How long did it take you to get used to a 5-string?

[georgestrings]

No, it probably took you so long because you actually learned to play a 5 string! The people who say they got comfy in a few minutes either are prodigies, or are only noodling around with a few low notes and don't really play a 5er.

So how long does it take to get comfortable with a new neck size, and learn a bunch of new scales and fingerings and incorporate them enough into your playing that you can gig? My experience is about a month, maybe more, maybe less. A 6 string is the same deal but takes a bit longer because the neck is so wide and takes some time until it starts to feel natural. But learning a 6 IS the way to learn a five because the 6 forces all the proper technique which includes dealing with a wide neck, scales across the neck, proper damping of strings above and below the one you are playing AND using the extended range musically! Dropping back to a 5 from a 6 is a piece of cake.

You might also think that one could easily drop back from a 5 to a 4 but it really doesn't work well. The 4 has too limited a range at any given spot and it forces you up and down the neck. So to me I see a 4 and 5/6 as two different instruments played in different ways.

The problem as seen in this and many other threads is that a lot of people start out thinking that a 5 string is just a 4 string with a couple of lower notes. And yes, one CAN play it that way. But if you do, eventually one decides that 5 strings are a waste of time and that 4 strings are really all one "needs" in a bass. But the truth is these people know how to play a 4 string bass but don't know how to play a 5 string bass. So their advice is a lot like a guitarist telling you what bass to play because his 4 lowest strings are tuned sort of like a bass. Sorry different instrument!

The problem *I* see with the above is that it doesn't take into account the differences in genres of music... For example, I play in a rock cover band that ranges from 80s and 90s rock, to modern rock... The 80s and 90s stuff can mostly be handled with a 4 string, but alot of today's current rock requires being able to get down to low B, and sometimes even lower... So, the blanket statements above really don't pertain to *my* situation... Sure, I use my 5ers to go lower than standard E for the most part - but who's to say that's wrong, when it suits my musical needs???

I *could* just play most stuff on a 5er, and be done with it, but alot of rock covers require open notes that just don't work as well as fretting the same note on a 5er - and since I typically play around 50 songs during a 4 hour gig, it's no biggie for me to bring a couple of basses, and make things easier on myself...

Anyways, the point is that not everyone's situations are the same...


- georgestrings

 

[Rockmusician]

It took me a couple of days.

 

[peledog]

About a week or two.

 

[Aussie Player]

I have owned 3 different 5 string bases and I think you have to shop to find the right one for you, as the number of strings in my limited 5er experience, is only one aspect towards conquering the transition.

The playability and similarity to your usual 4 string bass comes into the decision and the success from what I have learned.

 

[Marko 1]

No time. It was literally a relief for me.

Might have made a difference that I played some guitar first, but probably makes a huge difference that I wasn’t too far into playing four-string first.

 

[bassbenj]

The problem *I* see with the above is that it doesn't take into account the differences in genres of music... For example, I play in a rock cover band that ranges from 80s and 90s rock, to modern rock... The 80s and 90s stuff can mostly be handled with a 4 string, but alot of today's current rock requires being able to get down to low B, and sometimes even lower... So, the blanket statements above really don't pertain to *my* situation... Sure, I use my 5ers to go lower than standard E for the most part - but who's to say that's wrong, when it suits my musical needs???

I *could* just play most stuff on a 5er, and be done with it, but alot of rock covers require open notes that just don't work as well as fretting the same note on a 5er - and since I typically play around 50 songs during a 4 hour gig, it's no biggie for me to bring a couple of basses, and make things easier on myself...

Anyways, the point is that not everyone's situations are the same...
- georgestrings

You are making a valid point with respect to what I said but didn't stress, namely that certain music works best with a 4 string. It can EVEN work best with a 5 string played as a 4 string with the B string just used for a couple low notes. There is no doubt this is true.

In your case since you can ALSO play a 5 string as a 5 string it's obvious that you get to choose which kind of instrument sounds best on any given music. (as do I) If it's the 4 there is nothing wrong with that. (much "old school" sounds best on a 4) And if it's a 5er that's OK too. My point is that everyone's situation here IS the same: We all play bass and we all want to choose our instrument(s) so they best support the music we are playing.

My point was NOT some promotion for 5ers over 4 strings but to merely point out that they are different, played differently, and as you note have a different sound and vibe. So my statement that a lot of people think a 5 string is a 4 string with a few lower notes doesn't apply to you since you indicate you "could" play any music as a 5 string meaning you know how to play both a 4 and 5 which is exactly the place one should be because then one can choose which best fits any given music!

It's not about which one is "best", you have to say "best for what"! (which of course, we both just did)

 

[marijn van gils]

- Purely technique-wise: a couple of days
- To feel at home on it: a week or so

But to really play it like a 5 and not like a 4+1 took me at least a year.

 

[Journey55]

I picked up my friend's 5-er and it just clicked. It took me like five minutes or so, but I'd say it doesn't happen often..

 

[nukes_da_bass]

Never could grasp the 4+1 concept- when i went to 5 string 14 years ago i changed the position of every song i played in my then current oldies band- 5 string bass is a different instrument to me.

That being said, going from 5 to 6 took approximately 5 minutes as the higher string is not a fundimental rather an addendum if you will.

 

[SoVeryTired]

I *could* just play most stuff on a 5er, and be done with it, but alot of rock covers require open notes that just don't work as well as fretting the same note on a 5er

Sorry if this is a stupid question (bass newbie with about 10 minutes' experience of 5ers)... but why couldn't you just play the open notes on the 5er?

I'm following the discussion with interest, and so far I'm not sure why a four would be more suited to certain music. Lighter, simpler, cheaper, different neck profile and string spacing - sure, all good reasons for choosing a four. But are there any musical reasons, rather than playability reasons, why you'd choose a four over a five?

(I'm asking as an interested observer who only owns a four-string and am gathering information to help decide whether a fiver might be a good next purchase.)

 

[Sav'nBass]

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?

I look at a lot of really good bass players, like Victor Wooten, Flea, Marcus Miller, and yeah, they're good, but then I look at Norm Stockton's Groovin' For Heaven videos, and he just looks so smooth on a five string. I mean it's not the low B that interests me, it's being able to play a baseline in E, and then play a D, comfortably.

My first 5 was an Ibanez SR505 .... I got it in October of '06. I had been playing a 4 for years but had been out of the loop for about 15 years or so.. I started playing again in 01and was getting reacquainted with the bass altogether.. It took me a few months to get used to it.. but then I was relearning the bass anyway.. Before (back in the day .. before I stopped playing) I rarely ventured above the 7th fret except maybe to hit that high E on hammer ons and such.. The 5 kind of opened things up for me in both directions .. up and down and top to bottom. I still have my 4 string Jazz and will probably never let it go, but I will not buy another 4 string bass unless it is an acoustic (I have a MK 5 fretless) ...

For me the 5 is the only way to go.. and that is because of the extended range.. having that low B means you can get those lower notes between B & E that you can't hit on a 4 without retuning.. and in some songs being able to resolve to a low B-Eb can make a world of difference in the feel of a song. I play in church.. lots of Ebs & Dbs ... for more traditional songs I just play them like a 4. Sometimes the open E works better than the 5th fret E .. sometimes not.. it all depends on the song..

I look at guys like Wooten & Flea who do their work on 4s... (awesome work that it is ... )and I don't even think about it... That's them.. and if I practiced 24 hours a day I still wouldn't be able to touch those guys, but I can do my thing so..

I have never tried a 6 other than to noodle around in a store and probably would never buy one mainly because I still don't play much in the upper registers, although now I am much more comfortable doing so .. or do a lot of complex chords (2 & 3 note chords.. usually as passing chords..) . I am not a "lead" bassist kind of player. I just want to do my job and hold down the low end.. IMO once you start getting into the 6 then you are going to a different realm on a bass so to speak, which is fine .. it just isn't for me. A 5 helps me to be a better bass player by giving me a few more colors to work with where I feel I need to be as a bass player.

 

[Simorchid]

It took me two full months to get to the point where I was comfortable gigging on five, and even then I had to concentrate. HOWEVER, I played four string for over twenty years before I switched over, and I believe that's why it took me so long. Or maybe I'm just slow.

Maybe you and me both. It took months for me to be completely confident about not playing the B when I want to play an E on a 6. I went straight from a 4 to a 6 but it was the B that stumped me not the C.

 

[georgestrings]

You are making a valid point with respect to what I said but didn't stress, namely that certain music works best with a 4 string. It can EVEN work best with a 5 string played as a 4 string with the B string just used for a couple low notes. There is no doubt this is true.

In your case since you can ALSO play a 5 string as a 5 string it's obvious that you get to choose which kind of instrument sounds best on any given music. (as do I) If it's the 4 there is nothing wrong with that. (much "old school" sounds best on a 4) And if it's a 5er that's OK too. My point is that everyone's situation here IS the same: We all play bass and we all want to choose our instrument(s) so they best support the music we are playing.

My point was NOT some promotion for 5ers over 4 strings but to merely point out that they are different, played differently, and as you note have a different sound and vibe. So my statement that a lot of people think a 5 string is a 4 string with a few lower notes doesn't apply to you since you indicate you "could" play any music as a 5 string meaning you know how to play both a 4 and 5 which is exactly the place one should be because then one can choose which best fits any given music!

It's not about which one is "best", you have to say "best for what"! (which of course, we both just did)

We're cool, then - I just didn't pick that angle up out of your post...

IMO, there's sort of two different approaches to playing a 5er - one being the "shift positions less", the other being "I need the lower notes", and probably a bit of mixing of both aproaches... *I* don't see either as being right or wrong, as I see either as a means to serve the needs of the player and their particular situation... I can transpose, and do the "less positions" thing, but usually just don't bother, given my current band situation - since we arrange our sets to accomodate for tunings, and the guitarists are changing up, anyways...


- georgestrings

 

[georgestrings]

Sorry if this is a stupid question (bass newbie with about 10 minutes' experience of 5ers)... but why couldn't you just play the open notes on the 5er?

I'm following the discussion with interest, and so far I'm not sure why a four would be more suited to certain music. Lighter, simpler, cheaper, different neck profile and string spacing - sure, all good reasons for choosing a four. But are there any musical reasons, rather than playability reasons, why you'd choose a four over a five?

(I'm asking as an interested observer who only owns a four-string and am gathering information to help decide whether a fiver might be a good next purchase.)

Not a dumb question - here's a couple of examples:

RATM's "Killing In The Name Of" is typically an E standard drop D song - not only is it extremely difficult to play *properly* on a standard tuned 5er, it just doesn't sound right, either...

Also, IMO an open Eb on a 4 string sounds better than a fretted Eb on a 5er, besides the whole "open string, hammer on or pull off an octive higher" thing that's a bit common in some rock songs - like the song mentioned above, actually...

My band typically plays from 10pm-2am, and we arrange our sets accordingly - if we deviate from that, we just pick that gig's material to minimize instrument and tuning changes for that particular gig... We have close to 60 songs on our list, so it's not that difficult to make things work out for any situation, and one of the things that separates us from other cover bands in our area is that when we cover a song, it sounds like it's supposed to - not half step up, down, or whatever...

I hope this answers things for you...


- georgestrings

 

[SoVeryTired]

Not a dumb question - here's a couple of examples:

RATM's "Killing In The Name Of" is typically an E standard drop D song - not only is it extremely difficult to play *properly* on a standard tuned 5er, it just doesn't sound right, either...

Also, IMO an open Eb on a 4 string sounds better than a fretted Eb on a 5er, besides the whole "open string, hammer on or pull off an octive higher" thing that's a bit common in some rock songs - like the song mentioned above, actually...

Partially answers things! I can understand that an open D or Eb on a detuned 4 sounds different to a fretted note on a standard 5. I was thinking more of the open E on a 4 versus the open E on a 5.

I don't play any detuned stuff at the moment so can't really speak from experience, but I presume you could always drop the E to a D on a 5. Mind you, I guess you'd probably have more than one bass lying around for alternate tunings!

 

[shadowmac]

It took me some time.

I picked up my first 5-er while I was in a working rock band, gigging regularly, playing 4 strings. I was doing lead vox and playing bass; the low B string threw me off...I kept going to it instead of my "E". At the time, I didn't have the time or the desire to learn a *new* instrument; in the end, I parted with it...too bad, because I wish I had *that* bass now...a beautiful early 90's USA BC Rich.

Anyway, I moved from bass to guitar as my primary instrument for several years and then came back to bass - where I belong - and jumped on a 5 string right away because I knew that the guitarist was going to play on 7-strings occasionally. It was a very easy transition this time around. I play solely 5-ers these days...I find that when I do pick up a 4, I frequently reach for the low B that isn't there.

My advice for someone trying to make the transition is to treat a 5 like a different instrument, not just a 4 with another string. Learn it like you'd learn anything else - from scratch. This was my method and it seems to have worked out well.

 

[bucephylus]

My first 5 was an early Smith BT5. Great bass. I really jumped in both feet first.

It took me about 20 gigs to really get set with that bass; but, not all due to the extra string.

Smith basses sit somewhat differently while playing; and that took some adjustment.

The extra string introduced 2 new technique issues. One, of course, is related to fingerboard reference. Coming from playing a 4 string, the E string on the 4 is sort of home. Getting used to the B being there takes some time.

A somewhat more key technique aspect, IMO, is the effect on the right hand methods. Right out of the gate, one finds that anchoring the right hand thumb on the pup cover with a 5 leads to a lot of unwanted drone on the B when playing lines on the other strings. This does not work. Having no reference methods at the time, I had to figure out what is now referred to as "floating thumb" to mute the B. That is a really good general technique; but, when one has gotten used to anchoring on the pup cover ends, does take a certain amount of practice.

So, yeah, about 20 gigs or so for me.

 

[Metaldood19]

played a 4 for 4 years and recently bought a 6. It took me maybe two weeks of doodling with it before It felt normal again. Funny thing is that now that I'm used to all those strings, when I go to my 4, it feels like the neck is made of butter haha.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

Never could grasp the 4+1 concept- when i went to 5 string 14 years ago i changed the position of every song i played in my then current oldies band- 5 string bass is a different instrument to me.

That being said, going from 5 to 6 took approximately 5 minutes as the higher string is not a fundimental rather an addendum if you will.

After transitioning from 4 to 5 way back in the day, adding on more strings never posed much of a problem, regardless of how many or where they are. 5 to 6, 6 to 8... the change was instantaneous.

 

[georgestrings]

Partially answers things! I can understand that an open D or Eb on a detuned 4 sounds different to a fretted note on a standard 5. I was thinking more of the open E on a 4 versus the open E on a 5.

I don't play any detuned stuff at the moment so can't really speak from experience, but I presume you could always drop the E to a D on a 5. Mind you, I guess you'd probably have more than one bass lying around for alternate tunings!

OK, I'll take a stab at that angle - I did something like that for awhile in my current band: used a 5er for everything except Eb stuff, and used a 4 tuned down a half step for that... I would drop the 5er's E string down for songs I absolutely HAD to have drop D tuning for... I found that in order to sound right, I'd have to add some bass EQ'ing for the E standard stuff, as opposed to my normal 5er EQ'ing, and that playing drop D on a 5er was plenty doable, but still a tiny bit awkward... What changed things for me was when my current band starting playing atleast 20 songs on a 50 song night in either standard or drop D tuning... At that point, it became worth my while to put a hipshot on one of my 4 bangers, and change up when the guitarists do... If that changes - which I don't see that happening right away - I *may* do something different, we'll see...


- georgestrings