Just play “Oye Como Va” down an octave & ad nauseam for 2-3 hours…you’ll be all set.
Riis
Riis
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Getting used to a 5
- Thread starter dc-upright
- Start date
Hi dc 
Scales and scales and scales, just train your new position technic and
enjoy the fact that you will have less changes than before.
A thousand times this!
Switching between 4 and 5 string bassguitars all the time is possible, I've done that. (but it sucks)
You likely won't do that very often,
once you are used to a fiver and how relaxed you can play it.
What you should keep from your double bass playing is the use of open strings!
It's something DB players do better than bass guitarists.
Wise(b)ass
Scales and scales and scales, just train your new position technic and
enjoy the fact that you will have less changes than before.
A thousand times this!
Switching between 4 and 5 string bassguitars all the time is possible, I've done that. (but it sucks)
You likely won't do that very often,
once you are used to a fiver and how relaxed you can play it.
What you should keep from your double bass playing is the use of open strings!
It's something DB players do better than bass guitarists.
Wise(b)ass
For me it's only playing songs that require the low B, otherwise play four string basses-
I appreciate all the replies, I have a game plan in my head on moving forward. I have 2 upright gigs this weekend, then I am off until the middle of January and I plan to bring the 5 for that!
thanks so much!
thanks so much!
You may be right...memory was a bit fuzzy on that....
Confirmed on Wikipedia:
In 1974, Anthony Jackson asked Carl Thompson to build him a six-string bass guitar tuned (from low to high) BEADGC, which he called a "contrabass guitar." Due to the close string spacing utilized to accommodate available pickups at the time, Jackson was unhappy with the instrument due to difficult playability. Carl Thompson also finished a five-string bass tuned BEADG in May of 1976. And California builder Alembic delivered their first 5-string with a low B to Jimmy Johnson in 1976.
Yep...Fender was the first one to do the 5 string bass (allegedly).
Smooth_bass88
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- Oct 31, 2006
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It's basically a four string with an extra low string. There's really no secret here- you just have to put in a bunch of time in the woodshed, and then force yourself to play it live
Everyone is different. I adjusted the first day, and switch back and forth without any issue. I also switch between regular and short scale basses without issues. It's like anything else, just do it until its comfortable and becomes second nature. You'll appreciate the B-string too, makes certain things easier to play. Enjoy.
I made the transition over a few months. As I'm gigging every weekend, I didn't have the luxury of being able to stop playing 4's - I needed to be playing something that I was competent on every weekend, and it took a while to become as competent on a 5 as I was on a 4 - the longer you've been playing, and the more practiced you are, the longer the learning curve is - a beginner doesn't have to learn that much to get to where they are on a 4. Once I got comfortable on a 5, though, I realized that there was a real benefit in only playing one physical platform, so I built a couple more 5's and donated my 4's.
The odd thing to me was that damping was tough at first - t was automatic on a 4, and I had to think about it for a while, but oddly it was a short while - not long after, it became automatic on a 5.
The odd thing to me was that damping was tough at first - t was automatic on a 4, and I had to think about it for a while, but oddly it was a short while - not long after, it became automatic on a 5.
I'd also say I made faster progress once I began to think of a four and a five as two different instruments.
For me it was counter-productive to try and play it as a four with an extra string, that limited it a lot. Once I grasped what I could do with five with only carrying the basics over from a four, everything opened up and bloomed. The way it allowed me to see and think of the fingerboard and the techniques to play and mute it properly was simply different than a four, and once I began to think of it as a separate instrument, things came together quickly.
For me it was counter-productive to try and play it as a four with an extra string, that limited it a lot. Once I grasped what I could do with five with only carrying the basics over from a four, everything opened up and bloomed. The way it allowed me to see and think of the fingerboard and the techniques to play and mute it properly was simply different than a four, and once I began to think of it as a separate instrument, things came together quickly.
As long as you play both 5 and 4 routinely, it won't give you any trouble.
Fender’s 5 had a high C and only 15 frets, an attempt to reconfigure the pitch range of the 4 string that was a commercial failure. The first low B five is generally credited to Jimmy Johnson and Alembic in the mid-70s.
Yes, Fender made a five string in the sixties, but it had a high C and only 15 frets.
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I love this thread!!
I’m a recent 4 to 5 convert. It would have never happened either until I saw a used semi-rare bass that was not available in a 4.
A few years ago I sold my last 4 and picked up a used 6er in its place because I wanted to expand my skill set. That experiment was a failure. The string spacing was too close and the neck was way way to wide for me to feel comfortable. So I gave the 6 to the son and bought a 4 string jazz bass and a vintage 4 string Japanese bass.
Fast forward, as soon as I got the 5 I stopped playing the 4s and was hooked. There was not the feeling of searching for notes that I had with the 6. So, the next time I saw a 5 that intrigued me, I picked it up and the rest of the story is I sold my 4s.
the point is, as others have mentioned, just play. Your muscle memory will develop and playing the 5 will become just as easy as playing a 4. And if it doesn’t sit well with you after awhile, then there are so many good 4 string choices to return to.
Good luck on your 5string adventure.
I’m a recent 4 to 5 convert. It would have never happened either until I saw a used semi-rare bass that was not available in a 4.
A few years ago I sold my last 4 and picked up a used 6er in its place because I wanted to expand my skill set. That experiment was a failure. The string spacing was too close and the neck was way way to wide for me to feel comfortable. So I gave the 6 to the son and bought a 4 string jazz bass and a vintage 4 string Japanese bass.
Fast forward, as soon as I got the 5 I stopped playing the 4s and was hooked. There was not the feeling of searching for notes that I had with the 6. So, the next time I saw a 5 that intrigued me, I picked it up and the rest of the story is I sold my 4s.
the point is, as others have mentioned, just play. Your muscle memory will develop and playing the 5 will become just as easy as playing a 4. And if it doesn’t sit well with you after awhile, then there are so many good 4 string choices to return to.
Good luck on your 5string adventure.
I wanted to update my progress, I am getting more comfortable with the extra string, I took it to practice the other night and only got lost twice in 3 hour and recovered almost instantly. Going to take it on its first gig next week!
Thanks so much for all of the help and suggestions! I like that B string.
Thanks so much for all of the help and suggestions! I like that B string.
