I might be getting and SR505. For those bass players who've played 4ers for years and now play 5ers, how long did it take you to get used to it?
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How long did it take you to get used to a 5-string?
- Thread starter Nate Plays Bass
- Start date
I played a 4 string for a good 5 years, got a 6er (sorry not a 5 
) last month and I was used to it in about a week.
) last month and I was used to it in about a week.
Thanks guys! I used to have a five string, but I never used it, I didn't know how to back then. I've just been GASin for a 5 string lately.
Once I started thinking about the A string as the middle string instead of the second string from the top things fell into place. It will go quickly but for about a week you may have little moments where you pluck one string and finger a different one. It's not that hard.
I play both 4's and 5's. Others are more hardcore about it, but I don't find 5's all that compelling. I will happily play either. I've got more fives than fours right now. Fours have a real appeal to me that I have a hard time putting into words. Four string bass, four piece drumset and a Telecaster. That kind of appeal.
KO
I play both 4's and 5's. Others are more hardcore about it, but I don't find 5's all that compelling. I will happily play either. I've got more fives than fours right now. Fours have a real appeal to me that I have a hard time putting into words. Four string bass, four piece drumset and a Telecaster. That kind of appeal.
KO
A week or so. I switched a couple of months ago and still occasionally fret the D with my left while fingering the A with my right. The B just confuses me sometimes. I didn't like switching to a 5 at first, but the quality of the bass was so much better than my 4 that I just sucked it up. Now I'm used to it and don't have any trouble switching between 4 and 5.
- Feb 27, 2005
- 3,218
- 125
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- Full disclosure, I'm a certified Fender technician working in a music store that carries Fender, Yamaha, and Ibanez products among others.
I bought one and hardly touched it for years. When I started playing with it regularly, I got used to it in a matter of days.
In reverse, compared to many, my first bass was a 5'r. It's still the main style that I play, but I also have a few 4's that I play on (mostly, a fretless).
When I sometimes get around to playing on a fretted 4, I get a strange sense of simplicity and carefree-ness that is hard to describe. It's not better or worse / easier or more difficult than a 5'r, just different.
And as kraigo mentioned, if you try to think of the A as the middle string, things get much easier.
(Sorry if this was all kinda OT for da OP; just wanted to share)
-K
When I sometimes get around to playing on a fretted 4, I get a strange sense of simplicity and carefree-ness that is hard to describe. It's not better or worse / easier or more difficult than a 5'r, just different.
And as kraigo mentioned, if you try to think of the A as the middle string, things get much easier.
(Sorry if this was all kinda OT for da OP; just wanted to share)
-K
no time at all - but every so often I make a bone head move while looking at the guitar players fingers
fwiw I switched back to 4's for gigging. Just feels better - I tend to overplay w/ the 5'r (so I guess in that respect I'm not used to it at all ...
)
fwiw I switched back to 4's for gigging. Just feels better - I tend to overplay w/ the 5'r (so I guess in that respect I'm not used to it at all ...
)
I bought an Ibanez ABG 5-string when I was playing folkie material with some singers who capo'd a lot, and I figured some of the unusual keys would be easier with five strings. That was true, but I didn't play it long enough to really get into it.
A couple of months ago, I bought a Godin fretless A5 and it took no time at all to start enjoying it. I have more trouble switching back to a fretted 4 (which I do, for nimbler bass runs) than I do picking up the 5. Like someone already said, the intervals are the same between the strings, and, although I have a little trouble with remembering what string and what position low F# and G# are, I'm getting better at it. To me, it's not so much the really low notes as it is the convenience of playing in so many keys without having to play up the neck, and having a solid bottom in D and so on.
A couple of months ago, I bought a Godin fretless A5 and it took no time at all to start enjoying it. I have more trouble switching back to a fretted 4 (which I do, for nimbler bass runs) than I do picking up the 5. Like someone already said, the intervals are the same between the strings, and, although I have a little trouble with remembering what string and what position low F# and G# are, I'm getting better at it. To me, it's not so much the really low notes as it is the convenience of playing in so many keys without having to play up the neck, and having a solid bottom in D and so on.
I like playing a lot of jazz and fusion, a long with worship too, so I'll try it out and see where it puts me.
I taught myself to play on 5 strings in high school, so switching to 4 was a little but troublesome. I was playing an Ibanez 5er, then went to an Ibanez 6, and somewhere along the way picked up a Peavey T-40... quite a big change, but not that bad. Only problem was the strings spacing was so wide, I fumbled around for a bit, but got used to it.
Now I play mostly 4 string, with one 5 in the collection. It was only a matter of playing 4 exclusively for a couple days at practice to get truly used to it. I'd say it should be the same for 4 to 5 string.
Now I play mostly 4 string, with one 5 in the collection. It was only a matter of playing 4 exclusively for a couple days at practice to get truly used to it. I'd say it should be the same for 4 to 5 string.
