Going from 4 to 5 (merged threads)

[Lichtaffen]

I just scored a great deal on a Warwick Thumb 5 string. I figured I'd take the plunge into fives since the deal was so good. I didn't really need one, but after playing it over the weekend, I'm in love. I never realized Warwicks were so nice. Anyways, back to the point...

I love the B string. Knowing the notes on the B string is easy enough since I used to be a guitard in a past life. Occasionally, I do hit the B string instead of the E, which I'm sure I'll get used to in time. The thing I'm really having difficulty with is muting. I had a really good muting scheme going when I was playing 4 strings, but now I have to seriously readjust my technique. I know it will be worth it in the long run.

Does anyone have a specific method of muting strings for a 5? I've been using the method I learned from the Jaco instructional video.

I'm not sure I want to go back to 4 strings again.

[vince a]

I made the switch to a 5 string two weeks ago. Didn't use the B string very much, but dabbed at it! I just had my first gig with it this past weekend, and yes, I made my share of mistakes - wrong notes - but I'll get it. That B sure looks like an E at times . . .

Last week at church, the bass player used a Sadowsky 5 string with an EBS rig - sound was awesome! Anyway, he used the B in every song and just about every chance he had. I took mental notes . . . and practiced this week using the B quite a bit more . . . going up to the B instead of going down to other strings.

Needless to say, my bandmates loved the sound of the new bass with the B . . . as well as I do! I used it in a lot of songs, going as low as the C (1st fret), but no open B.

I'm hooked!

[Engine207]

I resisted the 5-banger for years, while noticing everyone else going to it. To minimize distractions, I was looking for similar spacing - both at the nut and the bridge. Being a Fender guy, I got a Jazz V.

At the same time, another trend that I hadn't dabbled in began to intrigue me - active basses. So, I also picked up an Ibby BTB, thinking I'd A/B them and pick which one I liked best. I didn't think a 1" difference in scale would matter that much. Both were wide spacing, but the 35" scale (and the super-thin neck) forced the choice for me. I broke my left wrist as a kid, so that reach about killed me! I wound up selling the BTB (actually made $75 on the flip!) and really enjoy my Jazz V - now with an Audere JZ-3, so it's the best of both worlds!

Though I'm still not great with it, some of the techniques discussed here worked well for me, too. Immersion is great, and so is the 5th fret=nut mindset. That also cut down my painful reaches to what used to be first position.

[Beginner Bass]

I never really had those kinds of problems. I got mine for a few reasons:

• Have a low B
• Less having to switch tunings (Unless you're in some weird crazy metalcore band that never plays above drop A)
• They're awesome

The only real problem I have is some drop-D lines are just tough to play on a 5er (Try playing the outro to Vicarious on a 5). Some Drop-D lines involve hammering to really high notes on the board. I just had to learn to adjust to using my right hand for said slurs. But I guess I'm just a freak who could never use 4, so I needed the B as a crutch but I really never had that kind of problem with a 5.

[sayman]

After 26 years, I finally made the switch to a 5 string and like it a lot. Yes, a bit of re-training, but old dogs *can* learn new tricks.

As others have said, no tuning issues, can play a lot more from a single position, and in some songs, the low notes sound great.

But give yourself 2-3 weeks to get used to it before gigging! I still have to pay attention - I can't go on "auto-pilot" quite yet.

[TortillaChip520]

I'm really considering making the jump straight from a 4 to a 6. I'm more interested in the high C than the low B

[daratter]

I just recently got my first 5 string and absolutely love the fast fingerwork I can do on it across the neck (Ive been able to go much faster here), my problem is coming in with my plucking hand and wondered if anyone else had these problems when switching from a 4 exclusively for a number of years to a 5. I find that I have a harder time plucking with the same speed and consistancy as I had before (I use the 3 finger rolling/plucking technique in a very fast paced melodic metal band). I also seem to not know the best place to put my thumb (on the 4 I would rest it on the pickup's top corner) and the strings seem/are closer on the 5 than 4 so I fond myself mistakenly rubbing the other neighboring strings where as I don't do this at all on the 4.

[FromTheBassMent]

Oh what the heck, I'll jump in.

I've been playing basses with strings in excess of four since they've been commonly available. I finally settled on five-strings for a few reasons.

1. Playing in F. It's just easier for me on the sixth fret of the B string than on the first fret of the E.

2. Playing in Eb with a full bass tone. I've played with a lot of choirs, and lots of vocal music is in Eb. Being stuck with your root note on the sixth fret of the A string kinda sucks if you're a fan of big bottom.

3. Passing tones, such as D to G on the third fret.

4. Walking up a V-I turnaround in E from the open B.

I rarely play sustained notes on the B string below the D... although we play one tune in C where I pretty much stay off the B string the entire time until the final note, and drop it on the first fret. I find the B string really handy for turnarounds/transitions... it's a great tool to help you get from one chord to the next while maintaining your position.

I found that I never had a solid musical use in the real world for higher strings on a bass. I had a six string, and even a seven string, and the rare opportunities I experienced to wander up in that range did not justify the extra expense of the instruments and strings nor the extra weight on my shoulder.

But at this point in my bass playing career, I think I would be utterly lost without a low B.

And yeah, it does make a great spot for your plucking finger to land on when you're plaing on the E string!

[steveksux]

I switched back in the 80s, took my Steinberger got some parts from Ned and converted it to a narrow 5. Figured if I didn't like it, I could switch it back. Eventually got a real 5er.

Couple suggestions. 1st. Learn to play without watching your fingers first. I figure out what note I'm playing by looking at the low string (E or B in this case), and working up from there. So looking at the neck put me one string off instinctively. If you figure it out from the high string (G) and working back, this probably won't be an issue with you until you go to a 6 and your "G" string is now a "C" string.

2nd. work on playing without using open strings where possible. Get used to the patterns involved. They will translate to the extra string without any changes. Find yourself moving onto the new string without any drama.

NOW get yourself a 5 string and get cracking..

Keep at it, don't be afraid to use the B string for notes that already exist on the 4string, that's one of the most useful aspects of it. You can play lots of stuff there without having to shift a lot.

Hit those sub E notes here and there, they can be awesome if not overdone.

I feel lost on a 4 string now, picking up upright, and having Bstring envy. Thinking of trying to convert my EUB to a 5er. Its amazing how limiting a 4 string is once you're used to a 5.

Randy

[Ibanez6string]

Originally Posted by TortillaChip520

I'm really considering making the jump straight from a 4 to a 6. I'm more interested in the high C than the low B

i went from a 4 to a 6 with no problem after a few hours of playing on it. the high C is definitely nice, i have guitarists constantly telling me to tune it like a guitar, but they just don't understand why the bass is set up how it is. it's so much easier to jump up or down a string and play in one position instead of having to slide up or down the fret board

[TomA1234]

Originally Posted by Ibanez6string

i went from a 4 to a 6 with no problem after a few hours of playing on it. the high C is definitely nice, i have guitarists constantly telling me to tune it like a guitar, but they just don't understand why the bass is set up how it is. it's so much easier to jump up or down a string and play in one position instead of having to slide up or down the fret board

I think guitarists should tune like a bass!! A six string bass's tuning makes a lot more sense. (standard tuning on a six string is BEADC [all open notes match with fret 5 of the string below] and standard guitar is EADGBE where the fret match up is 4th not 5th for the B)

[Michael Campbel]

Originally Posted by Ibanez6string

...i have guitarists constantly telling me to tune it like a guitar, but they just don't understand why the bass is set up how it is.

I DO play bass (well, I practice at it...), and *I* don't understand why it's set up the way it is! Can someone explain? (And while you're at it, why a guitar is set up differently? Is it because certain chord shapes are easier?)

[steveksux]

Originally Posted by Michael Campbel

I DO play bass (well, I practice at it...), and *I* don't understand why it's set up the way it is! Can someone explain? (And while you're at it, why a guitar is set up differently? Is it because certain chord shapes are easier?)

The bass is set up that way so any fingering pattern works anywhere on the neck. Move it across the neck, up or down the neck, it allows you to transpose effortlessly. Its consistent.

Not sure why guitar is tuned that way, maybe just historical, maybe for chord shapes.

Randy

[Fretness]

Hahaha i just bought my first bass which is a 5-string, do you think it will like 'stun' my growth for bass playing cause i have not ever tried the basic 4 string yet???

[martyonbass]

I've gone back and forth between 4s and 5s. Even though I'm now back in a wide spaced fender 4, when I went to the fives, I pictured an imaginary capo on the 5th fret and played the instrument like I would a four. "Home" or "neutral" was across the 5th fret. When I needed to go higher there was an extra string. When I needed to go lower I just went under my imaginary capo......and I drank light beer for a month...

[hrodbert696]

After learning on a 4 string for just a couple of months I got a 5er for Christmas, pretty soon sold the 4 and play the 5 exclusively now. The transition wasn't all that hard, the main thing was getting used to the closer string spacing. It is good for those of us who don't have seven guitars in the shed to be able to play those songs with the D or Eb without having to retune. Like a couple of others, I rarely go below that low D though. There are a lot of songs I don't use the B string on at all and then it does make a fine thumb rest. I have noticed I've developed a bit of a bad habit: I play fingerstyle and I tend to hook my pinkie and fourth (ring) finger around the B string rather than letting them float. I suppose I just like that feel of an anchored hand but it's made me sloppy with muting. Working on breaking that now.

[sayman]

One of the nice things about the 5 string is you can play almost everything from a single hand position if you choose.

Them low notes sound great in the right places, too.

[OldBaldyBassGuy]

"We'd like to have our old friend come up and play w/us", my guitar-playing bud called out over the p.a. "Great," I thought to myself. Now I can finally play a 5-string. As soon as I put on the borrowed bass, I had a feeling of dread start to worm through my system. Having played bass for over 30 years (at the time..), I was confident enough in my playing ability to hop up on stage. But that confidence slowly slipped away when I moved my fingers over the strings and was immediately flumoxed by that extrra string. My brain couldn't transition to 'one more string' and when the leader called off Money For Nothing (I'd played the tune many times before in a band w/the leader, but it had been a few yrs since..), I knew (and, consequently, the band knew..) I was in a large amount of poo. Trying to remember the structure of the tune, the changes, AND fumbling around 'one string over', that poor tune never stood a chance.. My brain kept thinking the the B string was actually the E string, and havoc ensued. I was embarrased for myself, the band, the great tune, the patrons that had to listen to that massacre, and for my arrogance that I thought I could just step up to the plate and hit it out of the park.. Even so, the band was gracious and I quickly learned another of life's lessons: Don't assume anything. One knows what they know through study, practice and perserverance. Unfortunately, I've had an aversion to 5-strings since. And I LOVE that low B sound.. I guess I should have gotten back on the horse after I fell off.. One MORE lesson learned..

[sayman]

Ouch. I hear ya - you need some time to get accustomed to that low B string. I'm still not completely on "auto-pilot", as it were.

Drives guitar players crazy too - they look over to see what notes I'm fretting and get completely flummoxed.

[Adam Bomb]

Originally Posted by OldBaldyBassGuy

"We'd like to have our old friend come up and play w/us", my guitar-playing bud called out over the p.a. "Great," I thought to myself. Now I can finally play a 5-string. As soon as I put on the borrowed bass, I had a feeling of dread start to worm through my system. Having played bass for over 30 years (at the time..), I was confident enough in my playing ability to hop up on stage. But that confidence slowly slipped away when I moved my fingers over the strings and was immediately flumoxed by that extrra string. My brain couldn't transition to 'one more string' and when the leader called off Money For Nothing (I'd played the tune many times before in a band w/the leader, but it had been a few yrs since..), I knew (and, consequently, the band knew..) I was in a large amount of poo. Trying to remember the structure of the tune, the changes, AND fumbling around 'one string over', that poor tune never stood a chance.. My brain kept thinking the the B string was actually the E string, and havoc ensued. I was embarrased for myself, the band, the great tune, the patrons that had to listen to that massacre, and for my arrogance that I thought I could just step up to the plate and hit it out of the park.. Even so, the band was gracious and I quickly learned another of life's lessons: Don't assume anything. One knows what they know through study, practice and perserverance. Unfortunately, I've had an aversion to 5-strings since. And I LOVE that low B sound.. I guess I should have gotten back on the horse after I fell off.. One MORE lesson learned..

This. Is what I am afraid of.

It really is surprisingly disorienting - to me - that "one more string" thing. My fingers never seem to get the memo. I haven't tried for very long, or very often. But, definitely not a no-brainer for me either.

Maybe one day I will go BEAD, for starters.

--Bomb