Agree. I play Uptown with a five and most of the rest with a four or a four with a synth (lower than E notes) like some of the Lady Gaga or more recent songs. Uptown just doesn't sound the same with a four; you gotta cover octaves with pops in that song while still playing the low notes, some near the nut others up near the 12th fret and transitioning really fast up and down the neck.
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What songs do you feel NEED a 5 string bass?
- Thread starter phillipkregg
- Start date
Very few songs need actually 5 strings because you can probably do most of the low notes on a down tuned 4 string bass because very few songs need low as well as high notes. I feel like very few songs use more than 2.5 octaves of range. But then you can’t play standard tuned songs on the same bass. That’s why you need a 5, not because individual songs need low notes.
For me and my needs:
As was mentioned several times, modern country.
And for my other "guilty pleasure" Dave Matthews Band
As was mentioned several times, modern country.
And for my other "guilty pleasure" Dave Matthews Band
any song that goes below a Low E, assuming you tune your bass normally. Eb if you're in an Eb band. D in a D band LoL.
I mean, any song that has to go lower... I don't really get the thread OP. You want us to list every song that goes lower than that? Cuz there are, what, thousands of songs for traditional rock group instrumentation that require a 5 or greater string bass, or a bass detuned far enough.
Or, 5 string as Tony Levin uses it - with a high C string because he dislikes the sound of basses up higher on the neck, so prefers the sound of the C string fretted in lower positions... not to mention taking advantage of it for chords etc that aren't possible without a 5 string High C instrument.
I mean, any song that has to go lower... I don't really get the thread OP. You want us to list every song that goes lower than that? Cuz there are, what, thousands of songs for traditional rock group instrumentation that require a 5 or greater string bass, or a bass detuned far enough.
Or, 5 string as Tony Levin uses it - with a high C string because he dislikes the sound of basses up higher on the neck, so prefers the sound of the C string fretted in lower positions... not to mention taking advantage of it for chords etc that aren't possible without a 5 string High C instrument.
If you play with lots of different singers with different vocal ranges, and play a lot of the same songs, every song is a great song for that extra string. I played with a keyboard player that loved Eb. The five string came in pretty handy.....
Pretty much all progressive rock and metal. Some of the players in those genres even use 6 strings. There are a few players like Jeff Hughell and Jeroen Thesseling that even play 7 strings and make good use of all the strings. I do agree though for your average meat and potatoes type bass playing outside of progressive music that a bead tuned 4 string can be used to play a lot of songs. For example I doubt fieldy from korn uses the g string on more than 2 songs on their entire catalog and they have like ten albums.
I would like to add though that an often overlooked problem with just tuning your 4 string down to play a 5 string songs is that often times you then lose the ability to properly play some 4 string songs. For example Justin Chancellor, Tools bass player often drones on the open d string while playing on the g string. Well if you have a 4 string tuned bead you don’t have a g string and can’t really play those songs with the same feel. So then you have to deal with either having two 4 strings in different tunings or one 5 string. Which if you’re trying to justify a bass purchase to your wife I’ll stand up for you on lol but a 5 string does cover all scenarios.
I somewhat disagree with all the people saying "you can play any song on 4 strings and make it sound just as good!". Yeah, technically you can play any song on a 4-banger and just move up an octave when required, but it's just not the same. That's a bit like saying "I can hammer any nail as long as I have a wrench!". Yeah, you probably could with enough time and effort, but it simply is not the right tool for the job.
All that being said, I'm a 4-banger myself, but when I have to adapt 5-string songs to 4 I know and realize that I'm losing something.
All that being said, I'm a 4-banger myself, but when I have to adapt 5-string songs to 4 I know and realize that I'm losing something.
I doubt many people are still playing it, but here's one of the first tunes I learned when I was transitioning to 6-string that required the low B. To this day, it's a bass line I frequently noodle on.
Here's a couple of my favorites from when I was running a country band that I remember required the low B.
All of of these tunes are in D major, and IMHO all of them would be significantly degraded if they were played on a 4-string in standard tuning. I don't really care to play any of these tunes exactly note for note, but losing access to the low Ds would greatly change the character of all of these tunes IMHO...YMMV.
Here's a couple of my favorites from when I was running a country band that I remember required the low B.
All of of these tunes are in D major, and IMHO all of them would be significantly degraded if they were played on a 4-string in standard tuning. I don't really care to play any of these tunes exactly note for note, but losing access to the low Ds would greatly change the character of all of these tunes IMHO...YMMV.
If you're doing tunes that originally incorporated a 5 string, it comes in handy.
If you're doing tunes where you're required to stray from the original key, it can come in really really handy.
If you're doing tunes where you're required to stray from the original key, it can come in really really handy.
I have a Trace Elliot GP11/AH250 that does the trick, but I’ve used anything from GK 800RB, Hartke 3500, and Ampegs. Really, any amp will work for reggae if you EQ it properly.
And musical theater, fusion and modern country. At least the stuff I have to play.
Best answer in this whole thread.
I play in an originals band with some covers thrown in. I never felt I really "missed" or needed a fifth string but I'd certainly love to have a low B. And a high C, while we're at it. 
As for BEAD, it always seemed too restrictive to me, considering I do play quite a lot "up there" and I'm pretty sure I'd play a lot less in the B to E region so... not a viable option for me.
As for BEAD, it always seemed too restrictive to me, considering I do play quite a lot "up there" and I'm pretty sure I'd play a lot less in the B to E region so... not a viable option for me.
