well that was dumb of me

Casting Thunder · #1 01-31-2013, 03:37 PM

I've been playing bass for a year. I don't know any musicians and I'm 100% self taught. I play left handed because it makes more sense in my head but otherwise in life I'm right handed. I'm also dyslexic and it's apparently worst then I thought.

I've been working on learning chords, but it's been difficult; come to find out I've been tuning my bass backwards. The strings are in the right place but I've been tuning the E string as if it was the G string ect. What do I do now? I want to crawl into a hole but I want to take my bass with me.

Should I flip my tuning or stay as is since it makes more sense to me?

tomsthumb · #2 01-31-2013, 03:41 PM

wait, so, you learned your bass tuned in fifths? The fat string is a g? the 2nd fattest is a d? the third fattest is an A? and the tiny one is an E?

Technotitclan · #3 01-31-2013, 03:42 PM

I used to do something similar but wont go into detail ( little embarrassing

) but the best thing that ever happened to me was a friend convincing me to go back to standard tuning/formation.

ffutterman · #4 01-31-2013, 03:50 PM

It sounds interesting. I say just go with it, as long as you don't break your strings.

Casting Thunder · #5 01-31-2013, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsthumb

wait, so, you learned your bass tuned in fifths? The fat string is a g? the 2nd fattest is a d? the third fattest is an A? and the tiny one is an E?

yup

eukatheude · #6 01-31-2013, 06:25 PM

Try tuning it normally and see if it makes more sense to you. If you find out you can play just the same with your tuning, i'd say go for it.

SunnBass · #7 01-31-2013, 06:37 PM

Leave it like it is, flip it over and play right handed. Tuning problem solved.

Oh, wait...nope.
Damn, I suck at the geographys.

Bassist4Eris · #8 01-31-2013, 06:51 PM

I'm all for blazing your own trail, but I would think that using a standard set of strings tuned in that fashion would do all sorts of strange things tension-wise, and I would worry about warping the neck, myself.

JoeWPgh · #9 01-31-2013, 06:54 PM

If you go to a standard tuning it will be much easier to work with other musicians, especially guitarists trying to show you the chords, or maybe even a bass line. If you're off in your own tuning, this will be of no help.

Sni77 · #10 01-31-2013, 07:31 PM

Wow, so you played a bass tuned in fifths for a whole year? That's pretty cool. But why don't you just tune like most of us and just see how it works? The bass and the strings were most likely designed to be tuned like that anyways. And most of the literature out there is for EADG in fourths as well. Give it a try, see how it is. But try it for longer not just 10 minutes or so

jaxom · #11 01-31-2013, 07:37 PM

is it a right or left handed bass?

Casting Thunder · #12 01-31-2013, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxom

is it a right or left handed bass?

left handed bass.

catcauphonic · #13 01-31-2013, 11:26 PM

That's actually pretty dang cool

I'm guessing you're just learning to play by ear, right? Neat!
But as has been mentioned - it's going to be quite difficult to eventually read notation or especially tab, or be shown things by other players.

OTOH, maybe you'll end up starting some new revolution in fingering

Personally, I don't think it's too late to relearn where the standard notes should be and I would go with that.

kirkdickinson · #14 01-31-2013, 11:55 PM

There are a few bass players that tune in 5ths. It gives some interesting options and a greater range of notes on a 4 string.

Read this thread: What's your bass tuned to?

Your tuning is two octaves below a violin. If you can't switch to 4ths, you should at least try a lower tuning for more flexibility.

I recommend:
low to high C, G, D, A, that will give you 4 half steps lower than a regular bass and 2 half steps higher. This tuning seems to be used by many bass players that play in5ths.

You also need to get a "Correct" set of strings for your tuning... Whatever that may be. With the tuning you have and the strings you have on there, you won't have very even string tension.

Casting Thunder · #15 02-01-2013, 06:12 PM

I think I'm going to keep tuning my way for a few weeks and switch to normal tuning for Lent (I need something for that, so why not this?) and see how I feel after.

JoeWPgh · #16 02-01-2013, 06:15 PM

Here's a thought: Find a used Squier or SX for as cheap as you can. Tune it up traditionally.

Casting Thunder · #17 02-01-2013, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWPgh

Here's a thought: Find a used Squier or SX for as cheap as you can. Tune it up traditionally.

Funny thing, I'm actually saving up for one, but then Rush added more tour dates....

Deedubs · #18 02-01-2013, 07:08 PM

i say keep everything the same (g,d,a,e) but move the strings so the tension will be right.

BboogieXVII · #19 02-04-2013, 08:37 PM

The thing about being tuned in 5th's is a lot of shifting will be required to play what would otherwise not require shifting, which is why the bass is traditionally tuned in 4th's. My vote is to go with standard tuning.

NCD · #20 02-04-2013, 08:48 PM

I'd be very concerned about the pressure on the neck from cranking the heavy string that tight. The tension has to be a lot more than the neck was meant for, since getting a mid G out of a thick string takes a lot more tension than getting that same note out of a thin string.

You may be running the risk of ruining your instrument. I'd check in the Luthier's Corner here on the forums.

Oh, and I'd skip the squier or used SX and go straight for a new SX. You can get them for like $139 and that's less than most used gear will run you... and most SX's don't sell for much less than that. They don't gain in value, but they're so cheap when new that they don't lose it either.