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What's the deal with 5 string basses?

AMP

72,326 views

Is just one extra string worth all the fuss? It depends!

Do you play a 5 string?
||||||||||||||||.............. 53% ⭐ Yes https://yt.strms.net/T9Oqm
|||||||||||||||............... 47% ⭐ No https://yt.strms.net/YMEuP

0:00 - Intro
1:01 - Some history and context
2:16 - The pros of 5 strings
7:15 - The cons of 5 strings
12:14 - Final thoughts

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20 Comments

@ampthebassplayer Creator 5 years ago Pinned

I shared a lot of short clips from shows my bands have played. Would you guys be interested in seeing the full unedited footage from my gigs?

@Sam-th4jl 5 years ago

the secret is to play an active, headless, multiscale bass so people get upset about that and forget about it being a 5-string lmao. fr tho a lot of the songs i play are in low tunings (C standard, drop B etc), and it's way more convenient to use a 5 string, no filing my nut for super heavy gauge strings, no retuning, plus (imo) it sounds a lot better than floppy detuned strings

@Murdo2112 6 months ago

My response to "Jaco only needed four strings" is always "He also only needed zero frets....do you have frets on your bass?"

@ericdaly7254 3 years ago

If a 5 string is a one trick pony, than a 4 string is a dead horse.

@JamesDavisakaRemguy 2 years ago

Um, your sax player needs WIRELESS.

@BallGloveFun 4 years ago

Another thing that's great about a 5 is that if you're reading music that has the low notes in that range. It is far easier to play those notes rather than having to think about transposing the note up an octave and possibly missing more notes. Happened to me before.

@seppoinnanen5577 2 years ago

As a drummer myself, I wake up and start listening to the bass player every time he touches that B string... feels so good to me also 😆

@krisandketo 4 years ago

If you're going to get into orchestra gigs having a fiver is pretty much a necessity; there are arrangements that actually write in a notated e-bass sheet and some will dive into that lower register that demands that B string.

@peterziegen3738 3 years ago

About 3 years ago, i bought a Yamaha 5 String as well... I was in a metalband that time and it was obvious that this step was necessary. It felt good, sounded amazing and opened up so many possibilities for my playing. I never played a 4 string since. The best point you mentioned is my singer asking to play a song in lower keys and i have the pleasure to see the desperate look on my guitar players face!

@templehillsfunk 3 years ago

I play a 5 string and everything he mentioned as a pro to playing one, are things I intuitively knew, just never really articulated to myself. The hardest thing is, switching back and forth between my 4 & 5 string. Often times, if I'm not concentrating enough, I'll forget which one I'm playing.

@terryadams237 3 years ago

Love how you put the pros and cons. Always been a 4 string player but just recently laid away a 6 string

@MourningSkateboards 1 year ago

5 strings are just easier to play if you know your instrument. There's an extra string to mute, but getting around the fret board is so much easier and you can stay in lower registers.

@unduloid 2 years ago

7:40 I just mute the B with my wrist while slapping. For the rest I use floating thumb. Works like a charm.

@jdhammel8607 5 years ago

I think you made a great point about not over doing the 5th string, it's so easy to want to just play with the fancy new string lol and it's not always the best or most musical choice.

@fromaggio7654 4 years ago

One cool thing, you can get cool power chords when the bass plays the lower note and the guitar plays the two high notes. To combat the B string not being defined enough: Get a 5 string with a humbucker (on the bridge) and a 15" bass cabinet/combo/PA. The bucker mid range and low freq response of the 15" really helps to even the sound.

@LowEndLobster 5 years ago

Dude, awesome video! I appreciate how well thought out and presented all the information is. Great gig clips too!

@andrewawood3658 4 years ago

I love working with A 5 string. Those pros are on point. It’s ideal for Reggae And R&B having the advantage of that lower register. It’s Also great for other genres too

@jjr.2186 4 years ago

I feel like it depends on what kind of music you play because as a worship bass player I’ve found my self more often then not wishing I had a 5 string because of that lower register being needed, also as a Hispanic a lot of our music (Bachata, Salsa, Merengue) demands that low B string I can’t play Spanish music correctly without it, I’m getting one soon so hopefully i Can fulfill my needs :)

@dinoarellano 3 years ago

Thanks for inserting examples of your band playing. Thanks.

@Jeff.Donofrio 4 years ago

From an outside perspective, I find it fascinating that bass players and the bass guitar itself are a focus point for so much tumult. Be it five strings or four strings, fingers or picks, P or J, the ire of bass is like no other in modern music.