Double bass fifths point out that all of the other orchestral strings are tuned in fifths (violin, viola, and cello), so this puts the bass in the same tuning approach. Fifth tuning provides a bassist with a wider range of pitch than a standard E–A–D–G bass, as it ranges (without an extension) from C to A. Some players who use fifths tuning who play a five-string bass use an additional high string (thus, from lowest to highest: C–G–D–A–E). Some fifth tuning bassists who only have a four string instrument and who are mainly performing soloistic works use the G–D–A–E tuning, thus omitting
The Well-Tuned Piano third, consider that 5:4 is equivalent to 386 cents () and 9:7 is equivalent to 435 cents (). This difference is audible to the listener by comparing the tuning for each pitch of the western chromatic scale with the chromatic scale used in "The Well-Tuned Piano". "The Well-Tuned Piano" is based on a pitch lattice of perfect fifths and harmonic sevenths. "The Well-Tuned Piano", being improvisatory in nature, as well as ever-changing, has no specific form. The closest a listener can come to understanding the structure of Young's piece is by studying the liner notes from the 1981 Gramavision recording.