Using a B string “correctly”

[jazzyvee]

Being able to play in more places on the fretboard is one of my favorite parts of using a 5 string. I think maybe this is why people search for a 5 string that has a very even sounding low B string that blends well with the other strings.

I play a lot of reggae and a five stringer is my main bass and great for getting more weight on the bottom. However my use mainly is using these extra notes for their tonal properties rather than just convenience for fingering. If im playing lightly or quietly under the singer i would choose to play the notes between e and a on the B string to keep the weight and warmth. But i do use the lower end of the B for emphasis and just because i like the effect it has on the music. Fortunately tne band do too.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

The proper way to use a B string is as a thumb rest

Jaco only needed four

I've played in a lot of bands in my career. I've never played a fiver. And I was always working. Most songs that are popular were written with four string basses. The five string is a fairly recent addition in electric bass, i.e. last 30 years. I use mostly the E and A strings, often the D string.

Have you ever thought of borrowing a friend's 4 string and giving it a try? You might find a whole new world out there....

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

The low B should be used for pick slides and nothing else

 

[el murdoque]

The last time I checked The Big Book Of Rules, there was no mention on how one has to use the B string.

1. Tonal differences: Play the open D string. Then the A string 5th fret. Then E string 10th fret. Then B string 15th fret.
Note the differences in attack, sustain and overtones.
2. Convenience: When the guitar player decides to do something in Eb you don't need to detune or swap
3. More notes under your fingers in any given hand position
4. Those 5 extra deep notes.

When you use those deep notes, they need room in more than one way.
Quick staccato figures are not well suited down there because the note needs a bit of time to ring - better play longish notes that can unfold.
Any other instrument playing in or close to that tonal register (the big horns, organ, a very low vocalist) at the time you go down there and you'll get mud.

Finally: Mind the bassdrum.
Standard rock bands (bass, guitar(s), drums, vocals) will have (with a good FOH) a highpass on everything except the bassdrum. This clears up the low end and results in a better groove. At least that's how things run in my area.
I was massively against this practice since I spent a small fortune on that fullstack to make sure my low B rings loud and clear, but I was convinced otherwise on countless occasions when I helped FOH'ing and the guy on stage used a big rig and a B string.

 

[swarfrat]

I play baritone acoustic as well. To be honest, it just fascilitates particular fingerings in specific keys. Unlike Steve Perry, I actually went through Puberty. Having notes lower than E is handy when singing in normal keys.

 

[lfmn16]

You are using it the proper way when it sounds good.

If it was muddy in the mix, that's most likely on the soundman.

 

[foolforthecity]

If the mix was bad it's because the mix was bad. That's more of an engineer issue and a tone/eq issue, as well as an arrangement issue to some extent (especially with a lot of low left hand stuff in the keys).

There's no right or wrong way to use the B string. I use it both for low notes and to be able to play higher up the neck without shifting around as much.

As far as getting tones evened out, I finally just got a set of balanced strings for my 6 string. Since it's tuned all in 4ths, the string gauges are pretty close to proportional (as are the frequencies of each open string. They're still close to new, but at least so far I'm really liking them more than a standard set. Typical bass string sets seem to go really heavy especially on the A and D strings for no apparent reason. The result of this seems to be a lot more low mids in the sound, which can definitely contribute to muddiness. Then the E and B strings are often a bit too light, which can result in flabbiness. Having that smooth gradation of gauges/tensions seems to smooth all that out a bit. And they feel pretty good too. The gauges I went with for B to G are 130, 100, 75, 55, 40, you'll probably have to order online if you want to do that, because GC and most other stores suck for bass strings, but especially extended range basses. I went to basstringsonline.com for mine and they were run of the mill DAddario nickels.

Also regarding strings, if you play with dead ass strings and/or with your treble rolled way off or bass really boosted, it can definitely create a lot of mud in the mix. MOST bass players (I say this as a bass player and live sound engineer) don't realize that they need a lot more highs in their onstage sound than they probably realize. Because in the audience, as soon as you get a little ways off axis from the cab (or the PA), you lose a lot of what highs are there, and all that's left is a few hundred Hz and below basically. So you don't want too much in the lows or too little in the highs. And if you're going for more of a flatwound thuddy sound, you probably need to cut around 80-100 Hz or so and boost maybe around 800-1500 to add some definition. It may not sound amazing soloed or in the stage mix, but in the room it will be a lot better and more defined. Honestly it should probably seem like it's too bright to you on stage.

Regarding your last paragraph about dead strings and/or rolled-off treble... Couldn't agree more.

 

[cnltb]

For me it is mostly about not having to shift positions quite so much when reading and to be able to play the low notes when a score asks for it.

 

[PaulPriest76]

I don't play in church, but I play modern Country(sonically, they're not so different), and the 5th string is very much a part of my style. The producer I work with says "lower is better",and for what we do, I tend to believe him. I got roughs back on our new album just yesterday, and I noticed just how much B string I really use. I can't live without it, I guess.
Have fun, play YOU. If you love that low B string, let 'er rip!

 

[MultiScaleMale]

The most important note on a B string is the Eb - especially when you're playing with horns or keys. They gravitate towards the flat key signatures. The proper use of a five string is something like this:

1) Buy a five string

1A) Realize that muting is a lot different than on a four string.

2) Take it to practice and see how many songs you can play on only the B and E strings. Go ahead, get it out of your system.

3) Wonder if you should just play four strings. Jaco, you know.

4) Realize that you're using the B string as a thumb rest.

5) Learn the notes on the B string above the fifth fret.

6) Start to adapt to the new possibilities- you don't have to jump down to the first fret to play an F.

7) Use your ears. Know where you sit in the mix, how the room / PA is reacting to the low notes. Use the low notes tastefully when you're in the right setting. Drop it to A and drone on low notes when you're in another setting.

8) Realize you need a bigger amp for the low notes.

 

[Tom Howland]

Your over thinking this. Just play the B-string like any other string.

 

[Afc70]

Ive been a church bassist for many years, and use 5's exclusively.. In my opinion, you can overuse the B string notes & it kinda wears on the audience, i tend to use it sparingly- some songs, i might not even play the B string. But when i do, i try to use it during a "bridge" or chorus, or a big ending perhaps- it seems to be really effective & have more impact that way. I go ampless, straight from my Phil jones bass buddy to the house pa (we have several 18" subs under the stage, & mains flown above, & around 25,000 watts of power on tap) Usually i'll rotate between my Ken Lawrence, Ken Smith, or my Modulus Q-5, & my basses are crystal clear & no mud at all, B strings are all superb, so the mud you are hearing could be a variety of things from your bass, eq, or Pa, or a combination of them.

 

[Afc70]

The proper way to use a B string is as a thumb rest

Jaco only needed four

Yea, but think how good he might have gotten if he'd played a 5

 

[bassdude51]

In church......................"Thou shalt play only 4s" (and preferably Js)

 

[Eric_71]

In church......................"Thou shalt play only 4s" (and preferably Js)

View attachment 2918548

Srsly. We have 6 bassists at my church, and I think 4 of them play 4-string jazz basses. Two of them are identical to the one in that picture.

 

[micahwc]

In church I don't go lower than the low D as I've found the speakers can't do it justice past that

 

[KickingBass]

Whoah I left for day and now I have a lot to read. So far I'm really appreciating the advice and there is a good variety of it. I am doing a lot of the things advised already but based on what I'm hearing here I think my primary problem is EQ. Today I'm going to start using my actual rig at church (not the church's Woefully underpowered rig) so I think I can really start doing some solid EQ work on it. I'll keep in mind to lower the bass, set a decent high filter through the PA and pretty much continue to use the B as I do just keeping in mind that it's about what sounds good and not about ALWAYS getting the lowest sound possible. Thank you all!

 

[KickingBass]

If you have to ask how to use the B string.....
And you don't know how it will fit the music you play.....
And ask"...is it really essential to the overall sound of the band to play so low or am I just adding to the muddiness"
Then you really don't need a bass with a low B.

Those who want one will use it.And don't need someone to tell them what to do with it.

I've been using a 5 string bass more than any other bass since I started playing. I just want others perspectives and looking to improve myself continually. I am a decent and competent player, and I just wanted to see a competing opinion compared to the way I was taught by my worship leader (a tremendous bass player and all around musician). The problem is that he like to play extremely bass heavy and low, that was just his style and his opinion of what sounded good. It sounded great alone but in the mix there could be problems with the keyboard playing low as well. Now that I am in a different church and I manage the sound I can start fixing some of those things I felt were problematic. It seems to be getting better but I just wanted others advice and opinions.

 

[honeyiscool]

I play a 5 and I use the B string a lot. It's probably among my three most used strings. That doesn't mean I'm playing below the 5th fret a lot. I like to play a low note a couple times a song, but you set up the listener by playing higher up most of the time. Then when you hit that low note, it has impact and people might have forgotten you have that range.

 

[honeyiscool]

The most important note on a B string is the Eb - especially when you're playing with horns or keys. They gravitate towards the flat key signatures. The proper use of a five string is something like this:

1) Buy a five string

1A) Realize that muting is a lot different than on a four string.

2) Take it to practice and see how many songs you can play on only the B and E strings. Go ahead, get it out of your system.

3) Wonder if you should just play four strings. Jaco, you know.

4) Realize that you're using the B string as a thumb rest.

5) Learn the notes on the B string above the fifth fret.

6) Start to adapt to the new possibilities- you don't have to jump down to the first fret to play an F.

7) Use your ears. Know where you sit in the mix, how the room / PA is reacting to the low notes. Use the low notes tastefully when you're in the right setting. Drop it to A and drone on low notes when you're in another setting.

8) Realize you need a bigger amp for the low notes.

I like this. The low E flat and, I would add, D are pretty common notes that happen in music. I've heard some songs played by some of my friends' bands full of people who are militantly anti-5, I can think of one in particular, where I'm like a little tasting of a low D would really boost the sound during a guitar solo in a power trio. Not to mention, lot of 4 string basses don't have that huge bass power on the E string compared to the same riff played higher up on the B string in a 5. That's one of my favorite ways to use a 5. Switch between starting a riff on the E string, then when I need more volume, switch it to the B.

E flat is also useful. There's a song in A flat where I actually hit the E flat a few times every chorus. Never as a held note, but as a melodic transition to another note. When you're trying to do something like a walking bass line and you want to hit some low notes, it's good to not run out of notes in that octave.