Why play a four string?

[ChuckMann]

4 ... 5 ... 6 ...
I play whatever one fits the song and which one is calling to me at the time.

 

[Elusive1]

Got two 4-strings and a 5-string, all with distinct tones of their own. I'm one of those people who believes in using the right tools for the right job, so I bring out each of my basses depending on the specific sound I have in mind for each gig I play.

As a left-handed player though, 99% of the time I find myself limited to what I bring out of the house with me, so whenever there are no specific requirements for the equipment I'm preparing for a gig, I tend to bring my 5-string just to be prepared with the extra string. Sometimes it's better to have something and not need it than need something and not have it. It's not as convenient as right-handed players borrowing one another's basses, I know, but I get by.

I still play with detuned 4-strings every now and then though, and there's a fun factor in that; it almost feels like it gives you a fresh perspective of your playing, even if it's on a bass you've used for years in standard tuning.

I have been a 5,6,and 7 string player since the 80's, but my rule of thumb has always been if you can't pull off the music on a 4 string, it is your fault as a player.

Agreed on this. I'm of the opinion that every new player should spend at least one full year on a 4-string and learn to work it properly before moving to ERBs. I've seen a few youngsters fool around on 5 or more strings when they first start out, only to screw up and get lost once they get on a 4-string.

Why do i play a 4 string bass?

• I am lefthanded
  and i don't want a boring bass color like brown or black. 5 string lefthanded bassguitars are quite rare, and if you find one... They are mostly brown or black. ( I have a tidepool blue Fender Precision )

Well dude, as a fellow lefty, lemme just say we gotta suck it up sometimes and take what the world gives us.

Also, if you're paying too much attention to the colour of your bass... you're not paying enough attention to the music.

 

[Stevorebob]

I have never heard this.Is a 5 a requirement to play bass for Lenny?

No, it’s a disqualifier. Lenny hates fives. He won’t have them in his band.

 

[wes stephenson]

I wrestled with the title of this post.

I have been a four string player for a long time (longer than I’m going to tell anyone).

But as music has progressed, last year I found myself in need of the “even” lower register. A lot of music diving down to low D, C and even B.

So after a torrid affair with a cheapo fake Fender fiver I pulled the trigger on a quality fiver.

After a little acclimation I seem to have it well in hand now.

And besides the lower notes I have found the greater freedom of horizontal playing.

I still move up and down the board. You know some old habits will never die.

But I now see no reason to have a four string anymore. I can play everything on the five. Even if I never drop below the E it gives me many choices I didn’t have before. And I find that liberating.

My last four string I had for 7 years. And we had a bond. But when the fiver came into the picture it went into the case and sat for three months.

I don’t think anybody wants to sit a $1600 bass in its case for months let alone years.

I released it about a month ago. While I miss it I have new friends now. And have lost interest in four string entirely.

I understand fivers aren’t for everyone.

Some people have small hands. Same here. I tried them all. Well those I could afford. I’m sure Alembic make a very lovable fiver. But I love my house too.

No one was more surprised as I was that Fender made the five string bass I would love so much.

And after a great while playing only fives I wonder why anyone wouldn’t just play those and let the four just go extinct.

I’m sure the flamers are writhing their hands as they read this.

I think I just heard a MMBWAAAAHAHAHAHA in the distance.

My point is I moved away from fours and I don’t see any reason to ever go back.

So I doubled down.

View attachment 3714769

Love your Basses, man! I got one of those Steve Bailey signature 6 string Fender Jazz basses and tuned it F#-G. Man that bass is bangin! I never understood why when extending the range of a bass that they put higher notes instead of lower ones. Been playing 5ers for most of my career, 25+ years. Personally never cared much for four strings. I just think folks should play what they like. If you like it that’s all the validation you need.

 

[Barticus]

I thought this might be a good time to ask Alex for his thoughts on this age-old TB discussion... full disclosure: I equally love all of my 4-5-6 string instruments and some don’t even have frets and some others aren’t even called basses

 

[Ricky J Travis]

Wow this is one of most reiterated sentences on talkbass.

First none of you are Jaco.
Even he tried out a five, the extremely poorly designed Fender Bass V.
Had he still been alive he would most likely included extended range instruments as they improved.
His son plays a six, and you don't hear him say "dad only needed four".

Thank you for saying that, people get on my f**king nerves making that statement.We all know Jaco, played a freaking four string.Victor Wooten plays one as well etc etc. Blah Blah Blah I need coffee.

 

[mrjp]

I'm not sure what you mean by that, but you're a fool for thinking it.

HA!!! I see what you did there!!!

 

[stevieg]

HA!!! I see what you did there!!!

Why a four-string?

Because God made them that way. Of course He also made 5- and 6-string instruments. As well as fretted and fretless.

I alplay a Chapman Stick which has 10 strings. I use "play very loosely. I've had one for a number of years and am still struggling to figure it out.

Tony Levin: HELP!!!

stevieg

 

[lfmn16]

Thank you for saying that, people get on my f**king nerves making that statement.We all know Jaco, played a freaking four string.Victor Wooten plays one as well etc etc. Blah Blah Blah I need coffee.

It didn’t get on Jaco’s nerves.

 

[thabassmon]

Thank you for saying that, people get on my f**king nerves making that statement.We all know Jaco, played a freaking four string.Victor Wooten plays one as well etc etc. Blah Blah Blah I need coffee.

No problem, you're welcome. I only wrote the truth.

Jacophiles can fact check it all they want but I am not just guessing.

 

[joel406]

Uh-oh

 

[BrianCIDC]

As a new bass player I can say a 4 string bass has a lot more tab available.

 

[mrjp]

I read the whole thread... passed by some of the 6 & 7 + paragraph posts (blah blah blah blah blah) I mean really if you can’t say it in one or two paragraphs “fer git bout it” but I digress ....
I think my eyes are bleeding.

 

[BasEd]

I don’t want a 5 but my band (older singers) are continually dropping the keys of songs (can’t reach the high notes) which means dropping off the fretboard or playing some notes an octave up. What a pain. Maybe I need those extra 5 notes.

 

[SteveCS]

And how do you determine a post is a “troll” posting?

Aren’t all postings troll post?

Aren’t troll postings designed to elicit a reaction from people that read them?

Then I guess every posting is a troll post!

This one certainly is...

As of now I no longer recognize four string bass as a true bass. Anything with more than five is a guitar.

 

[FlashBazbo]

My first bass was a 5. I didn't use the notes below E much, but I definitely preferred the sound of fretted E over open E. And I liked that I didn't have to shift as much. Actually, in time, I felt I was lazy because I didn't shift as much. And I probably over-used those notes so low that nobody but the band could hear them. And I wondered why I strapped that heavy machine around my neck when I didn't really have to.

Now, I play a 4 exclusively. Light. Agile. Sporty. Less to mute.

But my next bass purchase (or the one after that, or the one after that) will be to return a 5 to the stable. Sometimes, you just want to be heavy.

 

[John Luka]

I never wanted to be Jaco. I prefer to be myself.

Who did Jaco want to be?

 

[John Luka]

I've been playing 4 string all my life. I picked up a 5 string and played on it for awhile. I put it back. I didn't want to learn how to play bass all over again. Maybe someday if I get into a band that plays a lot of low-note-heavy music.

 

[rholler]

I wrestled with the title of this post.
But as music has progressed, last year I found myself in need of the “even” lower register. A lot of music diving down to low D, C and even B.

I don't find myself needing the lower registers nearly as much, but still missed having them on the rare occasions that they would have been helpful. So my solution was to take an old Fender Jaguar bass that I seldom used, and converted it to a 4-string with BEAD tuning (since I rarely ever use that high G-string anyway). That way I still have my normal 4-string for 75-90% of my needs, and the 4 lower strings of a 5-string for those times when I need it... and with the slender and more player-friendly neck of a 4-string! Win-Win!

 

[joel406]

Until today I thought this tread went extinct.

No disrespect was intended in the original post.

Personally I resisted going to five string for a looooooooong time. I had one a long time ago. Didn’t see a point in keeping it. I’ve been happy on four strings ever since. If there was a low note below E I just tuned town if possible or went up the octave.

But as I stated before. I’m in a situation music wise that literally demands five string.

So I took the challenge. And after using a five for just a few weeks I was face with realization that we all should play fives.

If not for the low notes the positioning and double octave span make it a no brainer.

Play what you will.

I’m fine.