Drop D for one song?

[NKBassman]

I'm doing a last-minute fill-in and the setlist has one song in drop D right in the middle. I only own one 4-string (don't even mention 5-string!) and no, there's no time to add a Hipshot. What's the best way to deal with this?

Tune down before the song starts. Play the song. Then tune back up again.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Some times, it is quicker to get a reading on the E string using an octave harmonic - higher notes generally track on tuners more quickly. Assuming your intonation is set properly, it should work.

 

[Ric5]

I'm doing a last-minute fill-in and the setlist has one song in drop D right in the middle. I only own one 4-string (don't even mention 5-string!) and no, there's no time to add a Hipshot. What's the best way to deal with this?

Play the whole set tuned DGCF and transpose everything a whole step ... You might consider DGCF as you main tuning.

Also it would be a good idea to have a second bass. There are some good really inexpensive basses out there.

 

[Pings Bass]

I used to do that on the regular. Easy and quick with a tuner.

 

[abarson]

Play the whole set tuned DGCF and transpose everything a whole step ... You might consider DGCF as you main tuning.

Also it would be a good idea to have a second bass. There are some good really inexpensive basses out there.

Need to be gainfully employed before contemplating a purchase.

 

[Stan_da_man]

I'm doing a last-minute fill-in and the setlist has one song in drop D right in the middle. I only own one 4-string (don't even mention 5-string!) and no, there's no time to add a Hipshot. What's the best way to deal with this?

Turn on your tuner and tune the E down to D?

Meanwhile in Ukraine...

 

[jtemple]

Surprised no one mentions the Hipshot Bass Xtender. I have one on one of my 4 string basses (before I got a 5 string) and it makes it so quick to flip between E and D. Now granted it's a bit expensive but so convenient.

 

[IanStephenson]

The correct solution.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Surprised no one mentions the Hipshot Bass Xtender. I have one on one of my 4 string basses (before I got a 5 string) and it makes it so quick to flip between E and D. Now granted it's a bit expensive but so convenient.

Because OP specifically says he doesn't have time to do that.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Surprised no one mentions the Hipshot Bass Xtender. I have one on one of my 4 string basses (before I got a 5 string) and it makes it so quick to flip between E and D. Now granted it's a bit expensive but so convenient.

Check post #1

 

[Bass Man Dan]

I'm doing a last-minute fill-in and the setlist has one song in drop D right in the middle. I only own one 4-string (don't even mention 5-string!) and no, there's no time to add a Hipshot. What's the best way to deal with this?

Is the guitar not going to have to tune also? Tune by ear to your 5th fret of the A, should take 5 seconds at most.

 

[smogg]

Meh. If it's stressing you out that much, just play middle D every time it comes up. I promise you not one single audience member will care.

A friend of mine plays with several Nashville baby acts. Some of them play bro country songs that are all way low. All if their bass players play a standard tuned P bass. Nobody leaves the venue saying "Man, that band would have been great had the bass player brought a 5 string!!!!"


Seriously, work around it in standard tuning. Nobody cares.


(I say this as someone who plays 5 string almost exclusively.)

ALL songs sound better on a 5 string.

 

[jtemple]

Check post #1

Yep, there it is. Sorry, lack of sleep.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Meh. If it's stressing you out that much, just play middle D every time it comes up. Ipromise you not one single audience member will care.

A friend of mine plays with several Nashville baby acts. Some of them play bro country songs that are all way low. All if their bass players play a standard tuned P bass. Nobody leaves the venue saying "Man, that band would have been great had the bass player brought a 5 string!!!!"


Seriously, work around it in standard tuning. Nobody cares.


(I say this as someone who plays 5 string almost exclusively.)

Agreed and I just did a test with possibly the most iconic drop-d song "Killing In The Name", or whatever its real title is, you know the song. It was fine and nobody would notice. Like you said.

 

[NathOBX]

Not that hard bro, at this point i have had to do it on the fly enough times that a tuner is a luxury

 

[AceOfBassFace]

All the above PLUS: don't forget to actually tune down before the songs starts - I've done that a few times :\
Write it large next to the song in the set list.

 

[pbass2]

I have a hipshot on my main bass, which has old flats on it. Maybe partly because of those strings, but honestly it doesn't really save me any significant time--when I drop it down I still check it w my tuner(you can set those things up, but it can change over time). I can detune and retune the old-fashioned way just as fast. Either way takes mere seconds.

 

[NKBassman]

Surprised no one mentions the Hipshot Bass Xtender. I have one on one of my 4 string basses (before I got a 5 string) and it makes it so quick to flip between E and D. Now granted it's a bit expensive but so convenient.

The OP mentioned it in the initial post.

 

[buldog5151bass]

One advantage of the detuner is that you can pop it up and/or down mid song if you just need to grab one or two Ds.

 

[Ric5]

Need to be gainfully employed before contemplating a purchase.

I totally get that ... I wish you the best ... for many years as a younger man I only had one bass and one amp.