The Five Fret Prison---who knew?

[brianrost]

Saw this on Facebook today:

I've got an easier solution...get a Bass VI for another twelve notes on the B and C strings! You can get all the way to the A on the 14th fret of the G string at the 5th fret of the high E.

Man, go to jail for playing like Jaco, go to jail for only playing on the first five frets, get the electric chair for playing chords, I just can't win. I'm going to take up the kazoo.

40 minutes! I've been at it for 50 years and still can't find that darn Cb and E#.

FOOTNOTE:
The Fender Bass V of the 1960s was designed with a high C string (tuned EADGC). The fifth fret of the C would get you to the F that's on the 10th fret of the G string. Since you had that C string, Fender threw away the upper 5 frets...it's only got 15 frets but you can still hit that high Eb except now it's on the highest fret of the C string

 

[Killing Floor]

Most of my basses and all my guitars have a C#.
My first bass with a D was a Kubicki and now one of my 5s has a D. My P basses don’t have a D but my J does.

I glue the bottom half of a capo at the octave so I can’t play above the 12. “The BL” made me do it.

 

[Nashrakh]

Man, go to jail for playing like Jaco, go to jail for only playing on the first five frets, get the electric chair for playing chords, I just can't win. I'm going to take up the kazoo.

Well, if you play six strings, you're going in the hole straight away while bassists line up on your walk of shame, all the while telling you to "go pick up a guitar, you traitor".

 

[jdjk7]

Saw this on Facebook today:

View attachment 5144912

I've got an easier solution...get a Bass VI for another twelve notes on the B and C strings! You can get all the way to the A on the 14th fret of the G string at the 5th fret of the high E.

Man, go to jail for playing like Jaco, go to jail for only playing on the first five frets, get the electric chair for playing chords, I just can't win. I'm going to take up the kazoo.

View attachment 5144938

40 minutes! I've been at it for 50 years and still can't find that darn Cb and E#.

FOOTNOTE:
The Fender Bass V of the 1960s was designed with a high C string (tuned EADGC). The fifth fret of the C would get you to the F that's on the 10th fret of the G string. Since you had that C string, Fender threw away the upper 5 frets...it's only got 15 frets but you can still hit that high Eb except now it's on the highest fret of the C string

View attachment 5144950

I find the "five fret prison" funny, because as a bass player, I tend to think it sounds better to go to higher frets rather than go to higher strings. So for me it'd be more like the two-string prison (i.e. playing things mostly on the E and A strings)

 

[Slade N]

I tend to think it sounds better to go to higher frets rather than go to higher strings.)

I generally agree but there are exceptions of course, the same note higher on a lower string has a different sound/texture than that note on a higher string

 

[mambo4]

I, too, like to pretend there is an global conspiracy against playing what we like.

 

[themickster]

Saw this on Facebook today:

View attachment 5144912

I've got an easier solution...get a Bass VI for another twelve notes on the B and C strings! You can get all the way to the A on the 14th fret of the G string at the 5th fret of the high E.

Man, go to jail for playing like Jaco, go to jail for only playing on the first five frets, get the electric chair for playing chords, I just can't win. I'm going to take up the kazoo.

View attachment 5144938

40 minutes! I've been at it for 50 years and still can't find that darn Cb and E#.

FOOTNOTE:
The Fender Bass V of the 1960s was designed with a high C string (tuned EADGC). The fifth fret of the C would get you to the F that's on the 10th fret of the G string. Since you had that C string, Fender threw away the upper 5 frets...it's only got 15 frets but you can still hit that high Eb except now it's on the highest fret of the C string

View attachment 5144950

One of my basslines takes up open strings and frets 1-14 & 15.

 

[groovepump]

I generally agree but there are exceptions of course, the same note higher on a lower string has a different sound/texture than that note on a higher string

Absolutely true. I use this all the time.

 

[ebo]

If there was a prison for people not doing what they’re told, I’d be on death row.

 

[p12bassnut]

I was going to post something really crass in response to Scott but I refrained..

 

[BadSanta1281]

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

 

[Les Fret]

One of my basslines takes up open strings and frets 1-14 & 15.

shame on you!

 

[kineticdg]

I've been at it for 50 years and still can't find that darn Cb and E#.

I guess you haven’t yet discovered the simple solution- just add an extra two frets between E-F & B-C. Done! They were hiding in plain sight all along.

 

[pbass2]

I find the "five fret prison" funny, because as a bass player, I tend to think it sounds better to go to higher frets rather than go to higher strings. So for me it'd be more like the two-string prison (i.e. playing things mostly on the E and A strings)

I find this true too. As a four-stringer, standard tuning, I mostly end up on the D and G strings from the 4th or 5th fret on up. It's not a conscious thing, just seems to sound better for most stuff.
Thinking more analytically about that, aside from the tone, I consider the effect that the physical movement you're making has on the feeling of the part, and what it communicates, as opposed looking for the easiest way to play it. Sometimes having to make a big jump, stretch or slide to a note brings the right emotion for that part of the tune.

 

[Stewie]

I have 2 P Basses and an upright. All three have no frets. Am I exempt from this new law?

 

[InvisibleMan]

I couldn't help but chuckle at this
I tried SBL for one year but I just found all this kind of stuff really patronising. But I'm glad if it helps others, of course!

 

[themickster]

shame on you!

I know. Sorry not sorry

 

[Phormlyss]

One day I broke free of the 5 fret prison by plucking the string while my fingers weren't on a fret, I now walk around knowing the basslines I thought were cool were merely shadows on the cave wall.

 

[Pings Bass]

It's so much easier to play up the neck. A 5- or 6-string gives you the freedom to almost never drop below the 5th fret.

As anybody who learned to play upright with Simandl knows, the instrument is a lot easier to play when you get above I, II and III positions. It's not as pronounced on electric, but the strings are easier to finger in the middle of the finger board.

 

[jtg]

More like five frets of heaven. Open strings are more than ok. If you can go no frets, that's even better.