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Just getting started: 5 string or 4?

#23
Solarmist said:
There are so many threads on this subject already, but you're new here, and it is hard to search using "4 or 5" being less than 3 characters each.
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Yeah, I felt bad posting what I knew must have been talked about before, but there was nothing in the FAQ and search was not my friend.


If you like music that uses uses low B or if you just feel in the mood for a 5er - get a 5er

If 4-bangers sound easier, and nothing you listen to or want to play uses low B - get a 4-banger

In any case - go to a GC or local music stores, and try them out - you can almost camp at CG untill you find the right one. Based on manufacturer, basses have very different tones, necks, shapes/colors, and quality
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This is probably very good advice. I'm not overly comfortable going into a place as an utter newb; predatory salesmen are not your friend. but I really should try it out first I suppose.
 
#24
Jaboof11 said:
not trying to argue...learning to play and playing is two different things...you don't start off a drummer with a double bass pedal....you get him to get the most out of one before using two...different but the same... unless he is playing bass for sevendust or something I think learning the basics should be first....I'm no teacher but a few kids at the church asked me to show them how to play a bass...I wont let them play a five yet and I wont teach them slap until they get the hang of playing basic scales, staying in the pocket, and have a fundamental understanding on how music should be constructed.
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Which part of playing scales, staying in the pocket, and having a knowledge of theory do you think you miss by having a 5-string? If you taught guitar, would you only let the guitarist use a guitar with four string until he knew all of that stuff? String number doesn't hinder learning the basics by any means. If you're using a particular string as an effect rather than as a part of the whole instrument, then you're probably using it wrong.
 
#25
Unless I envisioned a future situation where a bandleader saw that I had FIVE (5!) strings on my bass :eek: and gave me an ultimatum of buying a four or finding another gig, I'd go with the fiver. Are you going to be playing in a lot of places/bands where a bass with a string that goes below E is forbidden?

I have a piano with 88 keys. Most of the time I don't use them all.
 
#27
Bryan R. Tyler said:
Which part of playing scales, staying in the pocket, and having a knowledge of theory do you think you miss by having a 5-string? If you taught guitar, would you only let the guitarist use a guitar with four string until he knew all of that stuff? String number doesn't hinder learning the basics by any means. If you're using a particular string as an effect rather than as a part of the whole instrument, then you're probably using it wrong.
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that is true..kinda..but he asked "but how much more difficult to learn is 5 string versus 4" and he said he is using books and video tapes wich MOST are geard towards 4 strings. Im not saying you cant learn on a five I just think (just my opinion) that four is more easier for most beginners..not all..each to their owne...and again my opinion but I think a low B is for a particular effect in the music..its called extended range and is not always appropriate in every part of some songs...it depends on the genera..I play both(4&5)..and in most songs I only use the low B once or twice when I want that extra emphasis on a certain musical phrase...but music is to broad to tell someone how to learn or what and how to play so saying that... you are correct too. Hey why stop at 5? start on a six or an eight string....what ever your up for..
 
#28
I wish I had started on a 6 :D That's what I play now, so all the time I had to spend playing catch-up getting used to new strings could have been spent focusing on music. I use my low B string quite a lot- but I don't go below E on it much. There's numerous benefits of the low B that go beyond the lower notes.
 
#30
What kind of music do you want to play?
What do you see yourself with if you look in the mirror?
You must be leaning one way or the other - which is it?
Do you want the 5 lower notes?

4 or 5 string basses both are tuned in 4ths so there's nothing really different other than having one more lower string. Playing a 2 octave scale is easier on a 5 string than a 4-banger. You might be well off starting with a 5er out of the gate than adapting later.
 
#31
I say get the 5, it still has the top four strings so you can learn from four string based books, and so what if you don't ever use the B string, it'll still be there if you decide someday you want to use it. The only caveat on this is, try the guitar first! If you find the 5 too wide, just get a four, you can always get a 5 later when your hand has been conditioned.
 
#32
Fawkes007 said:
Whatever feels most comfortable.
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pretty much, winner.

i started on a 5, so now 4's feel like toys, but for the most part, comfort is the biggest issue. screw tone and color and all the other insignificant crap.. learn on a bass that is comfortable for you.

i picked up 5 from my neighbor who had played 4 string basses for 30 years. one day bought a 5 string SX on a whim (years ago) and hasnt really looked back since. had a short stint with an epi t bird (because he'd always wanted one) but since has been through a mexi fender 5 string jazz, an olp 5 string, the sx, a rockbass corvette 5, and now a warwick 5.

he suggested i play one of his 5's one day, and it felt right to me. took 2 weeks to get the hang of the extra notes. no biggie at all.

trouble is... now i cant go back.
 
#34
There's no issue starting on a five string. While most books, videos, online lessons, etc. seem to focus on four strings, I think that's because that's the common denominator. If they focused on five string basses they would "alienate" four string players, who are probably still the majority.

Assuming the feel of a five string doesn't bother/hinder you, what can you do on a four that can't be done on a five?

If you can't tell, I started on a five string and have been using them exclusively since I started. The only thing that has hindered me is a lack of playing and practicing time. My choices of basses has been a non-factor.

That being said, if you prefer fours, go with fours. There should be no shame in that either.
 
#35
Balog said:
After a lot of years of putting it off, I've finally decided to get serious and learn to play the bass. I've been scouring the local classifieds, and trying to read up on here so I can make an informed decision.

One thing I'm still on the fence about is number of strings. For some reason I love 5 string basses; the look, the concept, everything. However, I'm not very musically inclined to start with, and adding an extra string to the mix just seems like it would make an already tough task even more difficult.

I know it's a subjective question, but how much more difficult to learn is 5 string versus 4 string? Are 5 strings considered more for "advanced" bassists, or are they just a different experience than 4's?
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as you, and still am. I initially purchased a 4, but I have big hands with long fingers and it felt way too narrow to me. I then purchased a 5 and immediately felt more comfortable with the neck. Now all I have is 5's, saving my 4 for my 2 yr. old daughter, lol. Due to my work schedule, I am still very much a beginner, learning to play as time permits. I find learning on a 5 for me, to be much easier due to the comfort. What is more comfortable for you?. Thats the way to go imho.
 
#36
Balog said:
Auria: oddly enough, I'm just doing it for my enjoyment. Not planning on really gigging.
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I understand. even so, I'd opt for the fiver. There's simply a lot of music out there that will either require one or be made simpler by having one. There's nothing "limiting" about the four-string bass, but I see no reason why a beginner wouldn't start with five or even six in this day and age. It's just a tool, and you won't always know what you'll want to do with it on the given day.
 
#37
OK HERE'S the important question: What music/styles use 5 strings??

20 Years ago they didnt make 5-stringers, and they didnt become "mainstream" until . . .well. . I'm not really sure.

But it seems to me that the only music that would rely on 5 strings would be modern metal. Right? (Music wasnt made with 5s before they were around)

And by modern metal, I'm talking about bands that you've probably never heard unless you are under 30 years old.

Can someone enlighten me to mainsteream music that requires a five?
 
#40
It really depends on the style of music you want to play. If you're going to be playing R&B/gospel, metal, or funk a 5 is what you want. But for rock or pop type stuff you're probably fine with a 4.

I've been playing for seven years, have never owned a 5 string and only played one about three times, because the music I've been playing just doesn't need that low B. But if I found myself in a situation where I needed it I'd jump to a 5 real quick-like, it's all about what the music needs.
 

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