I would rather have a 4 string and 5 string; so, I don’t have to deal with the constant hassles of muting an additional string when not in use, which would be 80% of the time.
@@thelstancroix7555 Indeed. That's a pretty flimsy excuse. Especially when you enter any genre that requires 5. Suddenly having to learn something new is a pain. Better to hang 5 learn to deal with it and have that extra range, than go without and not have an option at all when required.
that's literally why I wanna get a 5. you don't ever see them use a 4 to compare, so I feel like having 5 just gives you more to play with. plus, I've always wanted extra challenge being that my music background started on alto sax and still grows when I get to play french horn (pretty sure I'll never master it lol). more to play with means more to learn, right? lol
John Balls You can always string it up like that yourself, too. I've done it, and after some very minor adjustments it plays just fine. I used the same nut and everything, though YMMV
My big reason for being into 5-strings: 1) never have to drop D 2) I play with singer songwriters who love playing in keys that use Eb. 3) I can use the B string as a thumb rest when I'm playing on the E string
And number 4 the string spacings are closer, actually makes playing easier and faster when jumping string to string ,my fingers fall in between the strings spacing on a 4 string sometimes and miss notes that way... And using the 5th string for a thumb rest works great, Because the string is movable you can push it down a little bit,to grab at the G-string quicker,
@@scottydog62 good point! Another advantage I've started making use of is the low E that's available on the 5th fret of the B. Frets are closer together, more notes available than 4-string in first position, and much quicker shifts between playing chords in the 12+ fret zone and getting back to the equivalent of first position.
The five-string bass became popular in the 1980s and the reason why it was so quickly accepted was the fact that it had to compete against synth bass. many records were coming out by groups from America and the UK tall using Moog and oberhamer synth basss so to compete with that bass players adopted the low B string 5-string bass. that's the story
I must admit, I don't use the low B string on my bass very often (Maybe 5% of the time?). Still, I've been playing 5 string bass for so long (20+ years), I feel lost without that 5th string! :-)
I've been playing for almost 15 years and I started off on five string passive/active 24 fret full scale bass and then went to a six string. But now a days I just play on a fender mustang PJ. It's funny because when I was younger I wanted all the bells and whistles, but now a days I just want a good old meat and potatoes bass.
Alan, this comment is dead on... this is the reason 5 string bass was invented. Not for for playing guitar based rock music. Also the added positions are a bonus. They provide tonal and positional variety. I love my 5ers...
You certainly don't need one but its fairly genre dependent. Perhaps much like a friend of mine in Japan, the problem comes along with muscle memory and familiarity. She always played 4, the music started to demand 5 and so that demanded a transition. For a long time she was all over the place because of the extra string and relearning how to move around it. The 5 just doesn't have enough limitations to really call them 'cons' and has all the world to gain, should you find yourself like her with the demand for it. Get used to the 5 and you've got all that extra with nothing to lose. A little extra work and size aside, seems like an obvious choice for those pursuing the heavy side of life especially.
One of the weirder things with a 5 string bass is adjusting to the smaller spacing between the strings as opposed to a 4 string, I find it much easier to slap on a 4 string than a 5 string however I find it easier to play very fast songs on a 5 string since my fingers have to move less distance giving me more endurance and speed
just try 19mm space in 5 string. But me too, I feel like home in 4 string bass. When I play 5 string bass, I think it is a 4 string bass with one more string.
oh that's true. yes, five string basses together with 100-300W amps are good if you want an earthquake in your house 😂 just kidding! five and six string basses are built for ease of fingerings and string crossing and modern sounds (playing with both pick and finger) but still possible to use the slap techniques too. just needs higher accuracy to get a clean sounds.
Yes facts. I have a really nice Fender P-Bass 4-string and a Music Man Sterling 5-string. Both are great basses and I enjoy playing both, but it's def. easier to slap on the 4!
My 5 string is useful because I play with several different players who all prefer different tunings. We get together once a week and jam, and I can go seamlessly from the half step down guys to the drop d guys to the low c guys to the 7 string players and the standard tuning guys without having to change tuning and try to keep track of how my pattern shapes modify for alternate tunings
I've been playing a 5-string for a couple of years now and now whenever I pick up a 4-string one, I feel crippled. The string spacing on the 5-string is a bit narrower and easier for my teeny hands to manage. Also as a metal player, playing fast is the priority in many situations so being able to finger notes on the 5th string instead of stretching helps ALOT. I know it sounds different, but it works for me, especially in a live situation.
Use a 4 string but tune to BEAD and use 5 string strings, just leaving out the high G string. The joy of a 4 string with all the low nightmare sounds of a 5. I'm playing bass, I don't want high notes, I want dirty low noise
I find myself tuning down a lot to play metal, particularly nu metal. I've admitted that I NEED a 5-string as tuning the E string to B loses so much tension that it can't really stay in tune, and forget about tuning to A# or A. Also, sometimes, you simply don't have the range to play a song if that song has highs as well, unless you use a weird tuning that would no doubt become a hassle.
@@max-rdj9741 You dont "need" a 5 string. BEAD tuning is pretty useful, if you have 2 basses EADG and BEAD is pretty nice. A five string would cover booth, booth works imo. I wanted a 5 string for a long time but I noticed that so many of the songs are like have even lower tunings, so even if I had that b string I couldn't play it.
I tried this and got away with it until my current band where the basslines sometimes call for octave jumps and chords that are an absolute pain in the ass without the G.
I resisted playing a 5 string for years but now that I have one, I have to say its really changed how I play. Pretty dramatically actually. You not only get those few extra notes but its opens up tons of fills based on those low notes that you wouldn't play as well. I think its improved my left hand technique quite a lot. One other thing, the 5 string neck seems to fit my hand better. I had cramping issues for years that I don't have with the 5. Just my 2 cents.
"I resisted playing a 5 string for years but now that I have one, I have to say its really changed how I play. Pretty dramatically actually. You not only get those few extra notes but its opens up tons of fills based on those low notes that you wouldn't play as well. I think its improved my left hand technique quite a lot." That's me too!!
Decide your role. Think about evolution. Where the bass came from? It was the contrabass. It was an electric contrabass you can carry (for a few miles), plug it in. Great Idea. Then it evolved. Nowadays, we have dozenstrings or more, but for the role: 5 BEADG is the best. Jaco pulled out the frets to get a fretless. It is EVOLUTION. Yes you can play anything with a Chapmanstick. Doesn't that feel off? That's not bass. You write music, use a score. You play bass, use a 5 or less. (I love my 4)
As someone that plays both the best option is to own both, 4 strings for many people feel far more comfortable & the string spacing is more natural to those that learned on 4 string, along with being more suited to slapping, on the other hand 5 gives you extra notes, especially depending on how you tune My first bass was a 5 string out of necessity, I wanted to play metal but did not have the option to stray from E standard for much of the music I was going to be playing live with it so the bass is tuned to drop A, with that low B string actually coming in handy for some walking bass lines that went surprisingly low surprisingly often Long story short, this video’s kinda very dumb, please just get what fits what you need most & go from there, it will likely be best to start on a 4 however everyone’s circumstances are different PS if muting one extra string is really a huge problem for you then you have *serious* technique issues that need addressing, that was not even an issue for me as a beginner
DGCF tuning is a win win situation. You remain on a 4 string bass but can get that D tone from 5 string bass. and you can have funny moments at gigs confusing your EADGBE guitarist :)
Play 'Sir Duke' by Srevie Wonder on a 5 string and you'll see why. It's giant steps on the 4 string and right up the middle on a 5. By playing the root note up the neck you now actually get a higher string.
You don't "need" a 5 string but it's definitely convenient. I started out with a 4 string and later joined a group of musicians whose guitarist was "acrobatic" with his tuning preferences. I spent most of the time during rehearsals retuning or switching basses until I finally bought a 5 string. No more retuning or switching basses, and if the low string wasn't needed, I just ignored it.
I primarily use a 5 string because the string spacing. It is much tighter, and gives me more options in a live setting. Now in a studio session, I am consistently asked to provide a 4 string P-bass. As much as I hate that request, I know the 4 sits better in the mix, and has a certain sound that engineers favor, not all mind you. Because of this, even as 5 player, I bought a 4 recently. You never want to miss out on a session because you don't have the right bass. Don't be a fool, get one of each. I don't care to own many basses, but I know, 2-3 good options is enough to insure yourself work.
I just joined a funk band, play a bunch of 70s stanky stuff, have only owned fivers for years, but an considering picking up a cheap P bass for this gig, and any other "vintage" stuff I may encounter. I can get that sound, on my G&L 5 on the neck pickup in humbucking, but can't hurt to have the real thing for picky ears.
5th string is not for range. It is for slides, for deep passages and etc. It can give you quite a techno kind of bass sound. BTW really cool tuning for standart playing is C tuning (whole step up on every string). Also you can change strings (learn to do it bassists!! :D) so 5th string will be E and will have its thickness, so then additional B is the highest. Remeber if you can't use something it doesn't mean that there is no other people that can't use it. Nice video.
With modern technology, there is absolutely no tone that a 5 string gets that can’t be had on a 4 string. I have a drop D switch on the headstock and an octave pedal. No 5 string can top it. But one thing I do like about 5 string is the neck size.
@@steveothebassist Technically speaking there's no right or wrong way of playing a bass. Tons of bass players play chords on bass, like Lemmy, Les Claypool, Timmy C. And even then, who cares if he likes playing chords on bass? It's his bass and his style of music y'know?
People sometimes seem to forget you can tune a 4 string to BEAD. You get the familiar patterns like that D standard guy you talked about, plus your notes are on the same frets and you have 3 of the same 4 open strings.
If ur playing dropped tuning metal u need a 5 string for the very low tunings.. Anything lower than a dropped D on a 4 string and your string gets too loose and sounds sloppy..
I use a 4 and a 5 string. I would say I fall into the "don't really need it" category, but I do like the feel of a 5 string. And I keep telling myself that I am going to incorporate it into my writing. Great vid.
The five string bass guitar was created for studio work in pop music 🎶 but in the late 80's players started using the five string bass guitar live and everyone wanted one 😊
I'm a 5 stringer and this video is on point I like to use a 5 string, but if a song is Drop D, I will drop the E and B string, to get that open D, and still use the B string to do low fills... But you really don't need the 5 string, unless you're going for a specific type of playing That's just my opinion
1) You can tune a five-string bass other ways, like E-A-D-G-B or E-A-D-G-C; 2) If your five-string bass is heavier or wider in the neck than the equivalent four-string, you might find it harder to play while standing.
The variety of tones going up the neck is actually quite useful. For example, if I want a clear, well defined tone on the low notes, I will play near the nut on the E , A and D string. But if I want something like the big round, short-scale tone of the Beatles, or the dead flat-wound Jamerson sound., I will play higher up on the the B, E and A strings. This plus the option of having notes below E and having an extra string for approach notes like the 5th from below, is also very useful.
What I love about the five string basses is that the B string gives you the unlimited finger rest for your thumb finger. On four string you are limited to rest your thumb on the pickup edge or the neck edge to play the E string. On fiver it is just natural for the right hand to anchor anywhere.
I would just consider the type of music the bass player is playing. There is also some navigation you can utilize with the 5 string - for instance tuning the B down to an A. A lot of songs are Bb, A, and C and you would end songs which would sound so nice and full. I am more of a 4 string player myself but I am considering E-C for more chords and melodic possibilities. My group is an instrumental trio tuned Half-Step down and Drop Db so a low B isn't exactly needed.
I have been playing 4 string bass for 30+ years and I just bought a new Stingray 5H and I love it !!! It took me about 3 weeks getting use to the neck and having that low B string but I love it you can do so much with those extra 5 notes and you can tune down a whole step on that B giving you an extra 7 notes and it doesn't sound wobbly and holds sustain!! But I understand what he is saying in the video but it is really up to the individual player!! I am glad I am playing a 5 string but that is my own opinion!!
I play a 5 string bass for my band. The guitarists are in drop A. I follow. Ive grown to love that tuning. Its really nice having a 'metal' tuning to have some wankery fun with, and then have standard to work on my technique with. Ive grown to also love playing 5 string basses, I have long hands and I find the feeling of the instrument is a lot more a natural.
General Wards i play in Drop A with my band to! They have 7 strings guitar, i mean i feel that the 4 string bass does the job well, i don’t really need the « high » string in my play, does it change something to play drop A on a 5 string bass ? I’m curious might get one but don’t really see the use ! Thx for the help
Once I went 5 string, I never looked back. I bounce between my 6 string and 5 string depending on the session. Love tuning down to A on that B string. Sounds great being able to go that low on some songs.
Agree with almost everything you said..................but if you play gospel and RnB you may get away with the DGCF tuning for a while, but it won't be long before you need that low BCC#. GREAT video tho as always!
this is a comment I needed. I want to be able to learn and play in my church's worship band, and having lower bass always helps fill out the band's sound (which is true of almost any band setting). Thanks for your opinion!
Marcelo Feldman - The Bass Wizard I've got a 5 String Bass & the advantage of it is that the Low B String (along with a 7 String Guitar) makes it easier to transpose so you can match the ranges of other Musicians & Singers, especially on Church Gigs.
I have one very similar, american deluxe 5 strings. I can not solve the problem of tuning in the second octave with the fifth string. Do you have the same problem?
at the turn of the century i've switched from 4 to 5 inspired by Gail Ann Dorsey, who played with David Bowie at the time , it was confusing at the beginning but i gotten so used to it now i've only have 5 string bass ever since, i don't think i'll go back to 4 because i can do on a 5 what i can do on a 4 but not the other way around , i love my low end i'm even considering installing a hipshot bass extender to be able to drop the 5th to A and have more low notes. great remarks, thank you
I've upgraded from a 4 to a 5 String Bass after playing for a Long time. The Low B on a 5 String Bass works very well when reading Orchestral Bass parts.
Great lesson. It's good to have a 4 string bass and a 5 string bass on hand. The mechanics are different and every player adapts at a different pace too.
I don't think it's about "NEED",could be more about 'PREFENCE'. I own both 4 and 5, learned how to play on a 4. However, from when I started playing 5, I've 'failed' to go back to 4. I enjoy the 5 more.
i often play bass in a brass arrangement (brass ensemble, big band)...a lot of brass music is written in the Key of Bb, Eb or Ab....for that reason the low Eb is very useful. The other main reason i play a 5string is like you told that i don't need to go all the way up the neck, even if the tone is not exactly the same - i just like to have a larger range of notes in the same position.
5 string has advantages, for sure. Yet Paul McCartney, Chris Squire, James Jamerson, John Deacon, Tony Levin, Geddy Lee, Marcus Miller, John Paul Jones, Flea, Entwistle, Pastorius, etc. - all 4 string players.
If it's good enough for Jaco... I personally prefer a 5-string (I really like the tone of the low B) as my goto, but I still love my 4-string P-Bass with flatwounds as well... ...and quite frankly I have absolutely no interest in 6+ strings...for someone with shorter fingers and mediocre skill (at its best), the range benefit above 5 isn't worth it one bit.
A good reason to use a fiver can be emulating the fat sound of a double bass, or in my case a babybass. I often do salsa gigs with a 5-string, playing the same 4-string notes 5 frets higher on the neck, only occasionally (in merengue songs mostly) also hitting the notes below the low E. I can imagine jazz or reggae bass players using a five-string for similar reasons.
Yes, talking about Pop or Rock, I agree. But, if you listen northeast brazilian music like Frevo, Axé, Forró or Sertanejo you'll see that the language of style needs a B string, I mean, you can play with a 4 string bass but it will be more natural and confortable to play with a 5 string bass. My point is: the sweet spot in Brazil is the 5 string.
I like that 5 string basses often have the strings closer together. And the E string feels easier to play as it is more "integrated" in the other strings.
Im not even watching the video to answer the question,YES I NEED A(ANOTHER) 5 STRING BASS,ITS A BASS AND I NEED THEM ALL!!!! Seriously,I don't even play my 5 a lot,but I do have a P bass that I string B,E,A,D that I play,most of the time if im needing the low B string,for whatever song ,im not needing a G string and if I do want any higher notes the D string above the 12th fret works sufficiently for that purpose,🤔🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Incidentally, Hipshot Bass & Guitar Extenders have an option where you can buy & replace the lever on them ($30) for one that has its own dedicated adjustment/tuning screw in it that will allow for a total of three possible open notes on the string you have it installed on. It is called a Hipshot Double Stop Lever. I have one installed on my guitar which gives me low E, low D, & a Low B. It's very useful but you will have to use a little bit of a thicker guage string to get rid of some of the extra slop it creates in the low B position.
if you want a 5 string then that's all that matters nothing advanced about it if you want lower notes that's a big part which allows more creativity in a song as in sound i have never played a 4 string bass and if you practice and or love what you do then its not harder i also don't want to tune down and i find that the tone is not softer depending on how you hit the string
I've just bought a five string so I've got one in my arsenal, but have found out that it has tighted up my playing due to the less string space on the fretboard and now went I play one of my four strings I'm alot more accurate and it has gotten much easier to play. Well worth getting a five string.
You should. Think outside of the box, that gives all. Buy it and USE the plus string. I recently lost a C string on a 6 bass in a gig, and it really didn't made a difference. Next I will buy is a 5 fretless BEADG. I never tune anywhere, kicks me out of my ear. I even play the hardest low-tuned stuff like new-era-always-drop-D, gives you more technique. Do it. Practice always, worth it. Still I love my 4 for slapping. I call the 4 The Broom, and the 6 The Shovel. (and the house is clean)
Sometimes I like the E on the 5th fret of the low B string. It's a totally different sound. It can be cool playing 5th position and higher. And of course playing a song in Eb or D, or lower. But a little goes a long way with those low notes.
I bought an early 2000's EBMM SUB5 (not the Indonesian one) in Cardiff in 2012... and found it too tricky to play. I ended up using the low string as a thumbrest. It was kind of wasted on me. Didnt keep it long and ended up trading it in. Still not sure to be honest as to whether I really need one.. Have got a 4 with a Hipshot D-Tuner, which seems to cover most of the eventualities that I have.....
Good video- I’d just add that I’ve always been able to play my 5 like a 4, but no one can play a 4 like a 5. There’s a few cons, which mostly have to do with the B string being not as well suited for 34” scale lengths. There’s fixes for that too, of course, but everything has a trade off with a low B.
the TL/DR version is you never really need 5 strings, and it takes some rethinking of your playing techniques to get the most out of it. But for a player like me who doesn't like open notes, just that low D alone, or low E as a fretted note for finer tone and sustain control down low changes my tonal palette quite a bit. Playing a G minor blues number off the B string or ADE walking 12 bar where I can go low on the E turn around is a very powerful option.
I've been playing a 4 string bass since 1979. I have never found the need to go to 5 strings. I also have small hands. So the larger 5 string neck is quite cumbersome.
Happens on me .... when i am on recording gig...sound producer ask to lowering pitch because vocal problem .....and actually it's open e string already......and from that i keep thinking to have 5 on my next bass insted lowering the tune......but spend more bucks just because incidental happen feels like.....uhmm.....i love 4 string but sometime unexpected thing happen....
Yes.....maybe. I currently play a 4 (I'm actually a guitar player BTW) and find that I do miss the 5th string. It's not just about the extra low notes either, but it makes certain things a little easier to play.
Before I saw this vlog, I was already planning on buying a 5 string because it fits with what I like to play. So, what 5-strings you have tried? Likes? Dislikes?
5 string basses are not simply a 4 string bass with an extra string. BEADG is a way of life. No one really needs a V8 supercharged big block with a manual gearbox and could do everything they need to in a four cylinder automatic. No one needs a 1300 CC Harley and could do everything they need to in a four cylinder automatic. A five string bass is like a dumptruck. You can't do everything it can do in a four cylinder automatic. Besides that low B is great for metal.
I could have made this video in 15 seconds. If you want to play contemporary music written written after 1990, Only a 5-string will do. I keep my 4-strings around for those classic rock gigs however.
You pretty much need a fiver if you're going to be on a country, pop, r&b, gospel or hip hop tour. Technically you could get by on a four, but you're either going to be swapping instruments out or tuning up and down constantly between songs. If you're on a rock, CCM or funk gig, four is the way. But if you're a normal, working guy who isn't on those tours and just playing events, bars, clubs, weddings, etc, who cares. You're not functioning with in the constraints of a show that synced to a midi clock running lights, video, click, etc.
well , the best way to decide is to listen to Eric Claptons and Joe Bonamassa/s live version of Further On Up The Road here on RU-vid , classic example on how a 5 can really anchor a number bigtime . IMO , the other factor is if you can/t afford a decent 5 string don\t do it . The Sire M7 is relatively cheap but great tone . also , IMO , avoid Fender when it comes to 5 strings . What I appreciate on a 5 is the ability to walk it easier , a 6 string bass is even better . anyway , only my opinion .
Well done video but it misses the point with the do we really NEED anything attitude. It would be a lot more realistic to answer the question "should I get a 5 string" which it covers but not fully. A lot of music is written for a 5 string and cannot be played on a 4 string unless it's played an octave higher and then it just sounds weak. Not my video so just my ramblings in the comment section but yeah, no one needs it though everyone could benefit from owning one.
I play both I think a 5 strings is for when i feel lazy and non creative. It is big and bulky and just a 4 string with a B string. 4 string is lighter and can do just about everything a 5 can minus a few notes. Its just no worth the extra $100 to $200 extra for a new bass. I also think 4 makes the slaps sound funkier. I can just play what i need to play and not consume most of my time trying to mute a bunch of strings. They are now starting to make 4 string basses tuned to BEAD. Hip shot double tuners. So why not keep it 4.
I have jumped from 4 to 5 quite a bit. The main reason I went to five when I was a regular player was because in some of the stage music and big band music I played had parts written for 5 strings which were really hard or impossible to play on 4. Now I am back to playing my music on my terms a 4 string is plenty. I like the idea of a DGCF tuning as the very top end isnt used by me at the moment but having the flexibility to drop down every now and then would be nice.
No question...The fiver is the way to go. There is no real difference in the sound of playing on the low B string. Besides, that five to twelve fret area is the sweet spot on a good electric bass. On my Roscoe the sound is superb. Incidentally, I don't NEED a Rolex...but I own three.😕
I play both every morning and I started that way too... Every bass player is different... Playing the bass is an odyssey - there is no set roadmap - just go for it...
5 string bass is very much like 7 string guitar. More strings is both more range and more problems, and requires polished technique. I really like the feel of the 4 string, but my music uses the low B-Db quite often so 5 is the better choice for me.
