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What songs do you feel NEED a 5 string bass?

#42
Bass Man Dan said:
When you're singer calls for Livin' on a Prayer in the key of B, you're gonna need the low b.
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Or do you? I've played that song a few times but never in the original key and there must be guys out there who are playing this song, and others like it, on 4 strings.

To all the people who quoted my post, my general point (although probably not articulated very well) was to stop looking at instruments and start looking at music. I didn't specify which version, or whether the rearrangement from 5 to 4 would be better or worse, but I'd still argue while not every bass line can be played on every instrument, every song can.
 
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#44
socialleper said:
That is a complete falsehood.
A song written to use all parts of a 6 string bass can't be played properly on a 4 string. It is literally impossible.
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I would question the word "properly".

If I was asked to play a song where the original player had used a 6 string bass, I'd be arranging it to fit my 5 string and the 4 string guys would be doing the same to fit their instruments. We could then have a discussion about which version sounded "better" or "right" but if I play the song well enough then IMO I'm not "wrong".

My post was calling for us to focus on the music, the song, not the tools.
 
#46
phillipkregg said:
3eqd2i.jpg
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stealing!
 
#50
Resonance129 said:
Agreed. You can't play any lower than an E on a standard-tuned 4 string. And even with downtuning, that E string can only go so low without issue. One of the main reasons I'm STILL hunting for a decent 5'r (again) to settle down and get comfortable with.
BUT, simply for the sake of the thread, it IS possible to play those lower notes an octave higher. It certainly doesn't sound nearly as nice or beefy without a B string. You can't get that depth and fullness in sound without the B string. But it's always possible to play octaves in a pinch.
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What you are proposing would ruin the vibe of the song, and be a massive pain to play. If you show up to an audition for a band whose material is all written in C or lower with a 4 string tuned to standard E, you aren't getting the job.
 
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#51
chris_b said:
I would question the word "properly".

If I was asked to play a song where the original player had used a 6 string bass, I'd be arranging it to fit my 5 string and the 4 string guys would be doing the same to fit their instruments. We could then have a discussion about which version sounded "better" or "right" but if I play the song well enough then IMO I'm not "wrong".

My post was calling for us to focus on the music, the song, not the tools.
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If the song calls for a certain tool, then there is your answer.
If a song is written to play a lot of open low Bs, there is a reason for it, and using an octave ruins the composition.
Everyone keeps saying to do what is right by the song. Well, if serving the song requires a low B or high C, then use the right tool for the job. Don't try to change your tires with a hammer.
 
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#53
What songs do you feel NEED a 5 string bass?

Blues, Country, Metal, Gospel, Alternative, Rock, and all of the songs written for notes lower than E, and all of the songs where I like at add notes lower than a low E.

That adds up to I need a 5 most of the time.
 
#55
chris_b said:
Stop fixating on the number of strings. Any song can be played on any bass.
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Any song, yes, you could find some part to play on any bass, though the result may not be something most people would enjoy, and in some cases the result may not be recognisable as the same song..

Any bassline, no, obviously not.

Having said that, there are plenty of songs that originally used the low notes on a five-string that sound fine with those notes up an octave on a four-string.
 
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#57
I used to play Stevie Wonder's superstition with a guy who insisted on Eb.
A 5 could've gotten me where it was on the record, or detuning, but I just altered it to fit what I had and it was fine.

I've never had any complaints because of not going below E.

Sometimes we play copperhead road that drones a low D on the recording. I've detuned for it before when I had time, but most of the time I play the octave...It works... does the song suffer, no more than from being a boring song to play in the first place...

We usually jump from song to song without much notice about what's coming up, so I normally wouldn't have time to detune or switch basses, and I wouldn't switch exclusively to 5 Just because of a few songs.

Any song can be played on 4, I think only someone with a good ear would pick up on it.
 
#60
Need? None, but there are plenty that sound better on a fiver and could be much easier to play. You could argue that using an octave pedal with just the lower octave dialed in could do the job but the tone would likely be too much like a synth (unless that's what you're going for).

And as some have mentioned, it's convenient if a singer wants to change keys and you want to keep the ass end intact.
 

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