embellisher said:
What he said! Try to play in Eb or Ab in a horn band without one. It's much easier for me.
And who was it that said all the money's below the 12th fret? I totally agree!
dcr
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4 vs. 5 String
- Thread starter Bain
- Start date
What he said! Try to play in Eb or Ab in a horn band without one. It's much easier for me.
And who was it that said all the money's below the 12th fret? I totally agree!
dcr
because you dont call attention to yourself because most people out there are freaks and it puts pressure on you...look at fieldy, he's dare i say it, non-conformist and he gets put down like a dog with rabiesJonki said:why be a conformist?
embellisher said:
Agreed. Whenever the piano/keyboard is the lead instrument (like at churches or blues and jazz gigs) Eb is one of the most common scales that a bassist will encounter.
The problem is that if you are descending down the scale, it sounds EXTREMELY silly to hit a high Eb or Db or whatever, because the direction of the playing had to be changed UNNATURALLY. This is very important to getting a nice sounding bass line. That's why the low B string is there.
As a side note, Ab is also very common, so there may be some use in the Low F# as well.
heath_the_great said:i like both....but im yet to find a B string thats doesnt sound lame....a StingRay5 and my Jazz are probably the best sounding B strings ive played...well, closest to the sound i have in my head anyway, but im trying out some d'addario half rounds soon $120 for a 5 string set
...but ive never liked the slapping of a b string
i dunno what it is it just never seems to be right...anyway, i guess im just screwed in the head
You need to get out more. There are some basses out there with phenomenal B strings.
I liked the idea of having those low notes like the D so i wouldn't have to drop but now i'm selling my 5 and going back to a 4 because it just feels better to me. And the weight of that 5 is killing me, i need something lighter now.
remember australia...medium-ish town...limited to cheap yamaha, sx, fender, ibanez, musicman, cort and....well thats about itembellisher said:
embellisher said:
I play in church a lot, which I think is your main Eb motive if I'm not mistaken.. We play lots in D.. Personally, drop D tuning(or even going DGCF) has worked beautifully. Maybe I'm traditional but there's just something about those four strings. Just don't care for the feel of a fiver.. I actually start to feel pretentious with more than four. Might just be me.
well personally i prefer 5 strings. 5th string being tuned to low B. i play alot of hard rock and metal with my band and the 4th and 5th string plays for me work really well and im able to play something lower when i want when E doesnt cut it
also playing lighter stuff semi accoustic, blues and country you get a nicer tone out of the deeper B over the E which can fit nicely.
also overdriven/crunch tones on a 5 string sound amazing and you really get that contrast between the 1st and 5th strings that otherwise would be hard to emulate without fat top /skinny bottoms.
plus playing typical 4 string lines its a more comfortable reach over the 5th string rather than a stunted claw reach.
not to mention is stops lazy 4th string playing.
also playing lighter stuff semi accoustic, blues and country you get a nicer tone out of the deeper B over the E which can fit nicely.
also overdriven/crunch tones on a 5 string sound amazing and you really get that contrast between the 1st and 5th strings that otherwise would be hard to emulate without fat top /skinny bottoms.
plus playing typical 4 string lines its a more comfortable reach over the 5th string rather than a stunted claw reach.
not to mention is stops lazy 4th string playing.
I play mostly 6 strings, but as someone else here said it depends on the music you play quite a bit.
I have found that I use the low B string mainly as accents like the last note of a song, kind of a thump to close the song.
But from time to time oldie artists want to change a key they used to sing in down a half or whole step. When you go from E to Eflat, the low B helps a bunch, especially for R&B.
I have found that I use the low B string mainly as accents like the last note of a song, kind of a thump to close the song.
But from time to time oldie artists want to change a key they used to sing in down a half or whole step. When you go from E to Eflat, the low B helps a bunch, especially for R&B.
4-string isn't easier then 5-string?
Because I figured that you start on a 4-string, and if you want to you move on to 5-string, like an upgrade if you will. Are there many people out there that started playing on a 5-string?
Because I figured that you start on a 4-string, and if you want to you move on to 5-string, like an upgrade if you will. Are there many people out there that started playing on a 5-string?
You could try a BEAD tuned 4-string. It gives you the low end, and means that you do not have to learn two sets of fingerings. Also, as you already have sets of 5 strings around, you can check it out for free.LukeMan970 said:
if i was missing a hand Id play 12 string... then all i have to do is plug the open strings...
I say go to your local shop and try out different 4 strings and 5 strings... Its all matter of preferences really... I personally feel the best with a 4 string bass, mainly because I suck
... someone might feel better with 11 string bass... depends what style you want to develop... Asking "4 vs. 5" is almost like asking "what ice cream i like the best" no one really knows except for person asking you know... Thats my opinion on this... Might be wrong but thats how I feel
I say go to your local shop and try out different 4 strings and 5 strings... Its all matter of preferences really... I personally feel the best with a 4 string bass, mainly because I suck
... someone might feel better with 11 string bass... depends what style you want to develop... Asking "4 vs. 5" is almost like asking "what ice cream i like the best" no one really knows except for person asking you know... Thats my opinion on this... Might be wrong but thats how I feel
I think in a way 5 Strings are easier because of (less) positioning. Plus you can get really funky-dirty and lowdown with those lower register notes, great for dub reggae and stuff like that.
