Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Why do you play fours?
- Thread starter twinjet
- Start date
-
- Tags
- four string
It's more comfortable to me. The width of a 5 string bass it's really uncomfortable to me. Even though I want to learn to play a 5-string bass.
Hard to believe, perhaps, but it’s there. I used to use Cb major regularly for scale exercises on the trumpet — Cb major has the same tones as B major of course, but if reading or just thinking only exact notes (as opposed to fretboard positions and playing patterns such as can be done on bass), the key of Cb is a whole different mental ballgame than the key of B.
In terms of practical use, well, I can’t say I play any songs in Cb (for one, I don’t read much anymore except for simple stuff occasionally), but for horns, the flat keys in general are easier to deal with than sharps (and B is close to as sharp a key as anyone regularly plays).
But there’s a further aspect — for written music, many instruments are what are called "transposing instruments". For example, trumpet and clarinet (in their most common forms) are, as you may have heard, Bb instruments. That means that when they think they’re playing in the key of C, they’re really playing in Bb concert pitch. Some common horns like alto and baritone sax are even further off, being Eb instruments.
So, if an alto sax is playing in what he thinks is Ab (a key no further away from C than E is on the sharp side of things), in actuality the rest of the band might find itself playing in Cb, especially if the key is shifting between flat keys (instead of suddenly wildly shifting to the sharp key of B).
Also, you never know what some perhaps deliberately diabolical composer has come up with, lol.
Still, I don’t think many relish Cb except as a challenge.
Over 20 years of playing electric bass and having owned about 30 electric basses in that time has given me a rather specific knowledge of what just feels right to me. I've owned 4's and 5's and a P-width 4 just feels right. It is not a physical limitation as I have fairly large hands and long fingers. It just seems to "fit".
I do miss the B string though and it's likely that my Carlo will be made BEAD this year.
Aesthetically ,I do lean a bit toward classic style, but that's not the deciding factor. There are plenty of classically styled 5 strings that I find visually stunning and would willingly play if I wanted a 5 string.
I do miss the B string though and it's likely that my Carlo will be made BEAD this year.
Aesthetically ,I do lean a bit toward classic style, but that's not the deciding factor. There are plenty of classically styled 5 strings that I find visually stunning and would willingly play if I wanted a 5 string.
Last edited:
That's interesting - I've probably owned 20 basses over 35 years and I find that I enjoy playing basses that feel different! The only ones that give me trouble are my '95 MIJ Bass VI and my Ibanez SR506 6-string - hmm, both 6-strings (though opposite ends of the spectrum) - almost all the others have been 4-strings, but my Alembic 5-string delivers something that makes it worth working with.
BEAD is one thing I've never tried - that's an interesting compromise.
Yeah, I'm not sure why. While I can play most any bass, what I really like and feel most comforable on has gotten more an more narrowly defined over the years. I really tried to like narrow nuts (owned a few jazz basses) and thicker necks too (had several baseball bats too), and hand some short scalers but the result was always some measure of dissatisfaction. I think it might have something to do with being raised on upright bass as a kid and with a 90's Fender MIM P (rather shallow neck profile) being my only for the first 4-5 years on electric. The profile on the Carlo is actually pretty similar to the MIM P. Even the non 35" basses I have left are p-width at the nut.
As for BEAD, it's actually something I discussed with Carl when I bought the Carlo. He thought it was a good idea and now that I've got a 35" 4 string Jazz I'm about ready to take the plunge.
Yes! I find myself using E-A for impactful notes and playing a little higher --5th to 9th rangemore often than not. Great point.
After 40 some years playing bass I can barely hear my open E and a few of the lower notes due to some hearing loss. I have some arthritis in my hands and also need a relatively light bass. And 4 was good enough for Jaco and Chris Squire, and many other masters. So for comfort and hearing mainly. Have played 5s, and for the above reasons, I am not going on stage with one. Someone posted that the even number of 2, 4, or 6 is more natural and logical. That also makes sense. I play guitar mainly for helping compose my bass lines and if it had 5 strings or 7 it would not feel right. I am sure there are some who think it looks cool to have more strings. That is shallow. The music schools are probably using 5 and 6 string basses in their classes now days since I see so many talented young bass players using them. May make sense for traditional jazz since the standard 4 string electric does not have the same low range as an acoustic upright. Oh, one more thing. I actually like moving around a lot on the neck for slides, dynamics, and just the fun of moving it. Also it actually is better for my arthritis to move my left hand that way rather than staying in one position with more strings. The economy of that does not appeal to me.
Last edited:
I've used HipShot Drop D tuners on my basses since the early 90's. I got them because a keyboard player I was playing with wrote tunes in D. The "parallel octave" also prompts me to come up with different lines. The drop D is as low as I find myself needing. I have one five string, a bassist friend gave me a sunburst Squier Jaguar 5 string It's a surprisingly easy to play 5 string and it's precision pickup sounds good enough for me (thinking about replacing the noisy J style bridge pickup - any recommendations would be welcome). I like playing it because it's my only electric bass with flat wounds (Rotosound Monels) and the B string is a great finger rest 
I play 5's exclusively. What most people don't seem to "get" is that it's not about the lower range, it's about economy of motion. It's more efficient to move across the neck than up and down. Everytime I play behind some diva that insists on singing in Eb I'm glad I have a 5. If I was playing nothing but the typical "classic rock" bar band sets a 4 would probably be just fine.
I've been playing fours for so long that four is in my soul, my blood, my skin... I have four skin.
I got GAS a few years back for a 5'er. Knew immediately it was a closet queen. String spacing for me was the killer. A close second (and very related) was where I rest my thumb. Not enough real estate with a 5. Brain is hardwired for 4 after 35 plus years of playing. My band tunes D standard, so 4 is totally adequate. All the best music was recorded with 4s.
I switched from a 4-string to a 6-string in order to relieve pain from bursitis. I can now cover 2 octaves in one neck position, and play low E in the middle of the neck on the low B string. If not for the pain, I would have stayed with the 4-string forever.
I do slightly prefer 5 string basses for the range and for keeping me from dragging multiple basses to gigs.
I do love playing 4 string for the feel of the thinner neck and having a bass that I am using for all it's worth. When I am playing 4 string songs on the 5, that low B gets feelings of abandonment.
I also have some specialized 4 string basses (like a P and Foundation with flats) that nail what I need them to do. That's always fun.
I do love playing 4 string for the feel of the thinner neck and having a bass that I am using for all it's worth. When I am playing 4 string songs on the 5, that low B gets feelings of abandonment.
I also have some specialized 4 string basses (like a P and Foundation with flats) that nail what I need them to do. That's always fun.
