How are your strings numbered?

[carl h.]

This cannot be disputed. Anyone who dares to dispute this will be cast into permanent ill repute for the rest of time.

Bwahahahahahahahaa...

Where do we sign up for our numbers?

 

[Turock]

On a 4 string bass, G is the 1st string, E is the 4th string, always been that way. Those of you who have never used that, or never heard of it, consider that you learned something new.

 

[KingRazor]

I've always referred to them by whatever note they're tuned to.

I also try not to use fret numbers and instead just use note letters. So instead of saying "3rd fret on the 3rd string" I say "C on the A string". Or just C, usually.

I've never seen any reason to use numbers. What does it matter which string you're playing on if you're playing the right note?

 

[Steve Dallman]

I have purchased recent guitar instruction books for my students that start 1 from the lowest string, opposite tradition. Whatever...

 

[Bent77]

You are asking a bunch of bass players.

Most of us stand behind the plant, what makes you think we can count, let alone agree!?

 

[MarcMurder]

you definitely have it correct. but usually i just call out the string by its standard note to avoid this problem, its happened to me before"

 

[VarlotTheHarlot]

I knew that the "correct" way according to guitar books is to number from the highest string to the lowest string, but I've never seen string numbering used outside of first learning the basics of a fretboard. It always seemed to be backwards to me, so I avoid using string numbers when referring to finger placement.

I'm learning (again) and I've never seen this done. Equally I didn't notice my strings were numbered when I changed them. I go by gauge on the packet to figure out what's what.

I read tab anyway, taught myself that from the outset, if anything this number thing is just confusing.

Must learn to read music....

 

[davy4575]

hmm, I dont know if its from learning to read sheet music, not tab and learning on a piano, but scales move up tonally, as you read music in the staves, it moves up tonally (our clef lists the lowest tonal notes first GBDFA, ACEG. and key signatures start with the lowest tonal sharps and flats listed first as well, the structure of music and the strings move up, the lowest tonal value being the first number. I personally find it ass backwards to think of the highest pitch first, but alot of cats do. drives me nuts. My guitarist does that and uses string numbers.

This leads me to a question, do ya'all consider moving "up" the strings as going from your highest pitch string to your lowest or visa-versa. With the aforementioned background, I consider going from the fat strings to the thinner strings, moving "up". I occasionally get looks like Im nuts from some of the guitarists I play with for that. Also, I use the note of the open string, whatever its tuned to. I dont number them. I use open strings frequently as part of a riff or scale and its hard to figure out if the numbers 1-5 are in key lol.

 

[SGT. BAKER]

I call them "my E string," "my A string," "my D string," etc. Sounds like a giant waste of time to argue about assigning numbers to things that already have very specific names.

Me too.

Time ago, when I named the strings of my 6, I have some misunderstood wiht another bassist´s mates.
I found some guys the the 6th string was the high C. They argued that in five string basses everybody there´s no doubt that 5th was a B low. And if you played with some more of 5 strings you should to count from this low B. Another ones they though that low B was the 6th, ´cause they follow the same order than a guitar from high to low. So I decided naming the strings just by how they are tuned.

So I just stared call them E, D, B... and seems that everybody knows what I´m talkig about.

 

[west al]

Numbers? I go by ball colors. D'Addario ETB92 Nylons. Brass (E), Red (A), Black (D), Green (G).

 

[JustForSport]

Yeah, using numbers, starting with the skinniest string could be anything, depending whether it's a 4 string, 5 string, 6 string, or what it's tuned as BEADGC, BEADG, EADGC, etc.
I use notes or gauges.

 

[Biggbass]

I learned the Mel Bay way...back in the previous century.
you have it right.
everyone else is wrong.

 

[Hello?]

My first instrument was guitar. I took a break from music for a few years and took up bass when I came back. I remember my first guitar lesson was learning the high e string (the little thin guy). My first bass lesson focused on the low E (the huskiest fellow). Maybe that is what is causing confusion with some about the 1st string?

 

[groooooove]

by letter is the "most standard" but i think generally highest strings are "first strings."

 

[JustForSport]

[QUOTE="davy4575, post: 16127732, member: 157128]

This leads me to a question, do ya'all consider moving "up" the strings as going from your highest pitch string to your lowest or visa-versa. With the aforementioned background, I consider going from the fat strings to the thinner strings, moving "up". I occasionally get looks like Im nuts from some of the guitarists I play with for that. Also, I use the note of the open string, whatever its tuned to. I dont number them. I use open strings frequently as part of a riff or scale and its hard to figure out if the numbers 1-5 are in key lol.[/QUOTE]

I think in higher pitch as 'up', 'up' the fingerboard as 'up', higher frequency as 'up',...
Didn't read that other book- what were they thinking, anyway?

Besides- this IS BASS: where do we start?