4 string or 5 (or 6)

[SteveC]

In a 35-40 song night, I need a 5 string for about 3-4 songs. I have one for those, but have preferred playing a 4 sting (Precision) lately.

 

[Larry Balara]

I don't understand that thinking, at all.

Wooten, Clarke, Miller etc all play 4, 5 and 6 string basses, plus fretted, fretless and double bass too.

Base your choices on what you want to do, not what others have done.

If you feel your playing is stagnating (that happens to all of us), get lessons from a good player. They should supercharge your bass world.

Thank you Chris! I think I understand where you are coming from. But these guys have be playing bass most of their lives. To me that's why they can cover so much bass real estate. However, compared to my 9 years of trying to cover three of these to me I haven't even come close! Also, from what I have seen Wooten, Clarke, Miller, etc. play 4s most of the time even though they play the others. There must be a reason. Many other great electric bassists even since the inception of the 5 and 6 strings have still stuck with the 4. I think the main reason is its simplicity. This is what I am grappling with. I love the 5s and 6s but my physical limitations, financial and time considerations (some of which the top bassists may also have) are causing me to rethink what I am doing trying to master 4, 5, and 6 string bass.

 

[Lee Moses]

Thank you Lee! My thinking is based on the assumption that the less strings to deal with the less time it will take to really master. And I don't feel I play any of them well enough to even be close to mastering. So I really love each of my basses and they all bring me joy to play. But although the 6 string would be great for composing it is a lot more difficult to master and therefore take more time. The 5 string is very logical to me as most arpeggios come full circle when played from the B string to the G, and most scales and lines usually only require one shift. For both of these I am not to keen on B strings as from my experience most are floppy to some extent. As for the 4s there is a lot more shifting even for a basic two octave major scale or arpeggios. However, less strings requires less time to master (in my mind), shifting on 4s puts less strain on my arthritic fingers, there is much less if any bending of my left wrist (where I also have arthritis) to reach across the fretboard. Although this is a matter of opinion, I believe many top bassists play 4s for these reasons even since the inception of 5s and 6s. From what I've seen Wooten, Berlin, Stanley Clarke, etc. either play 4s exclusively or most of the time. And many additional bassists play and compose on a 4 string bass. I also play piano and guitar so having to compose on a 4 string is not a hinderance.

It sounds like you're answering your own question. The 6 is out, and it sounds to me like you're leaning more toward the 4 than the 5. Go for it. There have been plenty of great bassists who only played a 4.

But keep a 5 around, just in case.

 

[factory presets]

Also, from what I have seen Wooten, Clarke, Miller, etc. play 4s most of the time even though they play the others. There must be a reason.

One reason is because much of what you see on, say, YouTube is from clinics. Many of the people who pay for those clinics play 4 bangers. So it makes sense to make their points on the strings everyone has access to.

Edit: I love the low notes. Played 5s for years. Then got into BEAD for a bit. Enjoyed the bass Bushido of the four strings with plenty of notes for me to express myself on. But eventually I realised I was missing popping the G.string. D string is just not the same. So back to 5.

But that's me. Sounds like you already decided and just want some validation. Why not make a list of everything you would dearly miss playing only 4 strings? Like chords or low notes. If you still think a 4 would keep you happy, you should go there.

 

[Ritter667]

Is a grand piano better than a double bass?

Is big shoes better than small shoes?

Are apples better than oranges?

Are spark plugs better than pencils?