What is the benefit if a 5-string bass? 6-string?

[zon6c-f]

Since mid 1980's and beyond , most radio oriented hits employ a 5-string for the use of the low B string, which gives you the octave below open D, as well as below B and C, C# on A string.

Earlier use may have been the70's radio hit, "Angry Eyes", to play the low D. Also, some guitarists choose to tune flat; if you stay in standard, then a low B is a must.

Most contemporary County, Urban, Jazz, Rock and Metal recordings employ a 5 string.

High C as well as low B on 6 strings offers a benefit of using higher range as well without playing higher on neck; you stay in one position much longer. Some 6 string users employ tapping technique; play a melody on D,G,C strings with right hand and pedal the bass on B,E, A strings. Some 6'ers play chords and chord melodies on higher strings.

Doesn't take long to adjust from 4 to 5, however, I still find my 6 challenging.

Better to own a 5'er and not need the B string than to explain why you don't own one.

Thankfully today, many choices of reasonable/ giggable quality in many $$ ranges for 5 & 6 string basses.

If you stay with a 4 string you have most of the early recordings in history in genres of : Country, Classic Rock, Soul, Funk to choose from and play, as well as some contemporary hits.

Some bands eschew the use of a 5 or 6 string. I have met that prejudice also. As in previous posts, a 5 string [ low B] enables you to play in a higher position with a richer tone in some circumstances, when using B string.

If you buy a 5, don't get rid of your 4 unless you need to sell it; better to own more basses when you can reasonable afford to, in my opinion and experience.

 

[tfer]

Modern country music pretty much demands a low B string.

I went to a 6 string, because I figured that if I was going to have to learn a new string spacing, I was going all the way.

 

[GreggBummer]

Why a 4 string? Leo Fender sees 4 string upright basses, wants to develop a guitar style replacement for it. But what benefit is there to creating a guitar style instrument with only 4 strings? That, to me, is a much more interesting question. It's also interesting that 4's are still as common as they are, they still rule the market. I think some of the main reasons for that are familiarity and bias. It is certainly true that when you get 5's and 6's in your hands, and actually use the strings, that you get more notes under your fingers, per position on the neck. This is a big benefit.

Excellent answer.

 

[bassbenj]

Modern country music pretty much demands a low B string.

I went to a 6 string, because I figured that if I was going to have to learn a new string spacing, I was going all the way.

Going to a 6 string is really the way to learn because it forces you to deal with all the necessary things: Wide necks, string damping, positional shifting, extended range both up and down. Cutting back to a 5er if you don't need the extended upper range is then a piece of cake.

One key overlooked thing about more strings vs drop tuning is that if you just have a Hipshot on your E string patterns can't be shifted once you are no longer tuned in 4ths. The 5, 6 or more string bass allows you to take any scale or pattern and play it in any key by shifting up or down the neck or side to side on strings. It all depends on which note you START the pattern on. This is a huge advantage in my book plus all the notes under your hand is far more convenient than shooting up and down a 4 string neck. I have tuned a 5er with a high C mostly for the purpose of stratospheric blues solos and it worked out great. Though a 6 string works even better but Blues Nazi's hate them.

Point is that more strings create this shifting thing. I explain it here:

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[MobileHolmes]

The biggest value added is going from 4-5. It lets you play e flat, d, etc without retuning (and in maintaining a low root option).

The high C is maybe less useful in some ways, but I like it. I don't find the extra 5 notes on the high end that useful, but having more range without shifting position is. If you're anchored at the 5th fret, you suddenly have a lot more notes at your disposal without moving. You can also do some crazy wide interval jumps

 

[/\/\3phist0]

i used to play a 12, and now am on the hunt for a 15
(12=4 courses of 3 strings, 15=5 courses of 3 strings)
i may have to build it myself ...

i play 4 and 5 ---- 5 =99% of the time.

 

[zon6c-f]

tfer..... When I went in to order a 5 er when I ordered my ZON, however, sales guy was good at his job; said for $100 more and I had would have a 6 er..Seemed like a good idea, so NOW I own basses with 4, 5 and 6 strings..LOVE THEM ALL.

ALL: I don't employ tapping..because I don't understand how to do it. I have played in several genres and mostly Electric blues these days...Eventually, I will take my 6 string fretless ZON to a blues jam, if not only to impress the guitarist/ host, I anticipate antagonizing Blues NAZIS as well. Fun either way....

 

[Raman]

At some point I started listening to European electro dub music a lot and they used deep lows a lot (synth and bass). Wanting to experiment with it, I restrung my bass BEAD and fell in love with the low B. So the next bass I purchased was a 5 string. Nowadays, I use the low B with more parsimony, but I've become accustomed to it. Namely, 5 is the new 4 for me.
Oppositely, not being much of a soloist or jazz player, I never found a use for a 6th string.
Also, I'm not one to like to downtune or, generally speaking, temper with my instrument much when I'm playing. So 5 string is just more convenient.

This said, I'd never argue that someone should or should not play a 5 string. Some of the most amazing bass players around play a standard 4, and I've sure never felt a lack of bottom from them. It's a personal thing.

(Prior to getting into that electro dub genre, my 1st encounter with the possibilities of a a low B was listening to Alain Caron as a teenager.. When he hit those dirty lows in the solo part of Spider, it felt like my gut would just dissolve!)

 

[friaraustin]

Anybody, with a 6 string bass who tunes standard, tried tuning the top string to a B, instead of a C?
Wondering whether this helps voicing some chords.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

IMO the option to play in closed position more is the biggest advantage of a low B.

 

[Big Hoss]

It would all depend on the music you want to play. some music is played in tunings lower than E, a 5 string bass gives you the ability to go lower. I have a 5 string, I have played it maybe 3 times since I got it. Will play it more in the coming months...

Not much of what I play calls for the extended range of the 5 string. A 6 string has one string higher, and 1 string lower allowing you to go further sonically both ways from a standard 4 string.

The disadvantage is the finger board is a bit more difficult to navigate.

 

[kopio]

5 string benefits.

Low B string is a great thumb rest. Allows you to play your low E faster in my opinion.
Low D is a great note to play.
Low B string allows you to play lower notes farther up the neck in chord shapes, which can make some songs easier to play.
Looks cooler, is cooler, and makes your tone go up to 11.

This^^ I think he covered all aspects...

 

[skeeler]

...

Your user ID should be Arkady with that avatar.

 

[twinjet]

Why would a bassist need a 5-string bass? What is the benefit of a lower string? What about a 6-string bass?

I bought a six string because I was influenced by Anthony Jackson and his playing. I also bought a five string fretless because I wanted to be able to cover a large range, but did not need that high C.

 

[Thumper19605]

Love the lower notes on my fives where they fit.

 

[KickingBass]

A lot of good reasons here, I'd just like to add that it can also depend on the style of music. Country, Praise and worship, latin styles, and drop tuned metal are all typically easier to play on 5 strings and allow you to keep your high range. I usually use a 5 string for church but use a 4 string tuned BEAD for my hard rock/metal band and we play in Bb, I just dont need that high string as much in that situation.

 

[leegreenman]

I'm a recent convert. I started playing heavier music, and I realized the lower notes would be useful to me. I've noticed other benefits since then. I like being able to play a fretted low El and I like having a low 5th available for the notes on the E string.
Playing a 5 string also keeps me from overplaying because I'm less familiar with the fretboard.

 

[Garret Graves]

Others are doing a fine job providing good reasons why some folks prefer to play 5- and 6-string bass guitars.



Isn't this similar to Anthony Jackson's position on the matter? He even calls the instrument a "contrabass guitar" intentionally. Guitars have six strings; why shouldn't a guitar that sits in a lower register have six strings?

That said, I play and own 4s and 5s, and although I've played some 6s and 7s, too, I haven't been excited enough by those experiences to make the move to even more strings.

(I have fingered a 5-string upright as well as a 4-string upright with a C-extension. Those are the only two URBs I've ever touched and I'm not qualified to weigh in about the possibilities there...and don't want to derail this thread. Another topic for another time?)

I was paraphrasing what AJ says about it. We have him to thank for the BEADGC 6 string bass, which he developed. All part of the evolution forward!

 

[The BurgerMeister]

Sticky? Yes, this should be sticky'd.

Lots of great info here by all the smart people that have responded before me.

Besides the facts of more notes per fingering hand position and the obvious extended range, some here have talked about styles of music being written with a 5-string in mind. I'll add modern musicals to the list of styles as well. Shrek, Addams Family, Carrie, Next to Normal are all modern musicals with notes written below the low "E." The Last Five Years was written with a 6-string fretless in mind for the bassist. I played it on a fretless 5, which worked out fine, but some wide interval skips and other fingerboard gymnastics would've been much easier on a 6.

 

[Dan Knowlton]

it has more strings