New at bass, 5 string dilemma, which way to go?

[edpal]

Originally Posted by BassNGuns

I love the low B because I can play alot of my parts closer to the body which is easier for my wrist
instead of always playing like an F or a G near the headstock.

+This

[Fuzzbass]

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

I'm guessing you're not a guitarist then?

(EADGBE is standard)

Guilty.

I'm also guilty of playing in a rock band that detunes a half-step, which has obviously addled my brain.

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by Tombolino

Hello friends

I am a guitarist learning bass trying to fig out if to stay a 4 string or go 5 string.

Right now I have a 4 string. Regarding a 5 string, I am not interested in the low B (I know its the professional thing to do). I am simply not interested in relearning the fretboard off the B. I am considering a 5 string like this: EADGC or EADGCBb.


1. If I do high Bb, I can use my guitar chords I already know BUT the scales are not symmetric. I always hated the Bb string on the guitar; makes learning scales triple the work.

2. If I do C, the scales would be symmetric and I could free myself from that Bb half step which is annoying and confusing even on guitar BUT I would not have the chords I already know...BUT I suppose I could revoice the chords based on C?

3. Will I need the high string much? I do feel silly that the bass is to sound like a bass but on the other hand, the high string and available chords + my guitar playing can benefit on giving me a unique style?

What do you think?

Thanks

Seb

The reason for having 5 strings is to get lower notes. The extra high string on bass is not nearly as useful as the low B. The question is will you be playing songs that require notes lower then the low E? If no then get a 4 string and don't look back. If yes then you either need a 5 string bass or you need to detune the 4. A good compromise is D standard tuning. Tune DGCF. I used to play a Rickenbacker tuned normal, a p-bass tuned Eb and a Jazz bass tuned DGCF, but then I needed a low Db so I went with 5 string basses. I find the extra low notes work for blues, modern rock, gospel, jazz, metal, country, and classic rock.

A good way to look at a 5 string bass if you are used to guitar is at first just use the B as a thumb rest. Then as you get comfortable playing bass you will realize the fatter string is simply tuned a 4th below the E string. The low b is great for songs in F, E, Eb, and D. It gives you a foundation of a nice place to finger scale patterns from.

[hrodbert696]

I don't think the OP makes clear enough what he wants a five-string for. He doesn't want a low B, that's fine; but is he planning on doing jazzy fills and solos that will require higher notes than he can get on a G string? I'm not hearing him say that. And like Mystic Michael said, you don't just strum chords on a bass guitar like you would on standard guitar, so I'm not seeing too much reason to add the fifth string for chording purposes.

Getting a 5er to add a high string rather than a low string is a perfectly decent option if you're planning on using the extra range or additional options for positioning, but if you're already playing a 4 and don't need the extra string, I don't see a reason to switch to 5.

[toddoutloud]

I play both 4 & 5-string basses. It really depends on the job and the song. I have 2 five strings- one is tuned BEADG and the other, EADGC. For 75% of my jobs, I play a 4-string with a Hipshot extender key on the low E, that drops it to D. When I do studio work, I always pack the 5-string tuned BEADG, but for my more psychedelic, spacey gigs and jam sessions, I bring out the EADGC.
It's all a matter of preference, and you can always get a 6-string and have both the low end and the high end.

[edpal]

Originally Posted by toddoutloud

It's all a matter of preference, and you can always get a 6-string and have both the low end and the high end.

(jokin)That's almost cruel - you want him to go from guitar to 6 string bass. It might be a bit overwhelming. I'd suggest OP tries a 5 with a low string, then string it high and see if they want to continue the madness with a 6. I think a 6 gets a little tiring if/when you really only needed a 5. I'm in agreement with the crowd -the extra low notes generally help out more than the extra high notes. But I use both 5 & 6.

*My 12 strings are tuned BEAD.

[mcglyph]

RANNNNT. T

Highly against the technique required to use B string as a freakin thumb rest!
Jeez, if you are going to get the five use it as a five from day one.

[toddoutloud]

Originally Posted by edpal

(jokin)That's almost cruel - you want him to go from guitar to 6 string bass. It might be a bit overwhelming. I'd suggest OP tries a 5 with a low string, then string it high and see if they want to continue the madness with a 6. I think a 6 gets a little tiring if/when you really only needed a 5. I'm in agreement with the crowd -the extra low notes generally help out more than the extra high notes. But I use both 5 & 6.

*My 12 strings are tuned BEAD.

LOL!! I went from a playing a 4-string P-Bass to a 7-string Conklin. I returned the Conklin after one gig. Damn thing weighed 13 lbs and made my left arm numb and destroyed my shoulder after one set. Not to mention I'm 5'6" and have tiny hands!!!!

[MakoMan]

Having been through this same issue, stick to the 4. You'll thank me someday LOL!

[thatbassist863]

You could do what Matt Garrison did and have a 5 string that's tuned EADGC with a hip shot extender to drop the E string to a low B when you want the extended low range.

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by mcglyph

RANNNNT. T

Highly against the technique required to use B string as a freakin thumb rest!
Jeez, if you are going to get the five use it as a five from day one.

It's called the floating thumb technique. Lots of bassists use it on 4 strings as well.

[One Bad Monkey]

Originally Posted by mcglyph

RANNNNT. T

Highly against the technique required to use B string as a freakin thumb rest!
Jeez, if you are going to get the five use it as a five from day one.

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

It's called the floating thumb technique. Lots of bassists use it on 4 strings as well.

I think mcglyph is talking more about those guys that consider the B string an "expensive thumb rest" and don't use it for anything other than that, over the guys that use the floating thumb technique where nearly EVERY string at some point is a temporary thumb rest. Two different mentalities that yield completely different results.

[Rockin Mike]

The reason guitars have that weird major third interval between the 3rd (G) and 2nd (B) string is so guitarists can do "barre" chords. Having a third there instead of a fourth allows both the 1st and 6th strings to be E, and the 2nd string B to play well with the high E. Then they can lay their index finger across the whole fretboard and use their other 3 fingers to make various shapes in front of it. It's the only way to make all six stings part of the chord and still play it with a human hand.

If the OP wants to play barre chords on the bass, he will find they don't sound good. 99% of the time bass players don't play chords, and of that remaining 1%, it's usually two-note chords and rarely three-note chords.

IMHO get the 5 string and tune BEADG. The low B gives you a lot more flexibility in where you play things on the neck and gives you a range of low notes that are very useful.

I've never had anyone say the low notes made them queasy... Usually smiling women who say the low vibes affected them in a good way.

[edpal]

Originally Posted by MakoMan

Having been through this same issue, stick to the 4. You'll thank me someday LOL!

Or he could end up cursing you someday, "why did I listen to that dude, it would have been no big deal to work in that extra string occasionally." At least in this area some people who aren't bass players think you aren't a bass player unless you have a 5 or 6. Drummers in particular seem to think the more the merrier. LAst band played a couple of songs that just wouldn't have been the same without...Collective Soul's "Shine" comes to mind immediately. That would be so very lame chugging the C# an octave up on the A.

My suggestion to OP is buy/rent/borrow a 5 and commit to it for a month. Put the 4 away. After a month you will have a better idea if it is for you. You don't have to fall in love on the first date.

[edpal]

Originally Posted by Rockin Mike

99% of the time bass players don't play chords, and of that remaining 1%, it's usually two-note chords and rarely three-note chords.

I've never had anyone say the low notes made them queasy... Usually smiling women who say the low vibes affected them in a good way.

Not to be argumentative, but the general consensus is that 2 or 3 notes played together are not an actual identifiable "chord", since they could be an inversion of many things. Those are usually referred to as double or triple "stops". Of course, when a piano player plays CEG nobody says "that ain't a C chord man."

I made the queezy comment - I've had the bad luck of playing at a number of churches where there was some woman with an inner ear disturbance or something and they would bitch that the low note made them feel ill. One place I was actually told not to play below E because of it. MAn did that suck!

[Rockin Mike]

Originally Posted by edpal

Not to be argumentative, but the general consensus is that 2 or 3 notes played together are not an actual identifiable "chord", since they could be an inversion of many things. Those are usually referred to as double or triple "stops". Of course, when a piano player plays CEG nobody says "that ain't a C chord man."

I made the queezy comment - I've had the bad luck of playing at a number of churches where there was some woman with an inner ear disturbance or something and they would bitch that the low note made them feel ill. One place I was actually told not to play below E because of it. MAn did that suck!

I was using the word "chord" in the traditional sense of "more than one note being played at the same time". Just different terminology. Playing 2 notes together on a bass is uncommon, 3 notes is rare, more than 3 is extremely rare. So, the purpose for the EAGDB tuning on a 5-string is moot. OP will probably never be playing a barre chord on a bass. Most logical "high 5" tuning is EADGC.

The places I play are dance clubs so the ladies there would naturally be in a different mood to start. Having said that, I wonder if the church ladies are being affected by subsonics, i.e. freqs below 100Hz? Some people are sensitive, and some rooms can resonate/amplify those frequencies.

[edpal]

Originally Posted by Rockin Mike

I was using the word "chord" in the traditional sense of "more than one note being played at the same time". Just different terminology. Playing 2 notes together on a bass is uncommon, 3 notes is rare, more than 3 is extremely rare. So, the purpose for the EAGDB tuning on a 5-string is moot. OP will probably never be playing a barre chord on a bass. Most logical "high 5" tuning is EADGC.

The places I play are dance clubs so the ladies there would naturally be in a different mood to start. Having said that, I wonder if the church ladies are being affected by subsonics, i.e. freqs below 100Hz? Some people are sensitive, and some rooms can resonate/amplify those frequencies.

Sorry man - coffee hadn't kicked in yet. I actually play a lot of double stops, very nice sort of "haunting" sound for moody stuff, especially if you only have one guitarist and/or they kinda suck.. Jazz players use them a lot. Rockers not so much so - no time to hear them.

Queasy women on low notes....could have been my fault, I was using an active 18 with a high pass filter sending everything above 90hz to my combo amp. Even at low volume you could feel it in your feet or "derriere". Which was the effect I was going for.

Back on topic(maybe) -I really think some people feel a little awkward with the new lower notes. I know I did at first and I had been playing for 30+ years.

[mcglyph]

Originally Posted by One Bad Monkey

I think mcglyph is talking more about those guys that consider the B string an "expensive thumb rest" and don't use it for anything other than that, over the guys that use the floating thumb technique where nearly EVERY string at some point is a temporary thumb rest. Two different mentalities that yield completely different results.

Yes. I'm talking exactly about that. I fully believe and endorse the floating thumb primarily because of ergonomic benefit. And because my first bass was a 5 after being told in many ways it was the much more difficult path due to the B. It is this pervailing message which leads to the idea to use it as a thumb rest until, etc.

[jmclearnon]

Get a 5er with the tenor tuning with a drop D tuner for your low E-flats. Stop complaining about scales not being symmetrical, every other instrument has to learn all the different fingerings, bass scales are very easy in comparision

[Chef]

-I did not read all the preceding responses, so...keep that in mind.

I, personally, have no need for anything over the G string. I guess if you really solo a lot, in higher registers, or want to chord a lot, that might be helpful. I'll never be that kind of player.

There's nothing to "relearn" about a B string, really. All the positioning stays the same, you just have 5 additional lower notes, and, positions to play out of.
And, many more positions to shift to, if you don't like the way any position is playing on the other 4 strings. That feature I use a lot.