One bass to cover two tunings

[Guest MoJo]

I currently play in two bands. One tunes in standard concert pitch, the other, half a step down. I have a different bass for each band but the thought crossed my mind today that if I had a 5 string tuned to concert pitch, I could cover the other band by playing down a fret. Has anyone else used a standard tuned five string in a detuned band this way?

[Drax]

Yes attempted similar - technically possible but can make your head hurt (or made my head hurt).

Personally I'd just retune.. and anyway you've got 2 basses

[KingBollock]

My main two basses are tuned half a step down for the four string and standard for the five string. Half the stuff I play is detuned half a step, but the other half can be standard four string, five string, drop D, C and C#, the five string covers all of those. The only times I run into trouble are when I am playing something say in C# and it's a lot of open C# with everything else played up around the seventh fret. Rammstein are a bugger for that.

It is very tempting to add detuners to the E and B strings of my five string. Can you even get them for the B string that would allow me to go to C#? It would be very handy, though I suspect too expensive for me to ever actually do it.

[leschirons]

It must be worth at least attempting to try and play with a 5 string in standard tuning for the two bands. You can always go back to plan B if it doesn't work out for you. Surely, any effort you put into it will be worthwhile with regard to note recognition.

Maybe borrow a 5 string to give it a go rather than shell out in case it's not for you.

[lojo]

I've just brought a budget 5 string in order to get over similar issues , one band everything is always as the record and can be done on a 4 string, the other has songs in akward keys and requires D tuning etc

Some songs require no thought , others need a complete re think, I think I'll have it all sorted in a few evenings but giging with confidence on it might take a while

Have no idea what I'll end up settling on yet

[ubit]

I can't see the problem. You have two basses. We play in those same different tunings in one band. I am swapping between two basses all night. It takes seconds.

[SpaceChick]

I have 2 basses on stage with me.... My 4 string fretted and my 4 string fretless.... I switch between them and when I need to drop tune to D, I just quickly do it!

The fact that it's two different bands, one playing in concert, one playing a semitone down, I can't see the problem of just tuning when you get there to whatever tuning and job done.

[geoffbyrne]

Isn't the point of having a standard-tuned 5er the fact that you can play in lower keys *without* retuning?



G.

[ubit]

I thought a 5 was to give you another register , I mean when you delve into a low B, your getting more than just 5 more notes, your getting a new world of depth. The same note played on a low B has much more beef, which is sometimes great but for some songs not so much.
I seen a band where the bass player had gotten himself a 5 string and to be honest, I thought he was playing some deep notes that didn't suit the classic rock that they were playing. It was like he thought, I've got a 5, I'm gonna use it.
In metal for instance , the 5 is awesome!

[Lozz196]

I depped for a band that played their songs in the original kets which meant half the set was in E, half in Eb, with the songs not all pooled together - though for the guitarists they did try to keep as many together as possible. I just learned all the Eb ones a fret down from where they were meant to be (aside from an open E of course which I had to play higher), so getting a five-string and doing the same makes sense to me.

[chris_b]

I play with a guitarist who writes songs with very fast and complicated riff sections. The only way I can play these is to think like a guitarist and use open strings, slides and hammer ons like he does.

If you have to play something complicated in Eb and have to use the open strings then you'll need to tune down, but mostly you'll be able to play anything in any key on a 5er without any hassle.

IMO it's a no brainer that the extra flexibility of a 5 string bass is an advantage when playing any genre.

[FuNkShUi]

Yes ive recently switched to a 5er for this same reason.
Our singer was complaining that it was too much of a strain to sing some of the songs in standard tuning, so we agreed to drop about 6-7 songs.
Instead of having the two basses,i bought a 5er. Took a bit of getting used to, but im happy i've done it now.

[Bradwell]

Is it not better to just have a 4 string bass tuned half a step down and then use a capo on the first fret?

Means you can have one set up as a back-up on stage, doesn't require the purchase of a 5-string and maintains the possibility of keeping the open strings tuned correctly when you need them.

[chris_b]

You can do that, but what if another song comes along another half step down?

Plus trying to squeeze lower notes out of a 4 string doesn't give you any of the other advantages of using a 5 string bass.

[ubit]

[quote name='Bradwell' timestamp='1423660897' post='2687550']
Is it not better to just have a 4 string bass tuned half a step down and then use a capo on the first fret?

Means you can have one set up as a back-up on stage, doesn't require the purchase of a 5-string and maintains the possibility of keeping the open strings tuned correctly when you need them.
[/quote]

Jeez, that would do my head in. I like the major notes to be on the right marked fret. Playing one fret out would confuse the hell out of me. I'm the singer right enough and need to be playing on autopilot

[Allons-y!]

I've been thinking of using a 5 string tuned standard (We play in Eb) so when the guitarist plays in drop d I dont have to worry about retuning. . I would tune the 5 string down but that sound bad on my bass.

[Bradwell]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1423671194' post='2687766']
You can do that, but what if another song comes along another half step down?

Plus trying to squeeze lower notes out of a 4 string doesn't give you any of the other advantages of using a 5 string bass.
[/quote]

I tend to use open strings a lot for my style of playing so it would suit me, plus it maintains the advantages of a 4 string bass like being able to hook my thumb over the fingerboard to fret the heaviest string.

Having said that, I skipped 5 string basses altogether and bought a six string last year, extended range is awesome.

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1423673710' post='2687814']
Jeez, that would do my head in. I like the major notes to be on the right marked fret. Playing one fret out would confuse the hell out of me. I'm the singer right enough and need to be playing on autopilot
[/quote]

Yeah it takes time to adjust, even without looking at the board for fret markers it alters the scale length and screws up muscle memory if you learnt a certain song on a certain bass.

[cybertect]

I just tune down for the bands I play in that tune half a tone flat, with any of the basses that I might take to a gig with them; 4, 5 string or fret less.

With electronic tuners it only takes a few seconds while you're setting up if the instrument is at concert.

I've done the same for various outfits over 30 odd years and I've never seen it as a problem.

[ubit]

[quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1423745077' post='2688492']
I just tune down for the bands I play in that tune half a tone flat, with any of the basses that I might take to a gig with them; 4, 5 string or fret less.

With electronic tuners it only takes a few seconds while you're setting up if the instrument is at concert.

I've done the same for various outfits over 30 odd years and I've never seen it as a problem.
[/quote]

Exactamundo, moi point totally !

[lojo]

Here's a thought, perhaps we should bill the singers for 5 string purchase if they can't sing it in the record key

[ubit]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1423809728' post='2689211']
Here's a thought, perhaps we should bill the singers for 5 string purchase if they can't sing it in the record key
[/quote]

Well I'm the bass player and singer, so I suppose I am being billed. I like playing in E flat as it makes it easier to sing. What's the point in straining for notes? It's hard and not nice to listen to.
When we play the other stuff in standard so the accordion player can play on his white keys, I can manage as long as it's not all night.
Using a five would not allow me to sing lower, the song would still be in a certain key. As I've said before, moving to unmarked frets would be confusing if you are playing and singing. Maybe it's just me as I learnt everything with the majors on the marked frets. When playing on a badly lit stage, muscle memory is essential and playing one fret out would be a recipe for disaster as far as I'm concerned!