Going from 4 to 6 stings?

[Five or Six]

Dont buy a junk 6 string! Have it setup right. IF you aren't going to play all the strings, don't bother. You're wasting you're time n money. Stay with or go to a five string? IF you want to switch, put whatever you are playing now away for 30+ days and practice with the 6 only. Be ready for a weight jump.

 

[Paul New]

Floating thumb technique doesn’t work for me very well on the six. It’s my default technique on 4 string, but on the 6 my thumb won’t cover the B string when I’m playing the C string. That’s just me, and I know it works fine for others. My solution has been a fret wrap just north of the nut.

That said, I’m going through the same process of trying to learn to incorporate the B and C strings, and only play 4 strings out. The 6 string is still stuck in the house. My approach has been to learn the 6 by reading, especially sight reading, but I haven’t been persistent with it. Persistence is probably key, I’m guessing.

Good luck with it, I hope you have success! The 6 string bass is a wonderful instrument.

 

[logdrum]

I do not actually play groove notes on the C string. I play lead solo notes on it and chordal stuff. I find that an E-C 5-string is easier to Navigate,

I am a multi instrument guy, so my patterns are note and chord phrases in my head, not patterns on a fingerboard although that helps as a start.. so it really did not faze me when switching. I got my six string 28 years ago. sold in 2004, then came back to it in 2015. I a scrunchie to calm the B some. Before you guys give me a hard time, it's a 36 inch scale with 19m spacing and I do not have large hands. For chordal work the E-C 5 makes more sense. That is 35 scale also 19mm spacing.

If you really want to be proficient know the fingerboard. And the ticket is one string scale exercise , major, dominant, all the minors, penta and diminished. The limit arpeggios to only 2 strings. Although everybody says, the advantage of a 6 is less shifting, that will limit you and makes going back and forth 4.5 and 6 challenging . Heck I play a 3 string bass tuned up a minor third and the trick is that one string scale and arpeggio exercise. This comes from Mr. Patitucci who is the one who inspired me to play a 6. My shifting does not diminished whether I am playing a 6 or 4. Sometimes the C is just too thin for groove support work.

I play my 6 in my improv and fusion bands and in any jam band ivitations or subs. And I unashamedly solo on it like a guitar. That's the reason I got it in the 1st place. For support duties 5 or 4. I am still a 4 string 20 fret FSO guy.. It's like an old Ford truck with 4 speeds and I happen to have a 1977 that I like to drive for short jaunt's that doesn't require to be driving a minimum of 70 mph.

 

[leonard]

Six Stings?

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

 

[Pacman]

Your question makes me wonder what your reason is for moving to a 6. Are there things that you want to play that require, or would benefit from, having two more strings?

This is the real question right here!

 

[Ritter667]

Have you mastered 4 strings?

Actually before even graduating to bass guitar, you should first master the mandolin, then 4 string banjo, and then eventually you can think of perhaps ascending to 4 string bass player, when you mastered that you can start thinking about 5 string bass, and then eventually 6 string bass, then eventual you can graduate to harp playing, that is at least after you mastered lyre.

Just as you should first master violin, then cello, before you can eventually graduate to double bass.

This is how learning instruments works, they all belong to certain classes in the hierarchy of music.

 

[Thumpin6string]

WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE!
Once I realized a 6 string is just a 4 string with one lower and one higher string, it got easier to play. Once you get used to it, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

For me, it wasn't the extra strings that required more practice, it was the completely different feel and technique of each. I play my four string much more aggressively (perhaps it's just that it has a lot that "punch" to the tone). I'm more laid back on my 6 string and I do far more chordal work and composing on my 6 string.

My 6 string has a much wider and flatter neck than my 4 string Precision and that seems to be the biggest difference to me and took me longer to get used to than the extra strings...