Why 5 Strings are essential

[spade2you]

Here's one; RUBBISH!

I've never needed a 5-string and don't see the need in the future. Regardless of whether I eventually need one, the fact that I've never needed one so far is proof that 5-strings are NOT essential. It's a ridiculous assertion to make.

Perhaps the OP uses them for everything and your opinion is rubbish or RADISH!

 

[lambro]

to dress up a a bucket with holes in it...

sorry son, start at the beginning and no cutting corners when you run the laps

while you run start the mantra... Bruce, Entwistle Squire, Jamerson, Jones, Prestia, Pastorius, Clarke,...

 

[JKT]

In my neck of the woods I rarely see anybody who is playing a 5 string actually go down there to any degree. To be honest I play a lot of roots music and perhaps thats why. To my ears a lot of roots oriented music sounds "funny" when played below the range of a 4 string bass.

Another thing I believe is that most lay people and many accomplished musicians wouldn't notice one way or the other by just hearing a song.

That being said, I have heard some great music played on ERB's. But essential? I can't agree with that statement.

JKT

 

[joelb79]

I never need a 5 string for blues. Most rock is based of blues. Most classical Jazz pieces are 4 string. I can get around any situation with a 4 string. The only people I see using 5's are playing Metal and those parts were meant to be played lower than D.

 

[Raul Amador]

Love dropping down to the low B! Better yet when your amp does it justice!

 

[theshadow2001]

5% of the time they are 100% essential

 

[spade2you]

I never need a 5 string for blues. Most rock is based of blues. Most classical Jazz pieces are 4 string. I can get around any situation with a 4 string. The only people I see using 5's are playing Metal and those parts were meant to be played lower than D.

There isn't a rule sayin' you are required to only play low notes. On my 6er, I basically live at the 5th position, making it a really big short scale bass. The closer spacing of frets makes for some easy playing and reduces streches that I used to make.

 

[RONQUITO]

I have a Fiver, i love playing it ocassionaly with this metal gig i have, but i know i am a 4 string player by heart. Those extra low notes are good to have but NOT essential for ME.

Again....IME, IMHO, whatever...

 

[woodenskillet]

I started on fours and played them from 1990 until 1996. I spent the next 10 years playing exclusively fives. A year or two ago I started asking myself why I actually play fives, since I rarely use the B string. So I sold them all (a Fender Jazz Bass Plus V, a Warwick Fortress, and a Carvin AC50) and bought an Ibanez SR500. I enjoyed the change so much I sold the SR 500 and bought a 4 string Pedullla Thunderbass. I currently have that bass an an MTD Kingston and I can honestly say that I don't miss my fives at all. The fours feel faster and lighter, and my slapping has improved quite a bit.

 

[Dr Stankface]

In a nutshell, 5 strings aren't essential but you won't catch me playing anything but a 5.

 

[Joesick]

If you can write something that's truly mindblowing with just 4, surely that's better than having to use 5?
I don't like the word "essential"- It makes you seem limited. Make awesome sound with a 4, then see how much further you can take it with the extended range, but don't ever ever treat something extra as essential.

 

[mccartneyman]

I love having 5 strings and prefer playing a fiver, but say a five string is essential is to dismiss the first 45 or so years of rock music. In my view, a B string is essential only if you're reading charts that call for Eb, D, Db, C and B IN THAT OCTAVE, without possibility of substitution because the composer or band leader will not allow it. Strictly speaking, most of the early rock patterns could have been played on a two-string bass.

 

[perucci]

Personally, I'm going back to a 4 for now (but keeping my 6), but I remember when anything but a 4 was RARE, perhaps 8-10 years ago. I'm wondering when we'll be seeing 7-strings pop-up in stores: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Conklin-GTBD7-7-String-Bass-Guitar?sku=512706

 

[ksandvik]

I like drop-D tuning on my 4-string (D,G,C,F) as I get some extra low-end if I need, and I've noticed that there are a lot of contemporary tracks that use G and D keys (seems guitar players love G chords), so it fits well into contemporary music. So it's a nice compromise.

I also like somewhat looser strings for more odd effects if needed (vibrato and so on), but that's another story.
--Kent

 

[FroggyOne2]

I feel that if you play pretty much modern country, it is pretty essential that you use a 5'ver! But that is my opinion.

 

[lunarpollen]

There's nothing I would use a 5-string for, except maybe for that one low note in the Bee Gee's "Jive Talkin'" that on the recording is taken care of by the keyboard bass, which is usually doubling the bass guitar in the rest of the song. Oh, also, I imagine the lowest notes off the E string sound richer when played instead on the B string higher up on the neck.

 

[Greyvagabond]

I've found 5-strings ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL if playing in a musical; all the key changes just make it much easier. Plus, alot of modern musical music is written for 5-string. Unfortunately, I sold my 5-string...looking to get another!

 

[Bassman7PM]

In a nutshell, 5 strings aren't essential but you won't catch me playing anything but a 5.

+1 I also have a detuner on my B string which I use on a song or two. I started out on a 5 string so it's natural to me.

 

[Captain Scarlet]

Like some others have said here, I don't think 5 strings are essential, but I play them most of the time. I play church music that requires the lower notes, and the extra string makes transposing very easy.

In the end, play whatever you are comfortable playing. I personally don't care how many strings a bassist plays as long as he/she is making good music. Some of my favorite bassists use or only used 4 strings (Jamerson, Jaco, Marcus, Victor, etc.) so 5 strings aren't totally necessary.