Why aren't 6ers tuned in 3rds?

[FryFunk]

For years I've been tuning my low b to c. It was purely because it gave it a tighter/sharper sound.

As I've gotten into this habit it's occurred to me that I'd prefer a 5 string tuned up a whole step.

As D flat is usually as low as I ever go. I dislike 4's because I feel I keep running out of runway, I don't enjoy hopping up and down the neck if I don't need to.

For a while it got me thinking I need to get a 5er and figure out how to make it work when it's tuned up a whole step.

But it got me thinking, why couldn't I tune in 3rds?

I know people have done it, but I can't understand why it isn't more common.

It seems like it has that perfect mix of extended range and practicality.

You'd have a low Dflat, F followed by an A, back to a Dflat F to high A.

It's give you 5 notes of extended range, and it'd give you a whole lot of tonal qualities from 6 strings being so closely packed together.

 

[bholder]

Seems impractical to me, and you lose range, rather than extending it.

 

[HelpImaRock]

I kind want to experiment with a 5ths tuning, CGDA.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yeah, if you want to get away from tuning in 4th, fifths is the way to do it, really.

 

[Element Zero]

For me, it would depend on what I’m doing I guess. I play a lot of riff based music and altering the tuning just doesn’t work for doubling up on guitar parts most of the time. Thirds just seems strange. Sometimes I’ll do a hybrid dropped tuning ADADG or dropped A but that’s about it. But, if you want to reinvent the wheel (something I’m not willing to do or even attempt after 28 years of playing) by all means go for it dude/and or dudette.

 

[el murdoque]

I somehow entirely fail to see the advantage of that. What do I gain from tuning in thirds?
Is the major third not in a super inconvenient space then?

 

[Geri O]

There’s nothing in the wide world keeping you from trying a 6-string bass tuned in thirds.

Why the concern that it’s not more (if at all) common?

 

[chris_b]

I know a player who takes BEAD up half a step, to CFA#D# on his 4 string Fender Jazz bass.

Use the tuning that gets you the sound you want.

I tune to a standard BEADG and have a pretty light plucking technique. I don't seem to have any of the issues or see any of the drawbacks that others post about.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I know of at least one cat who tuned his upright in fifths for a while. I could, just because I could, having played cello and mandolin, but it really doesn't serve as an advantage for the folky jamgrass (noise) gig I'm currently playing.

@CaseyVancouver, you up yet?

But in thirds? Nah... I'd have to think about that too much. I'll admit your idea is interesting. Try it and report back.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I,for a time,tuned my BTB676 in fifths.
Conclusion:It made some things possible and others impossible.

I imagine the same for thirds tuning.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

You can try anything you would like and custom string sets have never been easier to obtain. The reason that it’s not common is that you’re making fifths and octaves inconvenient to play.

 

[buldog5151bass]

People tune the way they do for reasons:

People have been doing it that way for years.
It works. I think it's the best way for maximum range and accessibility to notes and runs.

Remember, not many people play a six string bass, and most who do started on a 4. They don't want to reinvent the wheel.

Playing a 4 tuned that way would not give you much range.


But if something else works for you, go for it.

 

[prowla]

I tune my 4-string a EADG and my 5-string as the same with a B below.
If I did other tunings I'd have to re-learn songs.
I have used other tunings on guitars (eg. DADGAD for Black Mountain Side and Kashmir).
I've also got drop-D tuners on one or two basses.

 

[Koshchei]

For years I've been tuning my low b to c. It was purely because it gave it a tighter/sharper sound.

As I've gotten into this habit it's occurred to me that I'd prefer a 5 string tuned up a whole step.

As D flat is usually as low as I ever go. I dislike 4's because I feel I keep running out of runway, I don't enjoy hopping up and down the neck if I don't need to.

For a while it got me thinking I need to get a 5er and figure out how to make it work when it's tuned up a whole step.

But it got me thinking, why couldn't I tune in 3rds?

I know people have done it, but I can't understand why it isn't more common.

It seems like it has that perfect mix of extended range and practicality.

You'd have a low Dflat, F followed by an A, back to a Dflat F to high A.

It's give you 5 notes of extended range, and it'd give you a whole lot of tonal qualities from 6 strings being so closely packed together.

1) Less range; you'll be shifting positions a lot more because you have fewer notes (more overlap) under your fingers;
2) Crossing strings in the same position is going to give you either a diminished tonality if you tune in minor thirds or an augmented if you tune in major thirds. This is not super useful and will be jarring as hell if you clam;
3) Your bass is intonated 12TET, which prioritizes the consonance of octaves and fifths (think of it as an inverted fourth). You won't be able to tune by ear, as a 12TET third is off by a LOT relative to the natural harmonic scale, and getting it wrong will make the whole band sound "out":
Minor third: -15.64 cents
Major third: +13.69 cents
4) A fifth is now quite a stretch.

 

[fourstr00]

Came here to say number 3. I often have to bend thirds (major and minor) to be consonant with other strings. Hard to do that tuned in thirds.

 

[FryFunk]

Seems impractical to me, and you lose range, rather than extending it.

Well this is sort of the point a 6er is impractical from the start. Or at least it can be for a lot of people.

If you are already going down that road of curiosity seems like a thing to try.

 

[FryFunk]

1) Less range; you'll be shifting positions a lot more because you have fewer notes (more overlap) under your fingers;
Less range than a 6er still more range than a regular string.

I'm kind of assuming a large number of people are using them out of curiosity.

2) Crossing strings in the same position is going to give you either a diminished tonality if you tune in minor thirds or an augmented if you tune in major thirds. This is not super useful and will be jarring as hell if you clam;

3) Your bass is intonated 12TET, which prioritizes the consonance of octaves and fifths (think of it as an inverted fourth). You won't be able to tune by ear, as a 12TET third is off by a LOT relative to the natural harmonic scale, and getting it wrong will make the whole band sound "out":
Minor third: -15.64 cents
Major third: +13.69 cents
4) A fifth is now quite a stretch.

Not sure what you mean by all of this.

i.e. how does what your talking about matter if you're playing with a piano?

 

[Element Zero]

Well this is sort of the point a 6er is impractical from the start.

How so?

 

[Gruff]

I kind want to experiment with a 5ths tuning, CGDA.

I have thought of this, as it would fit with viola tuning (which I also play). But I think it might mess up my bass playing - I'd have to consciously think about playing all the stuff I can sort of do intuitively from playing EADG for years, patterns for scales, arpeggios etc. would all need re-learning, etc. etc.

 

[gln1955]

This sounds like a solution in search of a problem. What do you find problematic with typical six string tuning besides having a few low notes you don't use?