Should I learn on a 4 or 5 string bass?

[TomB]

I'd suggest learning both as a goal. I find it useful to be able to switch back and forth, depending on the gig. Which you start on is unimportant, IMO, but owning one of each will allow you to make choices as you go along. I think the best learning sequence will reveal itself going forward, as long as you give yourself access to both types. Even if you only end up using one of them, you can always sell the other.

Necks come in many different widths and shapes, and you'll only learn what works for you by trying different ones. Bridge spacing matters. Fender 5's are 18mm, G&L 5's are 17mm, Fender-style 4's are usually 19mm, some other types are narrower. Try them all over time to see which you prefer, but I wouldn't worry to much which one you learn on. As with number of strings, it's helpful to be able to switch back and forth easily, IMO, especially at the outset.

 

[bassbenj]

My bass teached told me to start with 4 strings.
Because 5 string requires you to learn differently. It's no use to have a 5th string if you do not use it.
The idea between 4 and 5 strings in that when playing, your hand instead of going up on the neck, the hand tends to move less, and your fingers move down reaching the 5th string as you go up on the notes of a scale.

My teacher told me : 4 strings.
Learn every note on the neck : teacher wants me to be able to give the note name as soon he points to any position on the neck. So each time I see the teacher, he points all around the neck and I must give the proper note name each time.

Then, after learning every note on the neck at every position, I had to be able to tell the teacher everywhere I could find an A or B or.. whatever. Teacher would give me a note and I would have to show everywhere that note is available.

Teacher told me that once I could do that, I would be able to move to a 5th string, and after learning the note of every position of the 5th, change the way I play every scale I learned to move fingers down without moving up the neck when playing scales using the 5th instead of moving the hand up the neck like you do on a 4-string bass.

Seriously, it took me monthes to learn the notes both on the whole neck but also be able to find all the positions of a given note on the neck. I dont want to re-learn the scales with a 5-string use.

Well obviously your teacher caused you a problem. What you really want is to learn all the notes on a 6 string neck and be able to point to any fret and string say what the note is. If you'd done that from the beginning, you'd be set for anything now (except maybe 7 string). Your teacher has turned one job into two jobs for you! I'm sorry to say that this idea circulating around that somehow a beginner must start on a 4 string and then "move up'" to a 5 or 6 string is in my opinion nonsense. There is no 'up and down" it's you learn to play a 4 string like a 4 string or an ERB like an ERB. If a 4 string is the only thing that interests you then that is fine, but it's really hard to tell what interests you may develop down the road. But adding the notes of two more strings (B string And C string) to the 4 strings you already know is not that big a deal.

By the way, learning the notes as you have done is important for 5 and 6 string basses because when you play across the neck all you need to do is set the root position of your scale pattern on any given note on the neck and then you can play the scale in that key. This is what makes a ERB easier to deal with.

learn more here: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Drgonzonm]

Well obviously your teacher caused you a problem. ....

IMO, if your teacher was mean, he would have had you play a fretless bass blindfolded.

 

[bassbenj]

IMO, if your teacher was mean, he would have had you play a fretless bass blindfolded.

Wait a minute, Not mean. Fretless playing is all about the ear training, right?

 

[Drgonzonm]

Wait a minute, Not mean. Fretless playing is all about the ear training, right?

I started on an upright, in the 60's, finger placement was marked by masking tape, two string were on the wrong pegs, impossible to tune. The teacher a band man who could tickle the ivory. 25 beginning students ready to irrriate raccoons and anger cats. Now imagine being handed a bass without fret markers and you being blind folded and play follow the leader, teacher plays a simple riff, and it's up to you to repeat. It's a challenge, you can't see the leaders fingering, his string selection. It a game we came up with to improve our playing, yes it's a mean game when your the bass and the leader is a cello.
I prefer fretless and flatwound.
Good luck.

 

[bucephylus]

I don’t think the number of strings is important. More important for you to go out and do a bunch of gigs in as many different genres as possible. As you go, your preferences for type of instrument and instrument range will develop as a consequence of your experience. The bass you have now is perfectly fine. You will develop other preferences with experience. Don’t bother asking people on here, until you have more specific experience based questions.

 

[Rnr..........4]

It's what you want to play. What genre. If you're into grindcore, death core, nu-metal, etc. Then you'll want that B string on the five. Personally, I prefer the old rock n roll, heavy metal stuff so I stick to the four string.

No need for the B in my opinion.. even in the better black, death metal bands rarely use a five unless they're going complete avant-garde. There is also BEAD tuning if you DO need it. I also just prefer the classic bass look which to me is the four string.

I almost went with a Warwick Thumb 5 string but think I'd rather get a Rickenbacker 4.

 

[Rob Martinez]

What is an "advanced beginning bass player?"

Master a 4 string bass. THEN play a 5 string, 6 string, 12 string bass, whatever.

 

[FMBassist]

I have all three; 4, 5 and a six. The 4 and 5 are the same string width from string saddle to saddle, and that is 19 mm. While the six string is totally different. It's 16mm. While three millimeters may not seem like much, I assure you, it certainly is. If you play a 19mm for a set and then switch to a 16; even if only for one song. Strings that close IMO is a real problem. Especially if you have big hands.
It has everything to do with neck width. A five string at 19mm is 76mm at the saddles. Whereas a 16mm six string is 80mm saddle to saddle. A four string at 19mm would be 57mm. And these widths do not allow for the distance between the string and the edge of the neck.
Those three basses are a four string Fender Jazz, a five string Pedula Thunder Buzz and a six string Ibanez.

 

[mcrawfordmusic]

I learned how to play bass on a 5 string.
I don’t think it had any kind of negative impact on my learning.

I do prefer a 4 string now though.

 

[chris_b]

. . . . . . . I want to play classic rock, blues, and one day jazz.

There are a lot of guys successfully playing those genres on 4 and 5 string basses. Neither one is better than the other.

My 2p. . . . . . . . while you can play everything on a 5 string bass, you can't play everything on a 4 string bass. That isn't a restriction to the millions of 4 string players out there, but if that is important to you then you only have one choice. I wouldn't be pressurised by your teacher to go one way or the other. He should be teaching you to play bass on the instrument you've bought to the lesson. You should try different basses and make you own mind up. You can always change your mind later.

I only play 5 string basses. I want to use the same bass for every gig and be able to play the lines that any song in the set requires, and throw in any lines I choose. For me the 5 string bass is the most flexible option I've discovered so far.

This is, above all, a personal choice. Take your time. And know that you can buy something else later.

 

[TrevorG]

My personal experience, which may be singular, is that stuff I learn on a five string can need adjustment when moving back to a four string as you don't have the advantage of more notes under your fingers in any one position. The amount of dampening you need to do on a five depends on the bass's action and your technique but it's an obstacle you contend with less on a four string, and, for me, this means I can focus more on note bashing. The action on my US Spector NS5 XL is as good as my Fender PJ(4string) but I find it easier to convert stuff I've learnt on four string to five than vice versa.