How long to adjust to a 5 string?

[musicman7722]

Two years for me. Here is my theory. Our brains map the position of our fingering hand to the e string on the 4 string. That position in our brain tells us where we are and then our brain turns that into the actual note depending on the string we are fingering etc.

Even after 10 years I occasionally get lost. My biggest moment of doubt hangs around the E on the B string and the A on the E string. Every so often, especially at the start of a song I can't recall quickly if it is an E or an A.

Still I will never go back to a 4 personally.

You could try something like a Digitech Drop to detune your 4 string down to a D.

 

[toowrongfoo]

First time I ever owned a 5 the only issue I had was adjusting to not playing in 4ths

Have to be honest, I really only use 4 frets and the open B on my 5's. Looking at the instrument as a 4 with those 5 extra notes kept me from losing my mind.

 

[arbiterusa]

No time at all; it made sense immediately.

That doesn’t help you, the OP, though. I’d do this- just lock everything else up and just play the five. I would not quit under any circumstances. If you ain’t learning, you ain’t living. You have been laying longer than I’ve been alive...you can do this.

 

[TolerancEJ]

I initially learned on a 4-string. I think I would always recommend someone to start learning on the “bassics“.

After about a year, I bought my first 5-string. I think it only took less than an hour to become accustomed to the new string & notes involved. I would practice scales starting on the B string & ending on the G string.

I had a long hiatus from playing music, but when I decided to return, I bought my first 6-string. Only 30 minutes to an hour to get used to the high C string.

Less than a month after that, I bought a Conklin BDGT-7 and familiarized myself with the high F string in a similar timeframe.

 

[Wolfhound32]

Been playing a 4 since the late 60's and now this new band I joined does 7-8 songs that would not cut it with a 4.

I've been learning a ton of tunes in the last three weeks, while at the same time trying to adjust to a 5.
I seem to be lost. when I look down at the fretboard, the notes do not register in my head.
The other day I was making notes for a few tunes. At one time I took my hand and covered up the B to my eye so my brain would lock on.

I've done 2 live shows so far with the 5. I've gotten embarrasiingly lost a few times. I have to stay on a strict track, it seems. I cannot take any chances in wandering around the fingerboard, fearing I'll get lost.
I'm also having trouble with left hand-right hand coordination, which means that sometimes I do not pluck the correct string. Othertimes, it's the other way around...I'll pluck the correct string but my fretting hand will be on the wrong string.

I bought a 5'er with 19mm string spacing, thinking it would be an easier transition from my PBass.

I'd guess I have 50-100 hours on the 5.

For those of you who have made the switch, how long did it take you to get comfortable, and
do you have any tips for an old rocker like me?

I have the gift of tenacity, but if the answer is simply "You have to keep doing it until it comes to you", I don't know if I have the time.
I'm wondering if it's worth it (literally.....how long will I be out there playing live?).
Is it worth the effort for a few more years of live playing?

I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about. After a year of playing a 5-string I sold it. A few months into it, I found that the 5-string was sucking the joy from playing. Having an extra 5-notes that I rarely used simply wasn’t worth it. For me, it’s about the joy of making music and the 4-string allows me to do that.

Other folks (most?) find that same joy with additional strings— thankfully they have many choices at hand— 5,6,8 strings and more!

For the few of us who enjoy getting it done with 4-strings, embrace it! Don’t be concerned with some fictitious hierarchy propagated online... by guitarists I suspect

 

[Element Zero]

Well, I played 4 string for 4 years before I bought my first 5 string. It took me a day to get used to it. Granted, I was fresh out of high school and all I wanted to do was play bass so... yeah. 20 years later, all I own are 5 strings.

 

[stringthrough]

I'm now in my 4-5 effort at getting comfortable with 5-ers. First try was about 20 years ago. This time it's sticking. I know this is the case because while the 4 still seems more natural there are things I can do on a 5-er more easily than a 4. I've therefor reached a tipping point and have chosen to go forward and not backward.

 

[BossOnBass]

Took me about 10-15 gigs over a 6 month period to adjust. Here's what I learned by trial and error.

- Like others said, don't go back to 4's until you are completely used to the 5.
- It helps to set your strap a little higher if your 4 hung low.
- it can be challenging to cleanly play lines that span the E to G strings if your thumb is anchored to the B as a thumb rest. At some point I switched to the floating thumb technique. Initially, this made playing some songs on a 5 easier while some seemed harder with the floating thumb. Took about 2 months working on floating thumb but now I use it without thinking about it.

 

[BigBasserino]

Been playing a 4 since the late 60's and now this new band I joined does 7-8 songs that would not cut it with a 4.

I've been learning a ton of tunes in the last three weeks, while at the same time trying to adjust to a 5.
I seem to be lost. when I look down at the fretboard, the notes do not register in my head.
The other day I was making notes for a few tunes. At one time I took my hand and covered up the B to my eye so my brain would lock on.

I've done 2 live shows so far with the 5. I've gotten embarrasiingly lost a few times. I have to stay on a strict track, it seems. I cannot take any chances in wandering around the fingerboard, fearing I'll get lost.
I'm also having trouble with left hand-right hand coordination, which means that sometimes I do not pluck the correct string. Othertimes, it's the other way around...I'll pluck the correct string but my fretting hand will be on the wrong string.

I bought a 5'er with 19mm string spacing, thinking it would be an easier transition from my PBass.

I'd guess I have 50-100 hours on the 5.

For those of you who have made the switch, how long did it take you to get comfortable, and
do you have any tips for an old rocker like me?

I have the gift of tenacity, but if the answer is simply "You have to keep doing it until it comes to you", I don't know if I have the time.
I'm wondering if it's worth it (literally.....how long will I be out there playing live?).
Is it worth the effort for a few more years of live playing?

Took me a couple months. At first you'll start having coordination issues, like you mentioned. Later, you'll choose a set of four strings to play primarily on (the bottom four or the top four, you'll keep finding the "extra"). After a while, you'll wonder how you got so far without it.

 

[retslock]

Been playing a 4 since the late 60's and now this new band I joined does 7-8 songs that would not cut it with a 4.

I've been learning a ton of tunes in the last three weeks, while at the same time trying to adjust to a 5.
I seem to be lost. when I look down at the fretboard, the notes do not register in my head.
The other day I was making notes for a few tunes. At one time I took my hand and covered up the B to my eye so my brain would lock on.

I've done 2 live shows so far with the 5. I've gotten embarrasiingly lost a few times. I have to stay on a strict track, it seems. I cannot take any chances in wandering around the fingerboard, fearing I'll get lost.
I'm also having trouble with left hand-right hand coordination, which means that sometimes I do not pluck the correct string. Othertimes, it's the other way around...I'll pluck the correct string but my fretting hand will be on the wrong string.

I bought a 5'er with 19mm string spacing, thinking it would be an easier transition from my PBass.

I'd guess I have 50-100 hours on the 5.

For those of you who have made the switch, how long did it take you to get comfortable, and
do you have any tips for an old rocker like me?

I have the gift of tenacity, but if the answer is simply "You have to keep doing it until it comes to you", I don't know if I have the time.
I'm wondering if it's worth it (literally.....how long will I be out there playing live?).
Is it worth the effort for a few more years of live playing?

I had the same problem and it’s taken me sometime to get it working well. I can still slip up though once in a while but I look at it this way; the grey matter needs to be challenged in your advancing years. If you don’t work your brain, old-timers will get you before your time. Unless of course you like the idea of meeting all those new friends that old-timers get. I spent some time going up and down the B string naming the notes as I went. It helped a lot. Another thing I did was deliberately move parts in G or F over to the B string further down the neck (F on 6th fret or G on 8th fret) to force my brain to get familiar with those positions. You’ll find they sound nice and fat too and you have good access across the neck from there. Then there’s always scales; say them out loud as you go.
There is no short cut that I know of. Play as much as you can and use those notes as much as is practical and good luck.
I also find that I prefer a closer string spacing on a 5.

 

[Robscott]

It took me about a month or so of playing it every day if I remember correctly. The trick was to immerse yourself in the fiver, not playing your four string until it feels natural.

I played a four string for 20+years before I adjusted to a fiver. I've had one in my arsenal for about 7-8 years now, and I float back and forth seamlessly between the two.

Anything in life that's rewarding takes time to accomplish. You simply have to have the mental drive to do it.

How bad do you really want to learn it?

Of course you could put a d-tuner on a four string and go thst route as well. (I have them in my precisions and they are nice to grab a d (or lower) every now and then.

Yeah I am doing this right now, just bought a fretless fiver and trying not to play the 4 banger until the fiver is second nature. I can see you need to do that to get the muscle memory. So what happens now when you pick up the 4? Still all there, or have to readjust for a while?

 

[Resonance129]

I started playing a 5 late last year and I STILL have issues like what you've described. In the time I've been playing 5's, I've definitely gotten more comfortable with it, but I honestly think it's just a matter of desire and time. If you really want/need to play a 5-string for the music you're playing, it's totally worth it to stick in there with it. But if it's not a requirement, or it's not imperative for the music you play, it very well may not even be worth it to switch.

I CAN say, for me, it's nice to have that B string to pepper in some really low notes when you want em, regardless of the music you're playing. But 5's feel like "work" to me, while 4's feel like fun. And at he end of the day, 4's are where it's at, IMO. Play what you need.

 

[nilorius]

I don't understand what so difficult is in 5 string. Just tune the 5th in B and keep it playing as from A to E. It's easy. I my self had no problems, going from 4 to 5.

 

[eJake]

It took me about ten days of playing a lot. To me, it’s a perceptional matter; once I realized that my five string has a standard four string built into it and stopped thinking about the string nearest me as an E string, things got a lot easier.

Also, I think bilingual individuals already have the brain plasticity that it takes to switch back and forth between mental modes.

¡Eso!

 

[eJake]

Just ignore the B string!!! Pretend it's not there until you don't have to anymore.

 

[donotfret]

I switched from a fretted 4-string to a fretless 5-string. It took me a few weeks to get used to it, but given that I started playing it exclusively it was not a big problem.

Personally I think the difficult bit is to actually make use of the extra string in a musical way. There is no point having a string that you don't use, nor will anybody enjoy your playing if you overdo it with the B string.

 

[BOOG]

Making that humbling mental leap to admit we have to LEARN something is a challenging hurdle in and of itself, sometimes. Once we can do that and commit to the process, then it just comes down to abilities of individuals retaining at their own individual cognitive pace. Also, for someone who has been playing for a decade vs. someone who has played a couple of years or less, this mental leap is a greater challenge. (teaching an old dog...)
Good luck with it. I've had a 5'r for about six months. Having the extra 36 fretted notes on the neck for me is both, convenient and daunting. Granted, I do not rely on it for income so, the pressure isn't there for me to master it but, by taking this casual approach it is a fun and welcomed challenge when I pick it up vs. a crucial skill to be mastered for my livelihood.
my .02 fwiw

 

[CoffeeLove]

Is it just the B string causing trouble, or is it also the neck width? I started with a Warwick which had a narrow neck, so made things easier, and still only go up to 18mm spacing and 1 3/4 nut width.

Also started by using the B string as a thumb-rest, and adjusted quickly that way. While it might seem pointless to have a 5 string at first by going this route, it made for a quick and easy transition. Then add the B string into the mix. Just a thought.

It really is great having the extra range, and the ability to play licks in different places on the neck.

Good luck

 

[ga_edwards]

It depends.

If like me, and many others, you play the 5 string bass like a 4 string with a few extra low notes, it doesn't take much time to adjust. It's just a case of retraining the muscle memory to learn with the low string is not E and adjust to different string spacing.

If you want to play it like an extended range bass, making full use of the new patterns, positions and opportunities the extra string offers, it's going to take quite some time, during which you may find it difficult switching between the two instruments. But I would recommend you do regularly switch so that you don't forget how to play 4 strings!

Personally, I feel there is no right or wrong and definitely, no 'better'. Ultimately it's up to you how you want to play the 5 string and the work you're prepared to do. Me, I'm very much a 4 string player. I played a 5 string for many years as my main bass (and I own a 6), and could not adjust to playing it as a 5 string. I tried, honestly I did, but I know deep down, I'm just meant to play 4 strings!

I realised I never needed any notes further down D below the open E, so I installed a hipshot on a 4 string and it instantly felt right. Even though it shifts all of the notes on the E string and changes patterns, it still feels better to me and is somehow more logical and requires less thinking than having an extra string.

 

[George End]

Been playing a 4 since the late 60's and now this new band I joined does 7-8 songs that would not cut it with a 4.

I've been learning a ton of tunes in the last three weeks, while at the same time trying to adjust to a 5.
I seem to be lost. when I look down at the fretboard, the notes do not register in my head.
The other day I was making notes for a few tunes. At one time I took my hand and covered up the B to my eye so my brain would lock on.

I've done 2 live shows so far with the 5. I've gotten embarrasiingly lost a few times. I have to stay on a strict track, it seems. I cannot take any chances in wandering around the fingerboard, fearing I'll get lost.
I'm also having trouble with left hand-right hand coordination, which means that sometimes I do not pluck the correct string. Othertimes, it's the other way around...I'll pluck the correct string but my fretting hand will be on the wrong string.

I bought a 5'er with 19mm string spacing, thinking it would be an easier transition from my PBass.

I'd guess I have 50-100 hours on the 5.

For those of you who have made the switch, how long did it take you to get comfortable, and
do you have any tips for an old rocker like me?

I have the gift of tenacity, but if the answer is simply "You have to keep doing it until it comes to you", I don't know if I have the time.
I'm wondering if it's worth it (literally.....how long will I be out there playing live?).
Is it worth the effort for a few more years of live playing?