How difficult to adapt to a 6-string (from 5?)

[Gruuve]

Hey folks:

 

With some of the melody playing I've been working on, I'm starting to see the potential advantage of having an extra high-string available on a fretless. Another string worth of higher range, but still within reach of the middle fingerboard area where your precision doesn't have to be dead-on like it does in the upper reaches of the neck. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually considering if maybe moving up to a 6-string fretless might be a good choice. I can't see a need for that with a fretted bass (5-strings is enough range for me on fretted), but I keep finding myself kinda wishing I had another string to move up to on my 5-string fretless.

 

So, how difficult is it to get accustomed to a 6-string? I'd imagine not that difficult...I have traditionally spent the majority of my time on the upper (ie. lower pitched) strings, so unlike a B-string versus E-string, I just don't think a high C would throw me. (I can't seem to even play a 4-string anymore...I keep either reaching for notes that aren't there, or I end up a perfect 4th sharp ...my hands just don't know where to go anymore with only 4 strings!)

 

I suppose I *could* re-string my 5-string fretless for EADGC, but I like the timbre of the B-string, plus I know I'd end up a 4th sharp too frequently.

[Seamy ALB]

I can't speak re the fretless side of things Dave but as for the 6 string aspect I don't think it would be a problem for you. I drilled double octave scales, arppegios across the neck till they fell under my hand easily and it didn't really take that long. Essentially the 6 is exactly the same as the 4 only you have more options under your hand. I bought my first 6 on a Tuesday and gigged that Saturday, I have never looked back. 4 strings now feel small and limited to me (don't flame me its just how I feel plus I am aware that there are many 4 string players whom can make the bass talk).

 

Go 6 Dave, join the revolution! LOL

[LLroomtempJ]

i can't play 4s either. I've actually never owned a 4..i started on 5.

 

The transition to 6 isn't rough. But you could easily look at the difficulty of playing higher up as your next big challenge.

 

Does your neck have fret markers?

 

The advice that I always hear about intonation is for one to practice a whole bunch.

 

One guy on bassplayer.tv said that he references his open strings just to make sure that he's being honest (i think nicklab said the same thing the other day).

 

i switched from 5 to 6 to 7 in a period of 6 months.

 

jason

[Big Daddy from Motown]

Level of diffuculty is inversely porportional to length of time playing current bass.

[SteveC]

I used to play a fretless 6. I also liked the added range for solos and melody if I ever played it. I also played a fretted 5 at the same time - well, you know what I mean - and I moved back and forth without too much difficulty.

 

I have debated trying a 6 again - maybe a Yamaha TRB1006 - but when not doing jazz I thought the extra string got in the way sometimes. Strange, I know, but jazz and rock feel different to me.

[Gruuve]

Thanks, guys. You're comfirming my thoughts...I may see what's available just as an experiment. I don't think my hands could handle a 7-string though Jason. A narrow-spaced 6 is probably about all I can muster with the left hand, unless the neck is very slim depth-wise. I don't like narrow string spacing on a fretted (makes slap really difficult to execute neatly for me personally), but since I don't slap on a fretless I can live with narrower string spacing.

 

We'll see where this leads....

[...]

With some of the melody playing I've been working on, I'm starting to see the potential advantage of having an extra high-string available on a fretless. Another string worth of higher range, but still within reach of the middle fingerboard area where your precision doesn't have to be dead-on like it does in the upper reaches of the neck. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually considering if maybe moving up to a 6-string fretless might be a good choice.

 

Why not practice more and improve your intonation?

[alexclaber]

I'd restring your 5-string fretless EADGC first, and see what value that has for you. Some players love the high C on a fretless, others think it sounds awful. YMMV.

 

Alex

[Nicklab]

I was playing a fretless 6 for years. And for a while it was a staple instrument in my arsenal. But over time as I played fretless less, I found that I wasn't using the C string all that much. Eventually I moved to a 5 string fretless and it's serving me very well. But that's what works for me, and it might not apply to you.

 

Drills are always good for getting acclimated to the 6 string instrument. My teacher encouraged me to play 2 octave scales and arpeggios as a general practic tool. They definitely helped me a lot in getting accustomed to the 6 string. But then I also had only played 4 string for about a year before I started playing the six.

[Gruuve]

I'd restring your 5-string fretless EADGC first, and see what value that has for you. Some players love the high C on a fretless, others think it sounds awful. YMMV.

 

Alex

 

I considered restringing my 5, but I know from experience not having that B-string will throw me. I actually think it would be easier for me to adapt to a 6th string than to adapt to the EADGC stringing.

 

Why not practice more and improve your intonation?

 

That's in current endeavor status regardless of whether we're talking 5 or 6-strings.

 

I think I'm going to try a 6-string fretless and just see how it feels...I'll probably either love it or hate it, but I won't know until I give it a try and see.

 

Dave

 

[picker]

FOr solo stuff, or new tunes, I don't think it would be that hard, really. But, on stuff I have been playing a while, it was very difficult to play it without hesitiations in places where I should have been plowing right through.

I've thought about getting a 6, but I've got so many more basses than I need for what I do these days, it's hard to justify it.

[Gruuve]

OK, I've been plucking away on a 6-string fretless for a few days now. I'm finding that adding a high C string to the mix isn't difficult in and of itself. I think of it as just another set of intervals above the G-string. This is pretty much what I expected.

 

The one area that is requiring more concentration is muting the unplayed strings when playing on the higher-pitched strings. Particularly when playing some lick that involves the G and C-strings, I have to concentrate on using floating thumb technique to mute the B, E, and A strings, or get a lot of sympathetic vibrations and noise. My thumb knuckles are bigger than the body of my thumb between them, so sometimes I get the A-string ringing and it's difficult to dampen it even with floating thumb technique. But, I think I can work that out OK...just have to develop the right habits.

 

I'm actually finding the wider neck of a 6-string more difficult to adjust to than the additional string. I'm liking a 6-string fretless...just may need a narrower neck than the one I'm using now, not positive yet.

 

Dave

 

[yourlord]

I've found, since I started playing 5 string a few weeks ago, that I have issues moving between the 4 and 5. It's like I now have 2 modes, and it's hard to flip the switch. I've started mixing it up a lot more, making sure to go play the 4, at least a little, each day to keep me honest. I'm still much more at home on the 4, but I guess 15 years of playing one will do that to a person. On the 5 I still find myself doubletaking things while I'm playing and the hesitation that brings on can nail me.. But I'm getting used to it. For me, the move to no fretlines was much easier than moving to 5 strings it seems..

 

 

Keep us posted on your progress Dave.. I may one day look at a 6.. But I'm still on the ropes on whether it would be worth the finger pain or learning curve again.

[RhoadBlock]

I'm kinda having trouble myself adjusting to 5-string from a 4. I started on a 4 and continued for about 4 years now. I've been going and playing 5-strings, finding the right sound, but also trying to adjust to the newly provided B. I've been having trouble muting unused strings too. It will come in practice I'm sure but it's a bit annoying. I guess I'm just not quite used to the extra string now. That's probably why I haven't bought it quite yet. I think I'm far from getting a 6er though. Let us know how well you continue adjusting.

[EddiePlaysBass]

It's mostly a mental block. When I moved from 4 to 5 it took me some getting used to, until I realised the whole neck starts over at the fifth fret of the B-string.

 

Moving from 5 to 6 was far more easy, but so far I haven't really used the C-string all THAT much. I just like the feel of the 6, and well some notes are now easier to reach

[Gruuve]

So...I've changed the strings on the Hexabuzz to a very light gauge and very even tension set, adjusted the action a little bit, adjusted the string spacing so that all the strings are as close to the C-string as they can be (equal spacing between, rather than equal center-to-center distance...boy, I love bridges with adjustable string pitch!), and physically lowered where the bass hangs on me. Now, the 6-string neck still feels quite wide, but it's more manageable.

 

So, I'm actually wondering at this point how much I will actually use that C-string. There's a few cases where it would be nice to hit a higher register...but then, I can always roll off the lows and play whatever in the next highest register, and that works almost as well. Hmmmm...at this point, I'm still undecided whether a 6-string is actually for me or not. I sure am blessed to have such a nice fretless to do an extended audition with though...quite thankful for that!

 

On going from a 4-string to a 5-string...for me, adapting to that was more difficult than accomodating a 6-string. I guess I sort of reference everything off of the lowest pitch string...I found it quite difficult to jump back and forth between a 4-string and 5-string, so I eventually sold the 4-string and now only have 5-string basses (excepting this fretless 6-string). I think the effort to get comfortable with a 5-string is definitely worth it...I love the timbre of the low B-string with all the typical growl and grunt that it has. I don't play down that low all the time, but when you throw in some of those ultra-low and ultra-growly notes, it's very impactful!

 

Dave