Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
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6 string with high string tuned to B?
- Thread starter Tombolino
- Start date
Tim Bogart plays 6 string like that. BEADGB. He says 10 million guitar players cant be wrong.
You certainly can if that makes sense to you. Personally, I think the best part about the bass is that the strings are tuned in 4ths so there are no "B string curveballs." But then I learned bass first and guitar second.
You certainly can if that makes sense to you. Personally, I think the best part about the bass is that the strings are tuned in 4ths so there are no "B string curveballs." But then I learned bass first and guitar second.
My opinions, your results may vary:
Playing the same chords on bass as on guitar is going to sound horrible.
Playing any two notes closer than a 5th is going to sound horrible.
I don't know if you really want to be a bass player or play guitar parts on bass.
Playing the same chords on bass as on guitar is going to sound horrible.
Playing any two notes closer than a 5th is going to sound horrible.
I don't know if you really want to be a bass player or play guitar parts on bass.
I tune my 6 to BEADGB, but not due to anything related to guitar. My bass teacher (Jim Wynne) is big into two-hand tapping (and I'm finally starting to catch on too). If you are doing any right hand work on the fretboard, having the major third and minor third one fret closer makes life SO much easier.
I also use the high string for drone/pedal notes (my band plays a lot of songs in B).
Lastly, it gives you some different options with harmonics.
Sometimes I try tuning back up to C, but it never lasts long.
I also use the high string for drone/pedal notes (my band plays a lot of songs in B).
Lastly, it gives you some different options with harmonics.
Sometimes I try tuning back up to C, but it never lasts long.
Rather than learning chord shapes, what about learning the theory behind why those shapes translate into chords. If you're playing chords on a bass tuned in fourths, or tuned in fourths with the top string flatted, you should still be able to understand the relationship between the note intervals and easily construct the chords.
I play guitar too and that's the way I would tune a 6-string bass. Perfect for chording and soloing.
I use that reasoning (certain chords and intervals) on both my 7-string bass and EUB. I keep them tuned like giant 7-string guitars because I'm not crazy about the idea of a high F and tend to do chords on the upper strings. However on 6-string bass there's not going to be that high E so there's much less of an advantage, so I tune my 6-strings in standard tunings like all 4ths.
Sure, but why do the extra work if you can just tune either to the same notes as guitar (BEADGB), or same pattern as guitar (BEADF#B) and not have to rethink what you are doing when you switch between instruments? It's one less level of computation to juggle while playing, which can free you up enhance other areas of your playing (or singing while playing, or playing bass pedals, or switching effects, or whatever it is you want to do with that extra brain processing power).
I said same PATTERN, after I said same NOTES (ie we're talking about 2 different tunings). BEADGB is the same NOTES as a guitar, minus the high E and plus a low B. BEADF#B is the same PATTERN, as in, with the six strings, the interval between each string is identical to that of a guitar. So you can play your "open D chord" on a based tuned BEADF#B and it's still the same chord (just in the key of A instead, thought I had laid this out pretty clearly over my posts).
With the same NOTES, you can still play that chord, but you are missing the high E string, so you can't play the whole chord, just part of it (D, A, and D, so no F# which is the 3rd and could be important).
So again, it depends on which is more important to you.
A) Playing shapes identical to a guitar but in a different key (BEADF#B)
B) Playing only partial shapes identical to guitar (if the use the high E), but with full translatability of lines between guitar and bass (again, without the E).
C) Having the same interval between every string ("traditional" BEADGC)
Which one you choose will depend on your playing style, musical style, and just what you feel comfortable with, and of course there's no reason why you couldn't switch between them depending on the song/situation.
Also, "playing a chord doesn't have to mean strumming it like a folk guitarist. You could be arpeggiating it, tapping it in a latin jazz kind of way, or a bunch of other ways.
With the same NOTES, you can still play that chord, but you are missing the high E string, so you can't play the whole chord, just part of it (D, A, and D, so no F# which is the 3rd and could be important).
So again, it depends on which is more important to you.
A) Playing shapes identical to a guitar but in a different key (BEADF#B)
B) Playing only partial shapes identical to guitar (if the use the high E), but with full translatability of lines between guitar and bass (again, without the E).
C) Having the same interval between every string ("traditional" BEADGC)
Which one you choose will depend on your playing style, musical style, and just what you feel comfortable with, and of course there's no reason why you couldn't switch between them depending on the song/situation.
Also, "playing a chord doesn't have to mean strumming it like a folk guitarist. You could be arpeggiating it, tapping it in a latin jazz kind of way, or a bunch of other ways.
