What's wrong with the C on your A string? It shouldn't be that hard to play in C on a standard tuned 4 string bass.
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I have a 4 tuned bead for just such occasions also serves as backup.. If the frontman cant schtick it up for the 30 seconds it takes to switch than oh well you don't get the low note.
As far as changing keys during a show I call shenanigans unless singer is sick and off of his vocal. I guarantee it ain't some sudden moment of artistic epiphany.
As far as changing keys during a show I call shenanigans unless singer is sick and off of his vocal. I guarantee it ain't some sudden moment of artistic epiphany.
No. No, it won't.
It's no different than when someone who plays in standard tuning plays a song in C. It's the same C.
If a player who uses a standard tuned four needs to play a song with a root on Eb, what does he or she do? You guessed it! They play the lowest Eb they have (on the D string, or equivalent)!
The audience doesn't ever notice or care. It's still low enough to be felt as bass and it works just fine.
Don't sweat it; just play the C that you have. There's a good chance the BL won't even notice.
If it really turns out to be a problem, tune that string down to D for that one song, and your X-tender will drop you to the low C.
Smooth_bass88
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Ok, so, if you're tuned down a half step and the BL calls out a tune in C standard, for you that's like playing in C#. Am I following correctly? If that's the case, what's the problem with you just playing the tune in (to you) C#?
C'mon man, get with the program! You need to have a doubleneck bass custom made. 
The second half of this is very honest and something younger players can learn from. Some cats are just not meant to be in bands.
I play 4 string basses tuned to EADG I never have a problem with any key ...
Sure, it's a tad ridiculous. But the obvious solution to me is reeeeeeeeally complicated. I'll see if I can explain.
Ya' ready?
Here goes.
Don't play a low C in that one song. Just don't. Play all the other notes. But when you get to low C, play a middle C. Done.
Yeeeeeeer welcome.
^^^Great wisdom here. You're the bass player. Play it your way.
I have Xtenders on all my basses. Hipshot makes a double stop lever that you can swap onto yours. In your current tuning that would give you C# and B. Or just play your normal C.
A good musician can play in any key. Time to woodshed.
Ric5
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How do you play all of the music written specifically for a low Eb, low D, low Db, low C, and low B?
Option 1: Place a Capo at the 7th fret on a Eb-Standard Bass, then use an Octave Pedal.
More than likely the tone will suffer, that's up to you to decide. Personally, I don't trust Capos on basses because they might throw the intonation off, at the shifty Capos I use. And then getting used to playing the song 7 frets above where it is normally played.
Option 2: Play the C an octave higher.
This might be fine for certain songs, but if the song is heavily reliant on notes being an octave below the guitar, which most likely be in C-Standard Tuning, you'll be hitting the same note and lose the low end.
Option 3: Bring a 5-string bass (or a C-standard Bass).
Either which way, you're still bringing another bass. It's not as if it's the most difficult thing to do. You'll be wasting the same amount of time as the guitarist as he/she is also switching instruments. If the 5-string was in Eb-Standard, then you still have an opportunity to continue playing it for other songs until the next set. Unless that particular bass is non-existent in your ownership, or the one you have apparently explodes during other songs that doesn't use a low-B string (or Bb depending on your tuning preferences).
Option 4: Just retune Eb-string to C.
String will be floppy. Play lightly. Then hope there aren't many notes played from C to Ab. But hey, it's one string for one song. Get through it. Re-tune back.
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I asked "What song?" because it might not be a case of "Here's a song just in the Key of C." It could actually be something like "No One Knows" (Queens of the Stone Age). My band plays "Toxicity" (System of a Down) which is actually Drop-C, but the same applies in terms of I really should play a Low-C not "play an octave higher" type situation. We also play "Burden in my Hand" (Soundgarden) which is Open-C, but I relearned it for Standard E-tuning on a 5-string.
The true question: is any song really worth the trouble in terms of changing instrumentation?
If it's a tried-and-true requested song any audience would like, I'd say yes. Easy for me because I do have a 5-string bass that I like playing and not limited in ranges for most songs. If it's some obscure pet-song, I'd have my reservations especially if the other band-members didn't feel too strongly about it.
More than likely the tone will suffer, that's up to you to decide. Personally, I don't trust Capos on basses because they might throw the intonation off, at the shifty Capos I use. And then getting used to playing the song 7 frets above where it is normally played.
Option 2: Play the C an octave higher.
This might be fine for certain songs, but if the song is heavily reliant on notes being an octave below the guitar, which most likely be in C-Standard Tuning, you'll be hitting the same note and lose the low end.
Option 3: Bring a 5-string bass (or a C-standard Bass).
Either which way, you're still bringing another bass. It's not as if it's the most difficult thing to do. You'll be wasting the same amount of time as the guitarist as he/she is also switching instruments. If the 5-string was in Eb-Standard, then you still have an opportunity to continue playing it for other songs until the next set. Unless that particular bass is non-existent in your ownership, or the one you have apparently explodes during other songs that doesn't use a low-B string (or Bb depending on your tuning preferences).
Option 4: Just retune Eb-string to C.
String will be floppy. Play lightly. Then hope there aren't many notes played from C to Ab. But hey, it's one string for one song. Get through it. Re-tune back.
---
I asked "What song?" because it might not be a case of "Here's a song just in the Key of C." It could actually be something like "No One Knows" (Queens of the Stone Age). My band plays "Toxicity" (System of a Down) which is actually Drop-C, but the same applies in terms of I really should play a Low-C not "play an octave higher" type situation. We also play "Burden in my Hand" (Soundgarden) which is Open-C, but I relearned it for Standard E-tuning on a 5-string.
The true question: is any song really worth the trouble in terms of changing instrumentation?
If it's a tried-and-true requested song any audience would like, I'd say yes. Easy for me because I do have a 5-string bass that I like playing and not limited in ranges for most songs. If it's some obscure pet-song, I'd have my reservations especially if the other band-members didn't feel too strongly about it.
Agree. I use a 5-string exclusively for live playing. No matter what song and keys that have been agreed beforehand, the BL can and sometimes change keys to accommodate the singer prior to the performance. Just go with the flow.......
I don't play that music. I dont have to if I dont want to, same as if I don't want to play slap or tapping.
The point is the lower range of an instrument that already spans more than three octaves does not define what keys it can or can't play.
