Is it possible that playing a 5 string is actually easier than playing a 4 string?

[madmaskbass]

5er for life lol. got my first 5 string playing in a rock covers band. Easily adapted to it and the first time I filled a line with an octave lower note (especially songs that are traditionally not meant to be played on the B string..love slipping cheeky octave chords in to wake the guitar players up) I was hooked. For some reason I am much more comfortable with my bass tuned AEADG rather than sticking to standard tuning but a lot of that is genre specific. I definitely like to use all strings and feel my next bass will be a 6 string but I would hate to not enjoy the width of the neck seeing as I generally prefer narrow spacing 5 strings.

OP asked for bass recommendations. IMO find a decent quality second hand Ibanez 5er...the ATK was mentioned but the SR series are excellent as well. There is plenty better basses out there but there's not many that can compete in that price point. I don't play a 35" scale (generally recommended)...I do play with a heavier gauge of B string to make the A tuning tight.

As for cabs...well I would say that understanding EQ can very much account for a reasonable amount of cab deficiencies and most modernish gear should give you passable results without needing specialised gear...

Other than that good strings, tuning and bass setup and your path towards low note heaven...oh there's plenty of threads about best practice and sounding the best and all of that but with a minimal amount of fine tuning and an educated approach is a bloody decent step in the right direction.. good luck.

 

[John B jr]

One point not yet mentioned that may be of interest to a newcomer to bass is that nearly all of the lessons you would watch on Youtube would be played and/or charted on a four string. I use fives for the most part but sometimes break out the four to learn a tune then try it up the neck of a fiver once I have it under my hands.

Someone mentioned a middle string (A in concert tuning) and an octave in either direction. Some low notes way up the neck can rescue an ending. My main reason for switching to fives is 'cause I'm too lazy to down-tune for "those songs".

 

[Munjibunga]

IME music with horn sections is likely to be Bb or other keys with flats. 5 string doesn't really help there.

Sure it does. Odd keys are very easy on a 5-string - it's the same patterns a fret or two in one direction or the other.

 

[somebrains]

It's a habit issue.
Transpose a couple of your favorite licks and you'll get a B string pretty quick.
Same idea as transposing up to figure out a 6-string.
I think it's easier to play a 4 bc of spacing, not an issue if you find a giant 2x4 of a 5-string.

Sure it does. Odd keys are very easy on a 5-string - it's the same patterns a fret or two in one direction or the other.

Yeah, you play in between the dots on the fretboard instead if using them as mile markers.

 

[JW56789]

I came to bass from playing keys for years, and to me, a 4-string just felt like it was missing something. When I transitioned to fives, it suddenly clicked: I could play a two-octave scale right across several frets without moving my left hand to complete it. It was the keyboard influence, I just expect a long string of notes to be laid out in a linear fashion, without having to shift all over the neck just to do a lot of things.

Then I fell into a lot of hard-rock situations, which are often de-tuned to E-flat or more, and I could suddenly play in any of those keys by just shifting everything down a fret or two.

So for this and a few more reasons, it just made more sense to me, I could visualize the fingerboard better, and on and on.

Weights and neck and fingerboard sizes are all over the place, there's no automatic guarantee that a five will be any more unwieldy than a similar four, you just have to find one that suits you. You will, of course, pay more for strings as you're buying one extra BIG one. If you stay with 34" scale, most all the same brands are available as fours, and you may see fewer choices for 35" or 36" scale, though the gap is smaller than it used to be.

If you're carrying your own in very loud situations (i.e., no PA help), you will probably need to account for pushing those low D's and C's at high SPL's with your own rig. On normal gigs, any high quality amp and cab that works for your four will probably be OK for your five.

After playing fives exclusively since the 80's, I recently bought a four on a lark. I enjoy it, but, you know, it just feels like it's missing something . . . . . .

 

[Strung_Low]

I actually love both. I started on a 5, didnt really know what i was doing so switched to a 4. Once i got some skills down, i went back to a 5. I really like having the different options for strings and finger positions. I think im also an anomaly on here because ive found i prefer thick necks and narrow string spacing. The combination is faster and more comfortable for me. But i do have 2 4 stringers, a p and a pj, and some things just sound better and are equally fun to play on them. Id say pick up an affordable 5 like a used mim fender jazz for example, and give it a go. Theres nothing that says you have to play one or the other. Different basses for different sounds and situations.

 

[Bass Jack]

I have quite small hands and short fingers and surprisingly I find playing my particular fiver easier than my 4 string. They are both Fender jazzes - the 4 being an Am Std and the 5 an Am Elite. I think it might be down to the smaller distance between the strings and the Elite having a sweet neck profile.

 

[BassoSaku]

There might be less hand movement since there are more notes available to the player in one position. There are a variety of other factors that might impact the ease of playing that are beyond this though.

...such as muting the B-string if the tuning is BEADG.

 

[BassoSaku]

So...totally better than a 5 then?

You should try a 2 string. I bring mine out for a couple of songs a set. It's fun.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

What would be cool is if you could use a stool that makes it look like you're "standing," but actually sitting on the tall stool. Then with a six string bass, make it your mission to move your hands as LITTLE as possible throughout the entire evening. Then when you stand up and yell, you'll SHOCK people! Ha ha ha just kidding.

All kidding aside, it would be nice to learn a five or six string bass. I've always had kind of an interest in the six stringers. As usual, being a lefty, it's going to be really hard to get an Ibanez sixer. There were Ibanez sixers on the 'Bay a while back but they're gone now. It would have been especially cool to get the SR506 left handed mahogany to match my SR500 4 string. Who knows, one may pop up one day here on TB, eBay, or Reverb. I'm patient.

 

[MojoPenguin]

It's not harder to play, but for me it's harder not to get overtones or ring out unnecessary strings to keep my playing "clean". Guess I should use fretwraps or something.

 

[interp]

To answer the OP question: Of course it is.

 

[HandsFree]

You'll definitely want to learn either the moveable anchor or floating thumb technique. Once you do, the superfluous string noise will be less of a problem than with a fixed anchor on a 4.

I use moveable anchor mostly. Just saying that 5 strings really doesn't make it any easier.

 

[Kmonk]

I don't find it easier or more difficult to play a 4 or a 5 string. It's really not much different if you don't over think it.

 

[73jbass]

Not really easier. I picked up an early 80s Pbass a while back with a 1 3/4" neck. Same width as my Music Man 5's. The 5 strings, for me, are much easier to play because of the tighter string spacing.

 

[rogerb]

I like the idea of a two octave range with just a little horizontal shift, from the B string. No reason to need it for the blues, but jazz, improvisation and walking bass it would be nice. Actually any blues I hear with a 5 string I'm not to enthusiastic about, sounds just as good (or better) with a 4 string.

I'll try one one day, low B, to see if I can handle the stretch to the extra string. Anything I learn on a 4 string is relevant to the 5 as well. I don't think I'll need much adjustment.

I'll go with easier or the same. Less shifting to achieve the same 'thing', but shifting shouldn't be much of a chore as others have pointed out. You'll still need to shift with a 5'er.

 

[Slevage]

Standard tuned 5's are easier to play...in certain keys. C being one of them. Lots of vocal stuff, including probably most of what you were listening to the other day is in C. Also lots of music with horn sections is in B. That's why a lot of country and R&B players use 5's. More options for playing in those keys.

It's also helpful to not have to move your hand around as much if you're reading on a gig. Whether cheat sheets, notation or a chord chart. If you know the song off-book it doesn't make a lot of difference.

The trade off is that they're heavier and harder on your left hand than the same bass with a neck that is only 4 strings wide.

Your options for cabs that sound good below E are fewer as well. Many cabs just aren't designed with that range in mind. Particularly older ones.

Music with horns is often in "flat" keys ( easier fingering an easier to get a sound out of the horn).

The key of B puts a trumpet and tenor sax in the key of C#, and alto sac in G#----
not favorites of brass players ( or other instruments if you are reading).

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

Forget five, if you want easy, jump right to 9-string, you'll never have to move your left hand position! hahaha

 

[SteveBassJr]

Hope this makes sense but the more strings you have the easier it can become.
Try playing a two string bass. You will have to move all over the fret board to play your bass lines.
On a traditional 4, all your notes are within a five fret span. Learn to play in that area.
It will give you greater knowledge of tour fret board.

 

[obimark]

Just my take, but there is NOTHING more boring than watching a bass player who keeps his hand in ONE position the entire time. Its much more interesting to see guys who move their hands up and down the neck like Steve Harris, Geddy, etc...

Even on a 5-string, your bass has notes the WHOLE way up and down, use them.