What scales/fingerboard patterns do you guys who tune in fifths use?

[phxlbrmpf]

I've been thinking about tuning in fifths like some of you guys on here do because it seemed like a cool idea but I've never tried it yet because I feared I might break my fingers and because I have pretty small hands anyway. So, show me how you play and I might give it a shot myself. Thanks a lot in advance.

[fryBASS]

nvm

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by fryBASS

Well, basses are almost always tuned in 5ths...

The standard tuning for bass guitar is all fourths. Intervals are supposed to be understood from the lowest note to the highest => the distance in semitones between a bass' open string and the next (higher pitched) one is five semitones, which equals a perfect fourth.

[BassChuck]

Originally Posted by fryBASS

Well, basses are almost always tuned in 5ths...

What are you tuned to, 4ths?

Generally I think the musical tradition is to think of intervals and chords and such from the lowest to the highest. So if my bass is tuned E A D G then I'm tuned in fourths, thinking from the lowest to the highest note.

This has been the traditional tuning for basses for some time now.... maybe 200 years or more. When good ole Leo Fender brought out the electric bass in 1951CE he suspected that bass players would be the people playing it, so the electric bass took on the same tuning. Actually, it works well too because the low 4 strings of the guitar are traditionally tuned to the same notes, so guitar players using the electric bass would know what to do with that.

I proudly tune my bass to 4th. It was good enough for Haydn and Jamerson, it's good enough for me.

[jamontap]

ok im totally lost in this conversation.

[GaryM]

Originally Posted by jamontap

ok im totally lost in this conversation.

OK, the standard tuning for four-string basses is (from lowest-pitched to highest) E A D G. Each string is tuned a perfect fourth (five semitones, abbreviated P4) higher than the one below it.

fryBASS tunes his bass so that each string is a perfect fifth (seven semitones, abbreviated P5) higher than the one below, for example he might tune it D A E B.

[user101]

i have tried tuning in 5ths before and gave up after a while. While i do get more range, certain fingering patterns which are easily done on a normal tuned bass (4ths) are almost impossible to pull off. You'll find your left hand moving around more than ever before trying to play what would have been trivial for a bass tuned in 4ths. And i really didn't need al that extra range.

However you can pull off some pretty sick appregios by tuning in 5ths. But musically i don't have much use for that, so i didn't bother pursuing the style much further. If you have use for it, then go ahead. I don't recall any rule saying you can't tune in 5ths. And i didn't break my fingers. Most of the time, you can't reach the notes by stretching so you just have to move your left hand around. That was my little experience in the short period of time adventuring into this style of tuning.

[Thunder Pulse]

I'm not planning on doing it, but I have 2 questions for those of you who have tuned to DAEB.

1. Do you use the high C string from a 6-string bass set for your high string? B is up a major 3rd from the standard, G, but only down a semitone from C.

2. Any truss rod adjustments needed?

[fryBASS]

oh sorry, i really suck with the whole 4ths, 5ths, etc. it really confuses me for some reason. yeah i have it tuned E A D G...

Please excuse my bad music theory

[Benjamin Strange]

I've been tuning in 5ths since 1998. My tuning is CGDA.

As far as patterns go, most are very similar to standard tuning. The only difficulty lies in scalar motion - in some keys the jump from the 3rd to the 4th is problematic. However, grabbing octaves, 10ths (which are the 3rd an octave up), chording, and modal playing is much easier.

5ths (power chords) are exactly one string up but on the same fret; octaves are two strings up and two frets back (away from the body); and 10ths (major 3rds) are two strings up and two frets forward (towards the body.

Most keys are easier (methinks) than in standard tuning. However, keys like C# and F# can be a real bitch.

[Depth_Charge]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

I've been tuning in 5ths since 1998. My tuning is CGDA.

OK, if CGDA is tuned to 5ths can someone describe what CGCF is tuned to?

The sad thing is I played in this tuning a lot during my System of a Down phase and I still don't know whats going on and why it just said "C" on the tuner when I got low enough

[Benjamin Strange]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

OK, if CGDA is tuned to 5ths can someone describe what CGCF is tuned to?

The sad thing is I played in this tuning a lot during my System of a Down phase and I still don't know whats going on and why it just said "C" on the tuner when I got low enough

CGCF is:

C to G is a 5th
G to C is a 4th
C to F is a 4th

Essentially what you have here is a standard dropped D tuning with the the whole bass tuned down a whole step. It's dropped C.

[Thunder Pulse]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

OK, if CGDA is tuned to 5ths can someone describe what CGCF is tuned to?

CGCF would be drop-C tuning I guess.

EADG - standard E
DADG - drop-D

DGCF - standard D
CGCF - drop-C

Edit: I was 2 minutes too slow.

[Depth_Charge]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

CGCF is:

C to G is a 5th
G to C is a 4th
C to F is a 4th

Essentially what you have here is a standard dropped D tuning with the the whole bass tuned down a whole step. It's dropped C.

Originally Posted by Thunder Pulse

CGCF would be drop-C tuning I guess.

EADG - standard E
DADG - drop-D

DGCF - standard D
CGCF - drop-C

Cheers guys, that makes sense seeing it in a table like that.

[funkydjembe]

The cello is tuned in fifth's (C G D A) as well as the violin (G D A E). There is a very popular upright bassist who really get's (got?) down on the cello, can't remember his name though. You might want to check out some cello books/info for that one.

[Thunder Pulse]

Yo Yo Ma ?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Yo Yo Ma has always been known as a cello player. The guy that funkydjembe talks about is Joel Quarrington.

[funkydjembe]

Well what do you know,! I actually have an LP of him; Oscar Pettiford. The New Oscar Pettiford Sextet. (he plays cello and Mingus bass on this one)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pettiford

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by funkydjembe

Well what do you know,! I actually have an LP of him; Oscar Pettiford. The New Oscar Pettiford Sextet. (he plays cello and Mingus bass on this one)

OK, my bad. I understood you were talking about a DB player that works with cello tuning.

[funkydjembe]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

OK, my bad. I understood you were talking about a DB player that works with cello tuning.

Oops,,no,,my bad, Pettiford tuned his cello in fourths