What songs do you feel NEED a 5 string bass?

[JTE]

If you are concened with the actual SONG, none of them requirea specific instrument. If your focus is recreating specific recordings, performances, or arrangements, then it's down to the recording and key. Nathan East once mentioned in his column in Guitar Player mag (yeah, Guitar, years before there were any bass magazines) that Clapton's "Forever Man" required a 5string, but the lowest note is D so it works perfectly well just dropping the E.

I mostly use my 5 for theatre gigs where I'm reading and need to play specific parts quickly.

 

[rafitoprtx]

Any. Journey song. Tge bassist use BEAD tuning. You can play their songs in standart but it doesn't sound the same.

 

[FunkHead]

Copperhead Road is one of those songs that takes groove to do it justice.
Listening to it with a good stereo system is a pleasure.
I see people try to wing it an not give the bass line proper respect. Like with so many songs, the whole song suffers.
I like playing it and I use a 5 string.
Labella LTF B string for maximum Thump..,,

 

[BurningSkies]

I was out on medical leave for a series of gigs last winter and we hired in a bass player to cover for me. He didn't have a 5, only a 4. Rather than him try and rearrange 90+ minutes of material for a 4 string and have it sound different anyway, I gave him one of my fives for the gig. Everyone agreed that it was the best move. All of our material from the inception of this band has been written on a 5 and even if it doesn't go below low E, the tone and timbre of moving stuff around changes the songs, also it's a serious pain to play stuff in open position in those cases.

 

[Pizza1988]

Why are yall talking about 4 strings when the OP specifically stated songs with 5 strings....

If people didn't turn a simple thread into a useless argument, is it even Talkbass?

 

[joel406]

Personally I think the entire spectrum is shifting to 5 string and beyond. I had a fiver back in the 80’s. A modulus. Wish I still had it. But at the time I had virtually no use for it an quickly moved it on. But I’m this century music is evolving yet again and the lower range is being stretched. It’s just a little over a month now that I’ve switched to a five. Gotta say I’m liking it. I probably will never switch back.

 

[74hc]

In my world, Amazing Grace (These Chains are Gone) in Eb... most definitely.

 

[MoeTown1986]

Uptown Funk just doesn't sound right without a 5 string.

 

[cchorney]

I was a happy 4 string guy for years, if I needed an Eb I had several to choose from. Then my band chose a country song and there were several passages that went "low C to low D". I got the sound by buying a EHX Bass Micro Synth. Yeah, I dropped $200 plus for a couple short passages on one song... which the band dropped within a year. I sold the pedal when we dropped the song and for other reasons started playing around with a 5 string. And what do you know, that "low C to low D" was right there, no pedal necessary, on that big fat top string. Now I'm a full time 5er, and I'm pretty happy about it. It's just easier playing passages that on a 4er would require me to be down in the 1-2-3-4 fret zone on the E string, but on a 5er I can play in the 6-7-8-9 position on the B string where the frets are closer together and my wrist falls in a more natural position.

 

[Marcus Willett]

It's easy for discussions like these to go awry, in large part because of key words like "need" and "proper".

You can play any song on a 4 string bass.

Yes, you can. You can also play any song without a bass at all, or just guitar/vocal. Sure it'll be "different" but it's the same song. Any idea can be taken to the extreme. So, IMO whether or not a song needs a 5 string bass, or whether you can play song X on a 4 strings are meaningless questions with equally meaningless answers.

The question is: how important is the arrangement of the song to the identity of the song?

There are many, many songs that could be reduced to piano/vocal or guitar/vocal and enough of the crucial elements are there that you could use any bass or none at all and the song would be "fine"...different, but still the song identity is there.

There are also many songs where the arrangement is critical. Often times, specific rhythm parts in specific registers are called for. Just as a random example, "Get Lucky" makes extensive use of low Bs and Ds. The rhythm arrangement of that song is critical to its identity. You could "get away" with playing it up an octave but a significant part of what makes the groove work would be compromised.

Why not play it up 2 octaves then, if the octave the bass line is in doesn't matter?

The answer to that question is: because it does matter.

Arrangements matter, register matters. Air on the G string is specifically written to have the first violin line played on the G string. It doesn't "need" to be played that way, it "can" be played otherwise so asking if that's possible is meaningless.

Should you though? There it is...how important is the arrangement to the song's identity? How much do you care about that?

*Also please don't bring up "the audience can't tell the difference" nonsense. WHY does that matter? If your standard as an artist or musician is whether or not the audience "can tell"...don't even talk to me about anything musically related. If you don't hold yourself to a higher standard than that, then I'm genuinely not interested in anything you have to say, and I don't care how you feel about that opinion either.

 

[ElectricBass72]

In my experience, the Low B string on 5's and 6's comes in handy when playing Bluegrass, Praise and certain sub-genres of Rock music. I like 4's... but you would have to pry my 5's from my cold dead hands.

 

[Steve Dallman]

I've played a 5 for 30 years. The low B string is as necessary for me as the other 4. The question is as irrelevant as "What songs do you feel you NEED an E string for?" I have no need for a 4.

 

[Bigbri]

Are there songs that you feel would suffer if the bassist used a 4 string instead of a 5?

Just curious what the community thinks.

Natalie Merchant "Kind and Generous" you need to roll off the low d and c# up to the g and f# on the 4th string. Drop d won't give you a low c#. One of my favorite songs and it cannot be played right on a 4 of any tuning.

 

[cchorney]

The question is: how important is the arrangement of the song to the identity of the song.

There are many, many songs that could be reduced to piano/vocal or guitar/vocal and enough of the crucial elements are there that you could use any bass or none at all and the song would be "fine"...different, but still the song identity is there.

There are also many songs where the arrangement is critical.

I recently saw Santana perform live. The two singers did a great job with pretty much everything except two songs - the Rob Thomas / Santana collaboration "Smooth" and the Everlast / Santana collaboration "Put Your Lights On". The singer on stage sang the songs in tune and with feeling and intent, but an octave or two high than the original vocalists sang them in. It made them different songs to me. Very distracting. Voice is an instrument, just like bass. Some songs we can play up an octave and it doesn't matter. Some songs it matters a lot.

 

[musicman556]

If you’ve ever played Gospel music thru a big PA in a huge acoustically treated auditorium, then you wouldn’t be asking this question.

One of my favourite musical memories was hitting Low C on the final note of the night in an 8,000 seat Entertainment Centre.

OH. MAN.

Yea. Nothing more satisfying than a big finale where you nail that last note and shake the place up with a low B, C, D flat or D!

I had an Epi T Bird Pro V with the saddest of all B strings. Just floppy, gutless, no definition. No matter the gauge, setup, attack, point of attack (near bridge, near neck, etc) it just came out as an undefined gloopy mudrush of air. I NEVER used it properly. It was simply a string I used for gliss/slides, etc. I was essentially playing an overweight 4 string.

It wasn't until I got the Skyline 55-02 in my avatar that I finally understood the joy of belting out beefy sub-E notes. Yea, I maybe got a little TOO excited the first few times playing out... like a kid with a new toy, I was spending a little TOO much time with my new precciouuussssssss! lol I've calmed down now, but it's added so much... especially on the gospel/praise & worship stuff with a nice slow build in the intro... a nice, fat, plucked-near-the-neck low B or C is just deLICIOUS!

I have a string P at home, 'cuz Jamerson, but I hardly EVERY play it. My main 3 are all 5ers. I'm not good with chords, etc... I feel like I would be lost with a 6. Now that I finally have a nice B string, I would be lost without that, too! =D

 

[maeda]

IN THEORY you can do everything on a 4. Not exactly convenient to always have to downtune your bass tho, unless you wanna run you 4 string BEAD all the time, which a friend of mine does to great effect, I would miss the G for a lot of the stuff I play currently however. Think it's best to just have one in the arsenal if you find a gig calls for it. As for 6 strings, I have never needed one for a gig so never bought one... I am open minded tho!

 

[nickpc]

P & W songs written in F, Bb or Eb.

So basically all of them? It seems that way some weeks!

 

[Moving Pictures]

It's easy for discussions like these to go awry, in large part because of key words like "need" and "proper".

You can play any song on a 4 string bass.

Yes, you can. You can also play any song without a bass at all, or just guitar/vocal. Sure it'll be "different" but it's the same song. Any idea can be taken to the extreme. So, IMO whether or not a song needs a 5 string bass, or whether you can play song X on a 4 strings are meaningless questions with equally meaningless answers.

The question is: how important is the arrangement of the song to the identity of the song?

There are many, many songs that could be reduced to piano/vocal or guitar/vocal and enough of the crucial elements are there that you could use any bass or none at all and the song would be "fine"...different, but still the song identity is there.

There are also many songs where the arrangement is critical. Often times, specific rhythm parts in specific registers are called for. Just as a random example, "Get Lucky" makes extensive use of low Bs and Ds. The rhythm arrangement of that song is critical to its identity. You could "get away" with playing it up an octave but a significant part of what makes the groove work would be compromised. Why not play it up 2 octaves then, if the octave the bass line is in doesn't matter?

The answer is it does matter. Arrangements matter, register matters. Air on the G string is specifically written to have the first violin line played on the G string. It doesn't "need" to be played that way, it "can" be played otherwise so asking if that's possible is meaningless.

Should you though? There it is...how important is the arrangement to the song's identity? How much do you care about that?

*Also please don't bring up "the audience can't tell the difference" nonsense. WHY does that matter? If your standard as an artist or musician is whether or not the audience "can tell"...don't even talk to me about anything musically related. If you don't hold yourself to a higher standard than that, then I'm genuinely not interested in anything you have to say, and I don't care how you feel about that opinion either.

I love this response. Very well articulated and I do agree with the sentiment of not underestimating the audience combined with your musical integrity. There have been a number of times where members of the audience, non-musicians, have expressed their appreciation of my playing the correct bass part. Doesn’t happen often but it does help reinforce my choices in picking the right bass. How much they dance or otherwise show appreciation for the band says a lot.

 

[joel406]

OH. MAN.

Yea. Nothing more satisfying than a big finale where you nail that last note and shake the place up with a low B, C, D flat or D!

I had an Epi T Bird Pro V with the saddest of all B strings. Just floppy, gutless, no definition. No matter the gauge, setup, attack, point of attack (near bridge, near neck, etc) it just came out as an undefined gloopy mudrush of air. I NEVER used it properly. It was simply a string I used for gliss/slides, etc. I was essentially playing an overweight 4 string.

It wasn't until I got the Skyline 55-02 in my avatar that I finally understood the joy of belting out beefy sub-E notes. Yea, I maybe got a little TOO excited the first few times playing out... like a kid with a new toy, I was spending a little TOO much time with my new precciouuussssssss! lol I've calmed down now, but it's added so much... especially on the gospel/praise & worship stuff with a nice slow build in the intro... a nice, fat, plucked-near-the-neck low B or C is just deLICIOUS!

I have a string P at home, 'cuz Jamerson, but I hardly EVERY play it. My main 3 are all 5ers. I'm not good with chords, etc... I feel like I would be lost with a 6. Now that I finally have a nice B string, I would be lost without that, too! =D

Exactly the problem I had. I looked forever(5 years... felt like forever). Trying to find a fiver with a tight plunky B string. Even Sadowsky’s were terrible. Imagine my surprise it was a Fender all along.

 

[chadds]

Is this question to justify a purchase of a 5? This is TB. Just go buy it. Get one with a good B.

Is this question just being ridiculous?
Why? I play in groups where I’m the only low instrument. I’ve done the same gigs with a 4 and it was adequate. The 5 whoa. Acoustically filling that space with rich low harmonics. That‘s the thing. 4s in some music are slotted above the drums. Often there is phat Keyb action going on. Also remember when synths began to be featured they caused arrangements that require the extended range bass.
Historically music has “needed” a 5 for centuries. 5 strings 16th century.
Ever play a good 4 upright? It makes huge deep harmonics that exist on a good 5 but not on a 4.

Last question. Are they about to be banned? I’m tired of people deciding I don’t need extra strings or a car that’s top speed is over 55mph or 1000w or what ever else they won’t let themselves have. Like fun.

You don’t “need” electric instruments because they pollute the planet. Don’t you care? How heartless and selfish that you would rip that wood and metal from the earth and then power it with polluting resources! Be hip and conscious and play an ABG or upright.