Because it's the number of strings on a bass with which I'm most comfortable. I've played fivers, and can make it work, but find I almost never use the low B.
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Why do you play fours?
- Thread starter twinjet
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I read an interview back in the 1990's or maybe late 1980's in which Stanley Clarke was asked if he had any plans to play a five or six string bass. I believe his answer was "There are enough notes on four strings".
And like everyone else, he is entitled to his opinion
And he's allowed to change his opinion too!
I have a 5-string Alembic Stanley Clarke bass. When Stan the Man himself was playing at Yoshi's I tried to take my bass to get it signed (I found out later that he apparently does NOT like to sign people's instruments). Fortunately I bumped into a friend who knows his daughter who was at the show - he said "my buddy needs to get his 5-string Stanley bass signed!" to which she responded "My dad only plays 4-strings" but we both fired back, "He played a new 5-string in Paris the other day, it's on YouTube!" She was like, "You guys are total geeks, let's go!" I got the back of the headstock signed, and got to pay for part of his dinner (Yoshi's was being cheap).
Here's the video we were referencing:
Admittedly, he doesn't play the 5-string much - I asked him about it when I got the signature and he said that he needed to woodshed and just didn't have the time. Also, I read in an interview that his was originally tuned EADGC, but at some point he switched it to BEADG because he needed one of the low notes for a recording. So he came up with some music where there weren't enough notes on a 4-string! Actually, Stanley Clarke isn't a good example for restricting the range of the traditional 4-string bass, because he is an early pioneer of the piccolo bass and tenor bass.
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All my bass heroes, I mean ALL of them play, or played 4s. And most of the stuff I listen to is played on a 4.
I don't play a 4, but I understand it's easier to slap due to the wider string spacing
Because as another said earlier, that's what I learned on & good luck finding a decent lefty 5 around here. I've seen one in 13 years (an LTD) and the string spacing was stupid tight on it. Would've had to use a pick. Plus other than in metal circles there's a lot of bias in these parts against non 4 string/non-fender basses. Or even 4 strings tuned BEAD for that matter.
I like BEAD tuning for playing stuff in E in fifth position and for metal and also so I could try playing fourths & fifths under the root in E-Ab when playing other stuff.
I would eventually like to get a 5 once I start regularly playing music that actually needs it but for now I would like to get a dedicated 4 string in BEAD tuning so I can just put some big strings on and just leave it instead of detuning & retuning like I do now.
I should've picked up the Paul Gray Ibanez ATK when he was still alive. It was available lefty and came out of the factory in BEAD tuning with appropriately big strings. Plus I always kinda liked the ATK & it was the only signature bass I've ever seen offered in lefty. Hopefully I'll run across one somewhere along the way. Coulda woulda shoulda lol.
I like BEAD tuning for playing stuff in E in fifth position and for metal and also so I could try playing fourths & fifths under the root in E-Ab when playing other stuff.
I would eventually like to get a 5 once I start regularly playing music that actually needs it but for now I would like to get a dedicated 4 string in BEAD tuning so I can just put some big strings on and just leave it instead of detuning & retuning like I do now.
I should've picked up the Paul Gray Ibanez ATK when he was still alive. It was available lefty and came out of the factory in BEAD tuning with appropriately big strings. Plus I always kinda liked the ATK & it was the only signature bass I've ever seen offered in lefty. Hopefully I'll run across one somewhere along the way. Coulda woulda shoulda lol.
I know there are ways to address this, but I've always found that the strings on a 5-er just don't have consistent tension and feel.
It's seems that you can get them to behave if you go for one of those heavy gauge, higher tension string sets. But I've never like that style of string. It sounds great on certain styles of music. But for my bass playing, I like a lighter gauge with more slack.
There is also that a 5 string Jazz bass no longer has that narrow broomstick neck feeling. It's a conventionally spaced instrument that I have to kind of hike up into my armpit so that I can get the proper finger angle to play positions. And I end up looking like some Victor Wooten wannabe.
It's seems that you can get them to behave if you go for one of those heavy gauge, higher tension string sets. But I've never like that style of string. It sounds great on certain styles of music. But for my bass playing, I like a lighter gauge with more slack.
There is also that a 5 string Jazz bass no longer has that narrow broomstick neck feeling. It's a conventionally spaced instrument that I have to kind of hike up into my armpit so that I can get the proper finger angle to play positions. And I end up looking like some Victor Wooten wannabe.
I changed my mind. My main 4 string developed repair issues and.....well I guess me and my Warwick Thumb Bass Bolt-On are a thing again. Not that really use the low B much except for Old Love, Black Velvet and avoiding detuning for SRV and Hendrix.
BTW, most B strings basses including Fender sound flabby to me. I will go as far to say that identical models of the same bass can sound different on the B. MY Yamaha TRB 5 string had its response die and I never figured that one out, but unloaded it quickly.
BTW, most B strings basses including Fender sound flabby to me. I will go as far to say that identical models of the same bass can sound different on the B. MY Yamaha TRB 5 string had its response die and I never figured that one out, but unloaded it quickly.
I played 5's for a while and wanted to move to a 6. I thought about how most every incredible bass line that I want to play was composed on a four. I got my old 4 out (Tune Bass Maniac) and killed it for a weekend. The next band practice I tried it out and found out that I rarely needed a low C. I use a D Tuner for low D. I moved my speed up and reduced right hand fatigue. My fives are on standby, but I plan to thin those out now.
That unnecessary low fifth string will only rattle your fillings loose anyway. Blimmin’ things.
Just like them. I have a 5-string but it just doesn't feel or look right to me. Now a one-string washtub bass...LOL
I can get plenty of boom from the A string. Do I really need a low C note any lower than the one on the A string? No.
I don't play in any country or gospel groups so maybe that's the reason. Also I have plenty of albums from way before the birth of the five string where the bass sounds plenty full to my ears. I think most players who use them like the idea of moving over in the same position to say, a low G on the B string's eighth fret, for example.
I don't play in any country or gospel groups so maybe that's the reason. Also I have plenty of albums from way before the birth of the five string where the bass sounds plenty full to my ears. I think most players who use them like the idea of moving over in the same position to say, a low G on the B string's eighth fret, for example.
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While I do occasionally use the bottom five notes on my 5-string, I've grown attached to playing in the middle of the neck, just as you say.
Then again, I've recently taken to playing more open strings rather than 5th frets, so I've been playing farther out on the neck more. I guess I really enjoy the flexibility of being able to play in either position.
I played 4 string basses for decades then one day the whole 5 string thing clicked, so for the past 20 years or so I've been a 5er guy, but I have far more 4 string basses than 5's so I force myself to play the 4's when I can cause I hate to see them go unplayed especially the ones that have great sentimental value to me.
TD
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