4 to 6 strings

Ron G · #1 05-22-2010, 07:07 PM

What are some tips when going from 4 to 6 strings.

Everything I'm playing right now is on the E-A-D-G strings having a hard time incorporating the B-C strings.

Eminentbass · #2 05-23-2010, 01:03 AM

I'm more experienced with five strings than six so I can't offer much advice on the C string but the B offers some convenience other than just the low notes e.g if you're higher up the neck you don't have to jump all the way down to play low notes on the E because they're within reach on the B and in some cases you may actually prefer the fuller tone on that string. I never got into the six string because I wasn't keen on the tone of the C string but it offers the same convenience if you're in the lower register and need to play higher notes. Both are great alternatives if you're reading or following a chord chart and don't want to take your eyes of the page while doing big position shifts.

Ron G · #3 05-23-2010, 07:07 AM

So the best way for me to incorporate the B-C strings is to stay in one position or as close to that position as possible.

Eminentbass · #4 05-23-2010, 07:21 AM

Yup, those are the bonuses of the bass other than the extended range. You can play a two octave scale passage with just one position shift. I've played entire gigs without needing to go below E. It depends on your personal preference towards the tone on the E and B strings though. They might not be strings you'll use a lot but they are there when you want them.

Ron G · #5 05-23-2010, 10:55 AM

Thanks, I have 6-String Bassics by Hal Leonard it covers scales, arpeggios, chord forms, and techniques. Right now it's not much help.

Eminentbass · #6 05-23-2010, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron G

Thanks, I have 6-String Bassics by Hal Leonard it covers scales, arpeggios, chord forms, and techniques. Right now it's not much help.

What is your level of theory knowledge and what kind of stuff do you listen to or want to play? The arpeggios are a good place to start because they'll have more place in actual basslines than scales as such.

Ron G · #7 05-23-2010, 07:52 PM

My knowledge of theory is limited, but I can read depending on the number of ledger lines, but I do figure it out. I listen to Jazz/ Smooth Jazz and the songs I'm learning by ear are old R&B and Jazz.

6-String Bassics would be more useful if it had left hand fingerings.

**IvanMike** · #8 05-23-2010, 08:20 PM

i don't think you'll find the fingerings much different than those you are used to. It just takes a while to remember the new notes, but if you're used to playing in 4ths anyway that should come pretty naturally. To me, as long as the particular 5 or 6 feels comfortable I just dive in with few issues. You end up being able to replace a lot of position changes with an ER bass and can generally play most songs in two positions - sometimes only a whole tone apart.

Eminentbass · #9 05-24-2010, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron G

My knowledge of theory is limited, but I can read depending on the number of ledger lines, but I do figure it out. I listen to Jazz/ Smooth Jazz and the songs I'm learning by ear are old R&B and Jazz.

6-String Bassics would be more useful if it had left hand fingerings.

Given your taste, I'd say Nathan East is a good guy to listen to. Also check out some Roscoe Beck, his use of subtle two handed tapping is something worth exploring once you've got the hang of chord shapes and has a good application in some situations. If the book has notation and tab I'd say scrap the tab as a fingering reference and write fret positions below the notation, I find it's easier to figure out fingerings when I'm thinking of the notes in relation to where my hand is.

Ron G · #10 05-24-2010, 08:21 PM

Right now I'm listening to "Down To The Bone" their bass lines are somewhat easy to figure out.

Eminentbass · #11 05-25-2010, 12:27 AM

I'm not familiar with their music but looked them up on wiki for a reference. Do you listen to Jamiroquai at all? "Travelling without moving" has some good stuff on it. The song "alright" in particular has some ascending disco octave style lines, all based around minor triads, that are suited to a six. It's slapped but with a very wooly tone so it sounds good played slapped or with fingers. Plus it's just a very fun song to play

Ron G · #12 05-25-2010, 02:25 PM

I haven't, but I will see if my local music store has it if not I'll look online. thanks

Richard Lindsey · #13 05-25-2010, 02:50 PM

If you don't mind a suggestion from another perspective, let me suggest that you ask yourself this: why are you wanting to move from a 4 to a 6 in the first place?

Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying you shouldn't or that it's a bad idea. (I made the exact same move years ago, and I've never gone back.) I'm saying that maybe, if you have some clarity on why you wanted to do it in the first place, you'll have a better idea on where to go next.

Usually, when we make that kind of shift, it's because there's something we want to do and can't do with our current setup, or something we already can do with our current setup but would like to be able to do more easily. For instance, if I want to be a professional turkey-carver but only have a single bread knife, I might want to switch to a top-of-the line electric carving knife. Or if I'm a keyboard player who wants access to synthesis and samples but only has an upright piano, I'll want to buy some kind of electronic keyboard.

So think about why you got the 6 in the first place. Was it mainly because you wanted to to get the notes below E? If so, try taking some lines you already know and transposing them, or parts of them, an octave lower, into the sub-E territory. (Keep your ears open, though, as this can be overdone: you may find that if you spend too much time in the sub-basement, the low notes lose something of their efficacy.) At a simple level, suppose you have a 1-5 low-high figure, like G-D. Try playing the 5 below the 1 rather than above it.

Or was it to reduce fingering shifts? If so, try a song you know in, say, the key of F, but try playing it, as much as possible, in 5th position instead of 1st position. This will mean that if you want the low F, you won't necessarily drop back down to 1st position to get it; you can just stay in 5th position and get that F on fret 6 of the low B string. I suggest trying this first with lines you already kind of know, so you'll be able to hear if you get the notes wrong.

Or was it to facilitate soloing on the high string? If so try to make up a solo in an area of the neck you're comfortable with, then see if you can move the fingering around so that part of it is played on the high string. Again, it may help at first if it's something you have kind of worked out, so you can hear when you get it wrong.

Of course, you can try all of these things and more. There's really no shortcut, but if you keep trying this kind of stuff, it will come to you.

BTW, there's nothing inherently wrong with playing most of your stuff on the EADG strings. That's really what I do a lot of the time. I tend to think of the middle 4 strings as my home base, from which I extend either lower or higher as I need to. But that's just my approach, not gospel or anything.

Anyway, good luck.

MNAirHead · #14 05-25-2010, 03:00 PM

Didn't make much sense to me until I arranged chording/melody stuff on several tunes.

I've gone as far as to remove the B and E strings to acclimate.. then use a BEAD to get used to a b string.

elavate7 · #15 05-25-2010, 03:11 PM

i started to go from 4 to 6 also but i realized i wouldnt use or need the C for what i play or what i like, so i went to 5 instead. it all depends on the type of music you play and your style. but i have never played a 6 so i cant tell you much about it.

Ron G · #16 05-25-2010, 07:53 PM

Most of the music I listen to is played on either a 5 or 6 so I picked up a 6 to give it a try. Plus I was able to hear the difference in the notes played on the B string.

Chris K · #17 05-27-2010, 12:03 AM

Strings crossing exercise, all over the neck, like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKa6xdZK0_0

Helped me when I stepped up from 4 > 5, to get accustomed to narrower strings spacing. Once your fingers know where to move, you will be able to do everything you did on your 4-string on a 6er as well.
A new area might be to learn to play voicings on the higher strings. For that I would recommend learning fingerings for chords.

Ron G · #18 05-27-2010, 03:43 PM

Thanks Chris.

**IvanMike** · #19 05-27-2010, 07:38 PM

Part of the challenge is mental i think. Some cats freak out and get hung up over the strings, to me they came naturally. I just thought of the bass as "the strings just keep coming, you don't run out as fast!" Even a 7 was pretty easy to mess around on. You know how to play a 4, it's not like they throw some curveball at you like the b string on a guitar, the patterns are all the same, only the notes change. Take a deep breath, relax, and have fun playing it. Don't think to hard, you already know how to do this, there's just more room on the road.