Coming from the cello, I was already comfortable with 4-stringed instruments. I tune my 4-string in fifths as well, which gives it the range of a 5-string plus 1 semitone. Seeing Colin Marston live and watching his videos really opened my mind to the possibilities of extended range basses though, so I definitely want to get a 6-string in the future (though I'll admit that trying to arrange his parts for 4-string has been an interesting challenge!).
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
Thanks for reminding me about all this. I’m thinning the herd by at least 3 basses tomorrow and getting my “last bass” (again, my Wife says). Was still on the fence, but I think it’ll be a 4.
Moving up and down a string also provides a consistency of timbral colour that crossing strings does not. I often go up the d simply because I like the tonality better for the phrase than on the g string. In the stores on 6 strings I have tried that tonal difference is pronounced again on the high c string.
Fours weigh less and have a more comfortable neck for my hands.
All the great music that I grew up on and those great players all played four string basses. FUNK , JAZZ, SOUL, ROCK, PUNK, FOLK, Old School Hip Hop ,DISCO all have 4letters. Therefore all I need is 4strings.
Yes ,I know DISCO is 5 letters but technically it’s all about FOUR ON THE FLOOR.
And Old school hip hop is spoken word over FUNK , JAZZ, & SOUL.
If I can’t get it done with 4 strings and some pedals then I’ll add some synth bass. Otherwise it’s not my type of music.
I must humbly admit that I could no longer resist and needed a 5 string for praise & worship/ gospel music . The keys that this a lot of this music is written in is played much easier on a 5 string. Those notes on the low B add a special dynamic that can’t be achieved on a 4 ( unless you have a good octave pedal ). It’s just easier with a 5 string but it has to be one that’s light weight with a comfy neck and a great low B. Those features had always eluded me until recently .
My reasons are:
- I prefer the comfort of the narrower fretboard of a four string
- I don't really need the extra tonal range
- Finally I think most 5 string basses look kind of ugly
When that is said I do ponder on acquiring a Bass VI type instrument.
- I prefer the comfort of the narrower fretboard of a four string
- I don't really need the extra tonal range
- Finally I think most 5 string basses look kind of ugly
When that is said I do ponder on acquiring a Bass VI type instrument.
two reasons:
1- the narrower neck is more comfortable and easy to get around on
2- the low B string is sonically not as useful, When I get to low D or below with a Lakland 5 it is just too low for my taste
I use the D (and the Eb) a lot when merited, but I agree, they're not the best-sounding notes I play.
OTOH, I love having that lowest G around the middle of the neck on the B string, and that's where my left hand tends to hang out, key permitting. Using that as my "base" position, my left hand movement is greatly reduced.
Whenever I watch a 5 string bass guitar review -the player rarely touches the B string -when they should spend considerable time on just the B string - lets hear it alone - no rhythm box, backing track etc... and on the rare review where they do - no matter how good my playback system it sounds indistinct and inconsistent with the rest of the bass. I would like a reviewer to focus on the giant question mark (the B) on any 5 string. On an acoustic 4 string (upright or guitar) the first thing I check - the E string - some don't even do a good job with the E.
My limited music store experience is the same- the B just doesn't sound very good.
So I play 4's because with 5's as much as I like the idea I have never heard one I like.
My limited music store experience is the same- the B just doesn't sound very good.
So I play 4's because with 5's as much as I like the idea I have never heard one I like.
What’s your 5-string bass you love so much?I must humbly admit that I could no longer resist and needed a 5 string for praise & worship/ gospel music . The keys that this a lot of this music is written in is played much easier on a 5 string. Those notes on the low B add a special dynamic that can’t be achieved on a 4 ( unless you have a good octave pedal ). It’s just easier with a 5 string but it has to be one that’s light weight with a comfy neck and a great low B. Those features had always eluded me until recently .
Low B's for me always seem floppy unless on a 35in scale which I dont enjoy playing, or a multiscale which I don't own currently.
I have one 5 in my stable and it never gets played out. I guess playing 4's for so long has made me immune to thinking about a 5th string while playing. That being said I do have a 32in scale custom 5 on order strung with a high C. I find C strings to be great for chords and solos.
I have one 5 in my stable and it never gets played out. I guess playing 4's for so long has made me immune to thinking about a 5th string while playing. That being said I do have a 32in scale custom 5 on order strung with a high C. I find C strings to be great for chords and solos.
Zombie thread resurrection! I've been thinking about this lately because I've been GAS-ing for a 5 string Ibanez SR1305. But I'm also thinking about buying the 4 string version (SR 1300) and being done with it.
Here are 10 reasons why I only play 4 string basses:
1. Familiarity - I've been playing a 4 string bass since 2009.
2. Functionality - 4 strings work for the music I play. I also don't go below D1.
3. Muting - Muting a 6 string bass is impossible for me. Muting a 5 string bass can be annoying and sometimes hard. Why make playing the bass harder than it needs to be?
4. Cost Effective - 4 string basses and their strings cost less than those or 5+ string basses
5. Learning Curve on 5+ String Basses - So many people have to commit to playing 5+ strings exclusively to learn the instrument properly. My fear is never wanting to play a 4 string bass again after learning.
6. Alternate Tunings - I tune to DGCF exclusively so I can get some of the low range of a 5 string without adding extra strings. Why I tune to D Standard requires a whole post. I could tune to BEAD, C Standard, or something else if I wanted to.
7. Limited Use for Extra Strings - Besides economy of motion, I don't have any use for the fifth string. And I have no use for a higher string because it sonically gets in the way of the treble instruments (e.g. piccolo basses, guitars, and keyboards).
8. Fretboard Knowldege - Because there's so much shifting around the neck, I really have to know the fretboard well.
9. Availability - There are more options for 4 string basses and 4 string sets. Not all bass manufacturers make 5+ string basses (e.g. Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Danelectro, and Guild).
10. Bad Experiences in the Past - I owned an Ibanez SR 405 and a 7ender MIA Jazz Bass V when I was younger. I never got on with the fifth string both times.
Counter-Argument:
Shifting around on a 4 string bass isn't always fun. The one thing I like about 5 string basses is the economy of motion / lack of shifting around. I can just play in the middle of the neck.
And for the record, "Jaco (RIP) only needed 4" because that's what was available in the 1970s and 1980s. Jaco's sons play 4, 5, and 6 string basses depending on what's needed in the musical context.
Here are 10 reasons why I only play 4 string basses:
1. Familiarity - I've been playing a 4 string bass since 2009.
2. Functionality - 4 strings work for the music I play. I also don't go below D1.
3. Muting - Muting a 6 string bass is impossible for me. Muting a 5 string bass can be annoying and sometimes hard. Why make playing the bass harder than it needs to be?
4. Cost Effective - 4 string basses and their strings cost less than those or 5+ string basses
5. Learning Curve on 5+ String Basses - So many people have to commit to playing 5+ strings exclusively to learn the instrument properly. My fear is never wanting to play a 4 string bass again after learning.
6. Alternate Tunings - I tune to DGCF exclusively so I can get some of the low range of a 5 string without adding extra strings. Why I tune to D Standard requires a whole post. I could tune to BEAD, C Standard, or something else if I wanted to.
7. Limited Use for Extra Strings - Besides economy of motion, I don't have any use for the fifth string. And I have no use for a higher string because it sonically gets in the way of the treble instruments (e.g. piccolo basses, guitars, and keyboards).
8. Fretboard Knowldege - Because there's so much shifting around the neck, I really have to know the fretboard well.
9. Availability - There are more options for 4 string basses and 4 string sets. Not all bass manufacturers make 5+ string basses (e.g. Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Danelectro, and Guild).
10. Bad Experiences in the Past - I owned an Ibanez SR 405 and a 7ender MIA Jazz Bass V when I was younger. I never got on with the fifth string both times.
Counter-Argument:
Shifting around on a 4 string bass isn't always fun. The one thing I like about 5 string basses is the economy of motion / lack of shifting around. I can just play in the middle of the neck.
And for the record, "Jaco (RIP) only needed 4" because that's what was available in the 1970s and 1980s. Jaco's sons play 4, 5, and 6 string basses depending on what's needed in the musical context.
Last edited:
The number of strings on a bass is irrelevant. How the bass makes you feel is the important factor.
My 5's make me smile inside every time I pick them up. I play a Mike Lull PJ5 and a Sadowsky M5V and every note in every position sounds great.
I may not play the lower notes in every song, but the B strings are played in every number at some point.
YMMV
My 5's make me smile inside every time I pick them up. I play a Mike Lull PJ5 and a Sadowsky M5V and every note in every position sounds great.
I may not play the lower notes in every song, but the B strings are played in every number at some point.
YMMV
1. I learned on a four.
2. Small hands, so the low B is a stretch
3. I'm old so highly resistant to change
To compensate, I have a hipshot on all my fours
2. Small hands, so the low B is a stretch
3. I'm old so highly resistant to change
To compensate, I have a hipshot on all my fours
I play part time Cello too and I like the stretch and workout on a four. Having to work and jump about makes me play the board with vigour even tho I have a very light touch over the PU, ....I like to think it helps with tone.
I feel like the muting is a headache and not worth it for a few extra notes that usually strain listening environments for clarity. However, I am really not strongly set in this. If I had a specific band need, Id make a change. I also like a Bass VI a lot. But I think the tight string spacing just makes muting easier.
Since posting this 7 years ago, I’ve continued augmenting my DADG acumen via the HipShot Extender, while gigging a somewhat even balance between my 5’s and 4’s. These days I can pretty much cover all of my gig material with either config.
In one significant respect, the instrument should fit the gig. It makes no sense to perform with instruments, which can not produce the parts required for a given gig. Options are a good thing; but delivery is essential at game time. The audience doesn’t count strings.
A secondary aspect for my current attitude is to bring the minimum needed for performance. Increasingly, that is a 4 with the Extender key. My 5’s are going to some gigs, mainly to keep that powder dry.
I’ve also got a VERY nice 6, which I would love to need for a gig. But, those kinds of gigs seem vanishingly scarce.
YMMV.
I like the way basses sound. Four string basses sound like basses. I have a five string bass, it also sounds like a bass.
