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Do you really need more than 4 strings on a bass?
- Thread starter SoulReflection
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I don't like to play open strings. My fiver allows me not to play an open E. However when playing four stringers I just deal with it.
I would just rather play one of my 4 string basses but my fiver is of little value to anyone but me and I'm not getting rid of it.
I would just rather play one of my 4 string basses but my fiver is of little value to anyone but me and I'm not getting rid of it.
Exactly, 3 string basses, or bass betot, were the norm a few hundred years ago, as you probably know.
4 is plenty for me. The only exception was a MIJ Fender IV from the '90s that I regret not keeping, but why it was uniquely fun or interesting to play was more than the mere fact it had 6 strings.
yes, i do.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v4tLpj22vyc
if anyone wants more evidence well... i'm your man. happy to make my point over and over and over again
and yes, of course, if i'm on a blues gig i will likely use one of my 6 strings and never touch the B or C strings. I was a full time freelance player for years and know how to fit certain music. but, the stuff that interests me, typically needs more register. I also sometimes get that register with octave pedals, but prefer not too most of the time.
That’s interesting…I pretty much play 5 strings exclusively and take advantage of open notes when I can. Weirdly enough it just sounds and feels better to me. Shows how differently we all perceive the same things. The beauty of it is none of these methods are wrong. 4, 5, or 6 strings or more aren’t wrong either. If it works, it works!
I can't remember which online bass teacher talked about not playing open string. It may have been Norm Stockton. I had his instructional DVD's but I am such a dunce I kept on getting hung up on the bass modes.
Here's a fun fact: the original 5 string basses were built 200-300 years ago (think carved doghouses from Cremona).
I switched exclusively to 5 string over 25 years ago. Like LBS said, I get uniformity for transposition. I get 5 lower notes which are tres useful. And when I played in a classic R&B band with a horn section? I guarantee Eb was utilized more often than Bb. And if I ever got into a horn band again I'd probably keep one of my 5 strings down tuned to Bb permanently (for obvious horn chart reasons).
I switched exclusively to 5 string over 25 years ago. Like LBS said, I get uniformity for transposition. I get 5 lower notes which are tres useful. And when I played in a classic R&B band with a horn section? I guarantee Eb was utilized more often than Bb. And if I ever got into a horn band again I'd probably keep one of my 5 strings down tuned to Bb permanently (for obvious horn chart reasons).
Was there any reason why open notes weren’t recommended? I’ve heard on upright they’re more encouraged, though this being electric it could be different. I just haven’t heard of this before.
They're more difficult to mute. With a fretted note, lifting your finger does most of the work. Quick passages are a lot easier to play if open strings aren't involved.
Typically if someone doesn't, won't or can't play a 5 or 6 string this question arises. Music type sometimes makes it easier on a 5 or 6. If someone loves a 4 and wishes to go no further, nope, no need for more than 4. For those of us that have taken the 5 or 6 string route, it's all by choice or a need musically. There is no right or wrong. To each their own!
I was reluctant to get a five ,but my first band had songs where i needed those low notes after some time and many episodes adjusting to the extra string (more like the temptation to smash that 5ver like i was (Pete Townshend)... i started seeing the advantage and cannot see myself not playing one..
I still play my fours whenever i can just so they don't get lonely.
i started seeing the advantage and cannot see myself not playing one..I still play my fours whenever i can just so they don't get lonely.
Almost all the music I play can be done with a 4-string, and that's all I ever take with me to gigs at the moment. However, I like a 5-string sometimes because it gives me more options. For example you can do a two-octave scale without ever changing hand positions, or play a low E at the fifth fret on the B string which gives it a rounder tone. I stick mostly to 4-strings because I find I'm just faster and more accurate, therefore more confident when playing them than I am with a 5.
I played mainly 5s and 6s through the 1990s and up to about 5 years ago. Back to 4s now and quite happy. Nothing I'm doing these days requires me to have a low B.
…except give you decent string spacing without a huge neck.
Nobody actually NEEDS a bass guitar, if you wanna be picky.
A 4 string bass, with its low E string, pushes the capabilities of any amp/cab rig that will fit in your car - there are very few cabinets that actually reproduce your low E well. But modern PA’s (that you need a big truck to haul) can do justice to not only a low E, but a low B as well. It depends on what the audience is listening to as to whether a low B string is really useful.
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Playing with folks who lower the keys on cover tunes. 5 string bass allows me to play in those keys and stay in the proper register relative to the vocals and other instruments. What 8ve you're playing in matters much, if not most of the time to convey a song's impact, IMO.
The Bar Band Bassman
The Bar Band Bassman
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