add the technique markings you need.

Check the price for your recording

One instrument or voice costs 10 credits per piece, up to 6 minutes. Band transcription costs 30 credits per minute, up to 30 minutes, and requires confirmation of the displayed price. Every piece has a 30-second preview. Free accounts receive 100 credits each month.

Open the workspaceSee pricing