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Going from 4 to 5 (merged threads)
- Thread starter unbasslichkeit
- Start date
I heard a joke the other day:
Bass strings are like Chromosomes, the wrong number can make you a mutant.
Bass strings are like Chromosomes, the wrong number can make you a mutant.
Heres' a handy little cheatsheet I made up when I started on a 5 string. Just lay it on top of you amp or tape it to your guitarist's back.
Gn
Gn
I switched about 6 months ago. I've also played a few gigs with one. That to me solidfies it. At first it kind of felt like I had an extra thumb, but then I found that I was actually digging into once in awhile. I recently played a gig with my 4 string and it was weird. Suddenly you missed that extra thumb, and you found yourself having these phantom sensations as your mind looked for the string that wasn't there. The 5 string is nice for reggae. You can really dig into those sub tones. That low D and C are really nice options for this. I also find myself digging into it for builds into the root note in our funk songs.
Now I strictly play the 5'ver. My drummer complains. He said he likes the actual sound of my 4 string better. He said that my 4 string sounded more raw, while my 5 string sounds more jazzy. Both are Carvin's. My 4 string is an LB70 and my 5 is an LB75. However the 5 string has Bertolini p/u's.
Now I strictly play the 5'ver. My drummer complains. He said he likes the actual sound of my 4 string better. He said that my 4 string sounded more raw, while my 5 string sounds more jazzy. Both are Carvin's. My 4 string is an LB70 and my 5 is an LB75. However the 5 string has Bertolini p/u's.
I flip back and forth in wanting to play a 5 or not. I have owned two nice Sadowsky fivers - got used to the first one and took it to gigs for a bit with without my 4 as a crutch. It took me a while to get used to the top string NOT being an E - also a lot of apologizing to my band mates for the klinkers.
One day I felt bad about neglecting my old '73 Fender jazz - picked it up and it felt really good - so good that I sold the 5 and told myself that a 4 is fine. Now I'm thinking of diving back into 5-land. Someone help me...
One day I felt bad about neglecting my old '73 Fender jazz - picked it up and it felt really good - so good that I sold the 5 and told myself that a 4 is fine. Now I'm thinking of diving back into 5-land. Someone help me...
Hmm, Maybe I made a bad choice but I got a five string for my first Bass? But I figured the extra string would give me more options in playing alot of different songs . So I guess I dont have a choice.
Don't worry about it. If guitarists can learn to use 6 strings, you can learn to use 5. 
I actually regret not getting a 5 string as my first bass.
I actually regret not getting a 5 string as my first bass.
Actualy Poop-Loops that was the reason I got a 5-string. I was/am a guitarist and it felt more natural to have 5 strings but now that Ive looked at tabs it looks like most are on the 4 higher strings so I thought I mad a mistake... LOL.
I went to a jam with my trusty old Ibanez Roadster 4
and a used Benavente 5 I had just acquired. I got there
and plugged in.
MAJOR Ibby HUMMMMM!
So I picked up the 5iver and gave it a whirl, no choice there.
After 20 minutes of comfortably resting my thumb on the
B, it clicked. I played it for 3 hours straight and never took it
off.
Next session, I had the Ibby fixed, but strapped the 5 on first.
Never took it off the whole night.
I really have used the B string as a device to allow me to approach
a target root note such as a G from below. I think that is the
sparing approach where it sounds best. I stay off of it for fundamentals.
I will use it to accentuate the D string, but not as the fundamental D.
That has worked well for me and really spiced up my lines and playing.
I have continued to work both 4 and 5's, the idea being to be
able to switch back and forth effortlessly.
I think it was KJung who mentioned that, and that is an
admirable goal to aspire to. It's even better when you are
starting to feel it is achievable.
and a used Benavente 5 I had just acquired. I got there
and plugged in.
MAJOR Ibby HUMMMMM!
So I picked up the 5iver and gave it a whirl, no choice there.
After 20 minutes of comfortably resting my thumb on the
B, it clicked. I played it for 3 hours straight and never took it
off.
Next session, I had the Ibby fixed, but strapped the 5 on first.
Never took it off the whole night.
I really have used the B string as a device to allow me to approach
a target root note such as a G from below. I think that is the
sparing approach where it sounds best. I stay off of it for fundamentals.
I will use it to accentuate the D string, but not as the fundamental D.
That has worked well for me and really spiced up my lines and playing.
I have continued to work both 4 and 5's, the idea being to be
able to switch back and forth effortlessly.
I think it was KJung who mentioned that, and that is an
admirable goal to aspire to. It's even better when you are
starting to feel it is achievable.
for me it's the other way around, i've always played 5 strings because the first band i played bass for was tuned to B (occasionally A). the first time i've ever played a 4 string was this year actually in another band who tune to C# and i was like "woah! huge string spacing!" haha. so now i'm looking for 5 strings with the string spacing of a 4 string. because i have caveman hands, sort of speak.
(also 5 strings look better on big guys)
(also 5 strings look better on big guys)
I played 4 for the first 7 years I played until I saw Nathan East with that 6 string beast of a Yamaha TRB he had before his signature one came out then I went out and bought a 5 and played that exclusively for the next 10 years. I have spent the last couple of years playing predominantley 4 string as I had it with my Stingray 5's thick, wide neck.
I now have the 3 basses below and use them equally between my wedding, function, jazz, rock and black sabbath tribute bands
I now have the 3 basses below and use them equally between my wedding, function, jazz, rock and black sabbath tribute bands
i find that the first day i got my 5, i had band practice, and used the B string (like i actually used it). but then i played the 4, and realised that i was not slave to the B. and the more i think about it, the more i think that if i played a 3 stringer in my band i'd also be able to do just fine...and if i was given a 6 i'd be able to use all 6 strings. for me it's a ' i can handle whatever is thrown at me' kinda attitude with bass and the # of strings.
im curious about this topic too actually. Ive been playin bass since around the start of the year (have played a little bit of guitar, but not much) i've been using our guitarists bass to play on, and am about to get my own first bass. Ive been seriously considering gettin a 5 string, cos some of our songs use dropped tunning (D and C#) is this a good reason to go for 5.
Does the fact that i dont know too much about music theory ATM mean i will have a tougher time using the lower B string?
Does the fact that i dont know too much about music theory ATM mean i will have a tougher time using the lower B string?
I played 4-string from the 70s until 1991, when I bought a Guild Pilot 5. I love having 5!!! Wish I'd done it years before that! I've only played BEADG, never EADGC. I find it the most useful for:
Walking up to notes lower than A on the E string.
The last note of the song.
If I want a fatter sound for notes above the 5th fret (E and up).
I decided early on that Rule #1 is don't use it much. That seems to work well for me. Took me about 3 months of full-time playing to get used to it. I made beaucoup boo-boos before I got used to it, but it was worth it!
These days it's my MIA Fender Jazz 5. I've got a few 4s but rarely ever dust them off.
Walking up to notes lower than A on the E string.
The last note of the song.
If I want a fatter sound for notes above the 5th fret (E and up).
I decided early on that Rule #1 is don't use it much. That seems to work well for me. Took me about 3 months of full-time playing to get used to it. I made beaucoup boo-boos before I got used to it, but it was worth it!
These days it's my MIA Fender Jazz 5. I've got a few 4s but rarely ever dust them off.
LOL!!!Gnobility said:Heres' a handy little cheatsheet I made up when I started on a 5 string. Just lay it on top of you amp or tape it to your guitarist's back.
Gn
I played fours for 20 years before switching to five. Here's what helped me:
1) Putting my fours away to concentrate on five exclusively.
2) Learning songs fresh on five rather than relearning songs I'd been playing for years on four. This advice might not be best for everyone. But in my mind, it was distracting to relearn the older songs... too much muscle memory to unlearn (so to speak). Once I got comfortable with the feel and note placement on five-string it was easier to revisit the back catalog.
1) Putting my fours away to concentrate on five exclusively.
2) Learning songs fresh on five rather than relearning songs I'd been playing for years on four. This advice might not be best for everyone. But in my mind, it was distracting to relearn the older songs... too much muscle memory to unlearn (so to speak). Once I got comfortable with the feel and note placement on five-string it was easier to revisit the back catalog.
Great post. Took me 3 months to get comfy myself. I expect the transition is easier for those who played four string for less than 20 years.Lazylion said:
More nice features of fiver:
Much easier to play in flat keys (Eb, Bb, Ab, etc)
Greater range of notes in each fingering position
I love building octaves off the lowest notes for emphasis (use with caution)
