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Should I begin playing five string?
- Thread starter krimo
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- five five string playing string
Go for it. I have found that switching between 4 and 5 forces even better knowledge of the fretboard because you can't just rely on patterns when you add that extra string (but patterns still help!). Besides, you mainly play for fun and it sounds like you would enjoy a 5er. That is what matters most! I have two 5ers and just picked up a 4 because I missed having a 4 (and a P).
Play everything you can get your hands on
This right here.
Learn the E string down to A. Then learn the A string down to D. Now you know the E string down to D, and the B string from the 5th fret down to D. That's at least 90% if you're bad at math.
4 vs 5 vs more strings is more an issue if you know only the major 'shape', or minor, or pentatonic, etc etc. The more strings the more you can do in one shape. I own 2 5's I don't play often because most of the music I play doesn't really require it. If you find yourself tuning to D standard or lower, you probably would be better off with a 5. If you stay in any one tuning, especially if it's E, Eb, or drop D, stick with a 4.
Also this. Play every instrument in the store. You owe it to us leftys.
That bass and I parted ways in 2015. I never did much slap and that bass had too tight of a string spacing for me to accurately do it anyway.
I practice mostly R&B from the 70's and 80's along with some jazz standards and fusion jazz. I've always liked rock but chose to practice R&B songs because the grooves/timing/pocket playing is what I really dig. Rock seems easier because every rock band I played drums in seems to avoid R&B/funk like the plague. Sorry, I can feel the flames already. Anyway, I dig pocket style playing more.
However, I'm a big time jam band fan e.g. Phish, Umphrey's, Nth Power etc. so I want start working that along with some djent stuff from Plini (Simon Grove) Helix Nebula, and Animals as Leaders (yes, I know they don't have a bassist but that doesn't mean I can't put one in the music anyway). Everything is on the table in my mind.
Thanks for asking!
Thanks Groovy I had similar ideas about the 5 forcing me to get my fret board memory together. Secondly, you're right, I play for the fun of it but I want to be prepared to sit-in and jam!
Thanks everyone! I received an incredible number of suggestions. Ya'll rock!
I'll let you know if I go with the 4-string with extender or a 5'er.
I'll let you know if I go with the 4-string with extender or a 5'er.
Cool - you have some diverse tastes. I think that's cool to be into a variety of musical styles!
In that case, I would suggest a 5 string, only because it is slightly more versatile than a 4. The why has already been said many times in the preceding pages, so I won't rehash. The only thing I found a little more difficult, and this is just me and my lack of practice at it so ymmv, but I find it a little bit harder to slap on a 5 string. Little less room for error. That is, admittedly more of a string spacing issue I know, but a 5 tends to have narrower spacing than a 4 - in production models. If a person went custom build, then that's a different matter of course. The other consideration, and this is pretty minor, is that 4 string sets tend to be cheaper than 5. So if you plan on tinkering a lot with string choices its a bit less expensive to go the 4 route. But I don't know if its really that big of deal, unless cash is an issue. And there is no shame in that - cash is an issue in all our lives at some point or another.
Me personally, I currently play a 5, as seen in my picture to the left. I do this because I play in church where there are keys that benefit from a low C and D, and then picked the actual bass model I play because I am also in a 90s cover band, where I don't use the low B a lot unless a song is in E - but the bass fits. So for me, it was about taking a look at what all I wanted to play, and figure out the best way to be a chameleon. Unlike a lot of TBers, I can't really afford to have multiple tools so I need the best I can afford that covers the broadest ground.
I am excited for you and hope you have a blast on this journey! Just remember - we do this for fun! It needs to be something you personally enjoy, not what your teacher or anyone else says. Take care!
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Didn't see if you said what bass your 4 is. Something different sounding in a five will give you even more tonal variety. So if you 4 is a jazz, get something different in a five. A G&L L25000 is very versatile and will give you lots of different tones for example. My 4 is a p bass and my fives are a jazz and an L2500. Variety is good as you will come to appreciate the sounds different basses will give you.Thanks Groovy I had similar ideas about the 5 forcing me to get my fret board memory together. Secondly, you're right, I play for the fun of it but I want to be prepared to sit-in and jam!
