With all my respect, I'll say that I disagree with some saying 'why don't you just play the D on the third fret.." In many cases, you simply can't. You have to have the D as the open string to play certain things.
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Getting my first 5 string, give me your advice!
- Thread starter Passive Jay
- Start date
The question I have is why are buying a 5 string bass at all? Seems like you're trying to make it look like your 4 string bass. . . . so stick to the 4.
If you're going to do this properly, leave the tuning alone and start playing.
Introduce the B string to your technique when you feel confident and go from there. Put the 4 string bass away until you are up to speed with the 5. IMO swapping back and forth in the learning phase is the worst thing you can do.
If you're going to do this properly, leave the tuning alone and start playing.
Introduce the B string to your technique when you feel confident and go from there. Put the 4 string bass away until you are up to speed with the 5. IMO swapping back and forth in the learning phase is the worst thing you can do.
As i mentioned before I bought a 5 string because it was the one on sale for stupid cheap.
5s are for reading gigs mostly.
Less of a need to shift position really helps.
The few lower notes help too at times, but most jobs( I do) do not 'need' one to play lower than bottom 'E'.
I tend to prefer the feel of a good 4 string bass.
Less of a need to shift position really helps.
The few lower notes help too at times, but most jobs( I do) do not 'need' one to play lower than bottom 'E'.
I tend to prefer the feel of a good 4 string bass.
You may not like this advice, but here goes: learn the names of the notes and where they are on each string, up and down the fingerboard (this is absolutely fundamental); forget tabs, forever; learn some basic theory, either from a teacher or from the many free resources available on the Internet.
You may want to learn standard notation, but it’s probably not necessary for your goals.
You may want to learn standard notation, but it’s probably not necessary for your goals.
I do that too! I just got a Musicman neck through 5HH for dirt cheap. The problem was that thing was a piece of joke. I swear I will never buy another Musicman again. Never. You aren't the only one who buys them because they are cheap. LOL
it just showed up at my house! I do not have much time after work but if I get a chance I will make a thread and post some pictures.
Get the Hal bass method books 1-3. You will not regret it. It taught me so much and covers everything a beginner would need. The Building Walking basslines is a good follow up because by the time you are in that book you will already know notation and rhythm. The Bass Arobics is mostly an exercise book. I had it for a while and I didn’t feel it taught as much as the other books and you kind of need to be at a competent level to play the exercises in the first place.
I would have said Hal Leonard Bass Methods 1-3 because I believe this is one of the best ones out there. But the guy has a 5 string bass and these books primarily focus on the first 10 frets and you don't need to use the B string at all. As opposed to the bass aerobics, although not written for a 5 string, it goes all the way to 12th and 15th fret and you can utilize the B string from 5 to 12th fret. But you are right , if the OP hasn't done Bass Methods, then do that. I would also add Ariane Cap. But I would do the books mentioned before that one, primarily due to cost and overwhelming amount of information and work load.
Learn your fret board as you have already been advised. This is critical. Not just down the strings but across the frets as well. Never mind the flats and sharps they are only one up or one down from the note itself. Get the loan of a label printer and print out the notes (forgetting the sharps and flats) of each fret and attach those labels to appropriate frets. You can get pre printed note decals off the bay of evil to do this job but a lot of these sticker sets have the sharps and flats on. YOU DO NOT NEED THESE, they only make it look far more complicated than it actually is. Soon you will be pulling these labels off. Good luck.
Laurence
Laurence
The whole point of getting a 5 string is to get that low B. You don't "have" to drop tune to D as it's already there on the added lower string
We all know that, but the point being made a lot on this thread is that he needs to learn his fret board. Be it 4 or 5 string.
Laurence
I don't blame you... I did the same thing, buying a 5 string kit, and putting it together, myself... learned a lot putting it together, and am currently in the process of both learning and incorporating a 5'er into my playing...
