Moving to Six String Bass

[dbamta]

Adam, I have been playing a 5 string for a couple of years and I considering moving to six string bass. Are there things that I should consider when moving from a 5 string to 6 string bass?

[Clef_de_fa]

I'm not Adam but I played a 5 strings for 4 years before I got my first 6 strings bass and to me it was very easy transition.

When I was playing I was like " man it would have been easier to pull that off with the C strings " so when I got one it became normal.

Well, of course the neck is wider, most of the time it is flatter radius, may need to change your plucking hand ... like a fixed thumb may not be very useful since you have much more ground to cover and harder to mute. warping your thumb around the neck may be impossible.

[dbamta]

Thanks for you thoughts.

[bassman4d521]

i play 4, 5 and 6... i find the six was easier for me. my brain was able to deal with the symmetry of an added string on top and bottom as opposed to just on the bottom. YMMV.

[DiabolusInMusic]

If you know how a 4 works, you know how a 6 works, its all 4ths. I found the switch very natural, my advice is to consider weight when purchasing though, 6ers can get very heavy.

Oh and learn to move your thumb up and down the strings to the one below where the string your attacking. A la Geddy Lee, keeping your thumb on the pickup to hit the high C becomes a big stretch.

[dbamta]

Thank you for your insight. I am glad that you mention weight as being factor.

[adamnitti]

hi dbamta!

great question, and also some great insight from those who have posted already.

i'd have to say that one of your biggest challenges/priorities once you get a 6 string should be adopting a technical approach that effectively manages the string muting and string crossing tasks. a lot of players have some technical shortcomings exposed once they switch to the 6... it requires more attention if you want to keep things clean and accurate and also avoid sympathetic vibrations from the strings that aren't being played. i personally deal with this by integrating what i refer to as a 'thumb trailing' or 'movable anchor' approach. this approach is not unique to me, but it is something i discovered early on in my playing career when i first made the switch from 4 to 5. at that time, i realized that the technical approach i was using that was working great for 4 string was allowing a lot of 'sloppiness' to be revealed when i had the 5 string in my hands. i essentially overhauled my entire technical approach, and replaced it with a method that was universal to all basses, regardless of the number of strings.

here is a video i shot for d'addario a while back that demonstrates the basic approach:

Adam Nitti's Moveable Anchor Technique - YouTube

keep in mind that everybody's hands are different, and you may find that you have to slightly modify the approach or fine tune it to better fit your anatomy or playing style. the bottom line, however, is that once you discover how much more efficient you play using this approach, you will never go back.

hope that helps!