"There's no money above the 5th fret"

[Rip Van Dan]

Early builders of electric basses used readily available coins as fret markers for the 3rd and 5th frets. They used linoleum dots for the others.
Hence the phrase "there's no money above the 5th fret".
True. It's all true.

Hey Leo!! Are you listening?? So what coins did you use on the Precision Bass? I know the Jazz didn't come with any but that's almost 10-years later...

That would almost explain the saying and would be really cool if that's the case, but what early bass makers did that and when?? I know there were a number of unsuccessful attempts at making and marketing a Bass guitar before Leo but no one had the success that Leo Fender did...to the point most people don't know that someone else invented a bass guitar before him. All that a Google search came up with was your statement here on TB...so, inquiring minds want to know!

 

[2F/2F]

Yep, or telling the keyboard player to sit on his left hand....

Good one. I need to use that...soon. Maybe on a drummer.

 

[stringthrough]

I regularly play within the first 14 frets but I get the statement's point, actually 2.

1. The bass should cover the lower register and notes played too high "empty out the bottom"

2. Notes sound better (imho) when played closer to the nut.

 

[Ostie]

It means bass players get paid for playing in the pocket, not for soloing.

 

[matthewbrown]

It means, "Bassist, stay in your lane."

 

[Lagado]

Imagine if McCartney had thought like that, everything would have sounded like An Octopus's Garden.

 

[Madcity Fats]

You'll never play "Taxman" with that attitude, s'all I'm sayin'.

Patent nonsense.

 

[sindicado]

What about Saturday in the Park? (Chicago) or Heartbraker? (Grand Funk)

 

[Peteyboy]

"Advice" like no $ above the 5th fret is either coming from a competitor or a bandmate who wants you to serve the song so they don't have to.

 

[MG Wolf]

True dat, as well as:

"The fewer notes you play the more money you make."

 

[CapnSev]

There's no money on any fret these days I think.

 

[jdh3000]

If you play a lot, you'll probably play more simple, holding down a groove, type stuff.
Doesn't mean you can't be a phenomenal player who plays all over the neck and makes a living doing it, but on average, most working bass players, no matter what they CAN do, play it in whatever way makes the band sound great, even if it's playing one single root note.

 

[easyj]

It means that there is no need to weedly-weedly, if you want make money. Just stay in your place, on that bass, and you will be valuable to a band.

 

[dkelley]

I take the advice to mean that, when I want to solo, play a fretless. I'm never above the 5th fret on that.

Why not, specifically on fretless (I'm just asking out of curiosity to learn about people)? That's interesting... I'm just wondering if it's a sound reason, a repertoire reason... etc.
we all play fretless for different situations, I suppose

cheers

 

[dkelley]

I've posted this story before, maybe not in this context:

10 years ago, I got on with a band of ex-pros. The drummer, William A. Chatoney, spent part of the '70s playing for Bo Diddley. I had gigged with them for two months, and nobody had said a word to me about my playing. One night, at rehearsal, I couldn't stand it anymore, and asked "Is everybody cool with what I'm doing?" Billy looked over at me from his kit, and said "Just keep doing that boom-boom-boom." I've been following his advice ever since.

Awesome story LoL

cool gig too

Not exactly awe inspiringly complex music, I would imagine, so the "boom boom boom" thing is totally awesome. FWIW I used to LOVE bo diddly and his band, I owned 2 or 3 albums of him when he was young and when he was much older

 

[dkelley]

It means that there is no need to weedly-weedly, if you want make money. Just stay in your place, on that bass, and you will be valuable to a band.

if it sounds like weedly-weedly then you're doing it wrong

 

[Outbush]

I get the "what" and I get the "why" of the of this debate and in support of many other statements made I would like to point out that some songs just sound better when the bass and the treble instruments sound closer together and sound better when they are further apart. Its just like some songs need fast bass notes and some need slow bass notes. I have said it before and I'll say it again here - what surprises me is how may of us interpret "what a song needs" the same way.

 

[Kukulkan61]

I'm confused, I get paid no matter where I play on the fretboard..

 

[Lagado]

It sounds like something Eeyore would say.

 

[Jack Deth]

Tool Schism.