Some people did. Others just played their music with the notes available on the instruments they had.
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5-string Effects for 4-string Bass
- Thread starter G0n
- Start date
I’d bring the Mothbass.
It will not solve your problem, but nobody will complain which octave or even which note you play.
It will not solve your problem, but nobody will complain which octave or even which note you play.
Hx stomp simple pitch, Boss OC5, or BEAD tuning on your 4 string.
I've had the exact same question playing bass in our Worship band. I did two things on my 4 string J Bass.
1...I played from the root down, rather than root up. In practice, I ended up playing 95% of my notes between E and E. It works.
2... I stopped sweating the octave shifts that seemed awkward. It was not an issue in the band and a non-event for the congregation.
Those are non-technical solutions. YMMV.
I'll tune down, possibly restring if necessary
I tune to ADGC (seven semitones/halfsteps down) in one bass and EADG in other
I tune to ADGC (seven semitones/halfsteps down) in one bass and EADG in other
We have one song in our catalog that would benefit from having a 5, which I do have, but every other of our over 50 songs are fine with just a 4-string. Instead of taking one of my 5s just for that one song, I kick on the octaver on my GT-6B and play up at the 12th fret instead. It isn't perfect, but no one has complained yet, and I get the desired lower notes for that singular song.
For many years I resisted buying a 5, which are now my go to. But until the I used the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe to cheat the low notes. It tracked a Low B really well and was passable for short moments down to a low A, especially with flats. I used it sparingly to drop a low note for big emphasis here and there, but not really ever for a whole song.
Still have mine and use it now more for synths textures, and it does both synth like tones and more “bass” sounding octaves well.
Still have mine and use it now more for synths textures, and it does both synth like tones and more “bass” sounding octaves well.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I played in a modern country band for 8 years. Lots of songs that venture below E. Other than a detuner on my E string, I just played some parts up an octave - never a complaint. Just make sure your eq isn't too tinny.
A BEAD tuned bass (or one in D standard) works, if you can wrap your head around what notes are where. I had a tough time with those, as my brain would hear (before I played a note) “C”, and it told my fingers to go to where “C” is. A 5 in standard tuning made that easier - it’s mentally a 4, but with an added string.
Pedals that drop your pitch all have latency - that will mess up your timing a bit, which I couldn’t work with. If you use an octaver, but leave some of the natural note in the mix, that works, as the natural note comes in without latency.
Pedals that drop your pitch all have latency - that will mess up your timing a bit, which I couldn’t work with. If you use an octaver, but leave some of the natural note in the mix, that works, as the natural note comes in without latency.
But, if guitar plays similar power chord for C (C, high G and low G), the most luscious thing would be to push low C on 5th string. Those together is thunder.
Think the root and 5th are trying to mimic the second and third harmonics of a fundamental an octave below the played root. Let the brain fill in the low note psychoacoustically.
Not sure how much thunder you really want in your church service.
