Enjoying the 5

foal30 · Post by **foal30** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:12 pm

got round to tidying up my 5 fortnight ago, and now can't put it down. Expect of course to eat and type, Mothers,
point is I seem to suffer from near violent mood swings in Bass choice.
anyone else do this?

5's are good for 2 octave scales,arpeggio, and all purpose general walking.
If you can get one that actually plays in tune across the whole range they are well worth the time and effort re-familiarizing yo'self with the finger board.

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:37 am

I toyed with a couple of fivers, but only having the 3 fingers on my fretting hand finally turned me away - the stretching just wasn't comfortable for me. As well, I've never yet met a song I couldn't play on a regular 4.

TRYED&FAILED · Post by **TRYED&FAILED** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 5:57 pm

Rog I may have met found your match:
Flea also admits that, for him, this is the hardest bassline to play on the Stadium Arcadium album. "It's the hardest shit to play,"

Now if flea says that it means something to me !!!

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:40 am

Who is flea?

foal30 · Post by **foal30** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:23 am

Whiter Louis Johnson.
hence can sell records to people who think they are "funky" and "Down"
without actually experiencing the source of the inspiration.

Seems to be quite a common trait in popular culture.

foal30 · Post by **foal30** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:25 am

but thats enough barbs from me.
yes I like "Soul to Squeeze", "Walkabout" and "Can't Stop" always brings a smile, I think I like the Guitar part.

for a Flea fretless 5 go to Alanis Morrisette "You oughta know"

TRYED&FAILED · Post by **TRYED&FAILED** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:29 pm

Crap I should've read the title, he didnt use a five string on "C'mon Girl"

This topic has inspired me to read the history of the five string bass. Did you know it has five strings

dylan · Post by **dylan** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:42 pm

in the 80's when bass parts were often played on keyboards, the bassline would often go down to a C

so bass players in covers bands needed instruments that went at least that low.

i got a 5 because if a songs in Eb or D then your samicked on a 4 - heaps of living color songs were in Eb i recall, and tuning the E down to a D to play all that 90's D tuned stuff was irritating at gigs.

but you cant beat a 4 for slap - and even after 15 years of playing a 5 ive still got no idea of what note is on what fret on that bloody b string:)

foal30 · Post by **foal30** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:21 pm

Hence scales Dylan

Muzz Skullins and Doug Wimbish.
both spankin mugs, but I can really hand it up for William Calhoun JR
he is class act.

I like Wimbish on "Nothingness" lovely fretless, warm and friendly.

dylan · Post by **dylan** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:52 pm

I liked Muzz more in living color, but wimbish's sugar hill gang basslines will probably survive long after living color is forgotten.

i remember a point in the late 80's when allmost every covers band played "middle man" sometime during the night.

and im still convinced that vernon was just widdling with no deliberate note choice once he got above a certain speed - you can even see his picking style change when he goes into "harmelodic" mode. sounded pretty good tho:)

dylan · Post by **dylan** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 11:00 pm

oh and a grump regarding 5 strings - mates who come over to jam, then remove the b off your bass coz they cant play with it on, then push the nut halfway off the bass coz theres now so much unbalanced stress on it.

and the bass is a high end pedula...

(hmm - thats another guys whos fingers i must remember to break after society crumbles and i can get away with it)

Timi · Post by **Timi** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:29 pm

Its really a different instrument, to me a bass has 4 strings.

The only decent 5's Ive played so far are Musicmans, every other one had a horrible sounding B.

foal30 · Post by **foal30** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:42 pm

yeah thats the crunch for the instrument.

I think length is the key...you need 35" honey.
or strung through bridge maybe.

I'm defiantly not convinced on MM5 and the low B
I'm not exactly that convinced on MM at all actually.

the point is it's got to speak in tune all the way to B and the physics of the matter suggest, that like piano's, length is good for Bass/Low notes