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

All "don't get 5 string bass" videos are the same -- you see a guy holding a FIVE STRING BASS that he OWNS.

The B string: I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

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.

If you're playing with horns or a keyboard many standards are in C Bb or D. Gotta have that low root!

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

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

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.

Got a 5 string mainly for musicals

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'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.

I like the chord options on a 5 string. It's also good to have a thumb anchor.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The necklace thing clanking with the mic distracted me the whole video.

5th string is a thumb rest.

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.

I finally picked up a 5 string bass fretless. I find that it helps me play my 4 string better.

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.

Well said, well explained! Sometimes we are so concerned in upgrading our gears but not the skill.

As a bass lover and beginner, I just want to say thank you for this advice.

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 😊

Holy crap man, get away your mic from your necklace xD

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.

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.

I started playing 5 string for like 8 years and the switch to 4 string and after few years. I think i might be going back to the 5 string

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 use the 5 for many reasons but one of the main is the ability to play the same notes without having to fly up and down the fretboard. Call it lazy playing if you will. I have tennis elbow and carple tunnel which can make it very painful to constantly adjust my wrist and move my arm. The 5 and 6 strings allow me to effortlessly play the same music whilst keeping my arm and hand in a more stationary position. This allows broken players like me to play extended periods of time without the pain that I normally receive from the 4 string.

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.

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!!

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.

well this really helps me because im now planning to have a 5 string bass,

5 string bass makes chords more open

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

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

Also seen 4 stringers with a modded nut and strung B E A D plus tuned lower. Earth shaking setup

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 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.

I have both, 4 string to play and hand on heart 5 string for decoration.

I love B low string!My 4 strings bass tuning in BEAD!

The fifth sting gives a way fuller sound, when you are playing chords up on the neck.

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.

Best explanation about the 5 string bass! Thanks! :-)

I desired to get a 5-String for years because I owned actually two 4 strings - one tuned in standard tuning and one set to B-standard which has the low end of a 5-string. That is one alternative e.g. if you want to play metal or stoner and all kinds of genres where you need the low notes. But constantly switching between them because B-Standard on a 4-string lacks the the high notes you have on standard is something I also want to implement into my playing while having that full range of both basses. So a 5-string really was the natural progression for me and I haven't regret finally buying one at all. In fact I don't even bother touching my other basses anymore and I can basically sell them now. It is really what I needed all the time and it feels so natural and "right" to me now. It is so much more versatile and gives you so much freedom, especially when writing or playing with bands that use a multitude of different tunings, using different guitars and you can basically play everything they play with only one bass and don't have to rethink all the time where your notes are, because your tuning didn't change. I really think having a wider range and not adapting to different tunings really makes you a better player in some regard because you have a whole other level of confidence knowing and feeling where notes are, because the layout never changes. For guitar that is a different thing though because it works a bit different with the high B and E string being not aligned in 4ths to the rest of the guitar and changing the overall shape of scales and chords. So it is not the same to just add another string, because it messes with the whole concept of the guitar depending on what you go for. Or play a baritone guitar. Same issue. With a five string bass you don't have all this confusion and I also really feel that alternative tunings on bass are not as much relevant as on guitars, because of the way you play a bass which is a lot different to guitar in general. Also it is very beneficial if you play both bass AND guitar. It makes you understand both instruments a lot better and also makes you rethink the relevance of each instrument. I got rid of basically every stupid bass player cliche, because I only realized the importance, sound and role of the bass when I picked one up myself and really got into it.

Marcelo!! out fricken standing!! thank you for clarification, and your take on the 5

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.

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.

You explained everything I have ever read but not understood . I have both 5 and 4 i love the feel of a 4 but love the deep tone of a 5. Thanks mark

I was a 4 string bass player but now can only play on my 5 string bass. So much variations compare to my old 4 string guitar

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.

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!

Very helpful. Been playnig for years and getting tired of hip shot drop tuner for what I doing now. The new country just requires it. thx !

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.

I often play up the neck on a 5 string because of the tone. Notes on shorter string lengths (fretted higher up the neck) have fewer overtones and a more punchy fundamental tone, At least to me. I find this more of a useful advantage then even the additional lower notes.

“Bass is bass!” :-) I was actually debating the 4 vs.5 myself - mainly just to have something for home demos - and this vid provided some useful points of consideration. Nice work.

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..

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.

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.

Very helpful. I dig my 4 string. Thumbs way up!

Excellent video. This is something I’ve felt about 5 string basses for quite awhile but couldn’t really put into words.

Thank you Marcelo... i was kind of on the fence with this topic. THUMBS UP. i JUST SUBSCRIBED !! Look forward to watching your other videos.

A 5 string is definitely needed for Latin music

Dude that is a sweet ass looking bass.

That lick sounded sick

I play in a modern metal band with some songs with low B's and C's ...so I play with my 5 string most of the time. I use my 6 string at home and I'm confortable with wide necks...but if I don't need those extended ranges for a gig o recording...then I grab my 4 string bass.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A five string jazz bass with flatwounds is all I need

The argument for alternate note positions is ABSOLUTELY valid in about 98% of situations. If you're playing solo or with a small, low-volume ensemble then sure, the difference in tone can matter, but for the majority of players moving their shapes around to take advantage of the extra notes, the difference in timbre between the open vs. fretted notes (F for example) shouldn't be noticeable enough to anyone but you, standing right in-front of your amp, to matter. If it does, it's probably a symptom of your hardware setup.

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 got my first five-string for church. It was a lot easier to sight read the bass line from the hymnal. Lots of numbers are scored below the range of a four-string a little. It was easier than shifting a whole octave on the fly (for me, at least)

Thanks for the tips, Marc! I started my bass playing on the 5 string Ibanez K5. When I make the shift to 4 string, the difference was huge. Having a small issue at the first moment. But it was really helping 5 string bass practice. Actually besides the wider neck and B string + C, and C# notes everything is quite the same!

In an improvisational context, I love that the low E, F, G and A on the 5th string sound different than in first position on the 4th. The same patterns sound quite different in the different positions. In addition, two octave patterns can be covered in 5 frets from the 5th to 1st strings. I was lucky that the first fiver I picked up had a SUPER comfortable neck with excellent rolled edges and frets. A G&L L2500. Brilliant bass.

An excellent explanation, Marcelo. Very direct and succinct. But if I may comment on a few things (having been down that road). 1) It's true that different string thicknesses and positions have different timbres. One approach to making notes on the low B sound like being played on the E is using a "tapercore" low B. It adds back some zing that's lost in a traditional 5 string. I currently have them on two of my 5ers. 2) Drop D tuning works, but unless you practice a lot with that tuning, it takes a lot of mental gymnastics to retrain for it. I have Hipshot Drop D tuner on my Jazz4 and found it helpful but clumsy and confusing at times as you have to remember which tuning you're in. That's why I mostly play 5's now. With the tapercore low B and easier fingerings I find that extra string more than helpful, especially that a lot of stuff I play has notes as low as that low B. As for your suggestion about changing from a standard E tuning, down a full step to standard D tuning, that makes a ton of sense. IMO it's easier to just think up two frets than to re-train for odd fingerings that you get with drop-D. Thanks again for the explanations.

4 strings the best ❤ 🎸🎉

It all depends on what you play, I mostly play metal tuned to BEADG or ADGCF so a 5 string makes sense, but whenever I play something that's in standard tuning I use a 4 string because is easier don't have to worry about the fifth 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)

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.

Besides the obvious low B string, there are other reasons why a 5-string could be the better option for some. - Narrower string spacing: especially for guitarists turning bass player it's faster to maneuver over the narrower spacing. But also for everybody else, the 5-string is more compact and the hands have to travel less. Result: faster access, less fatigue - It forces you to pick accurately: a byproduct of the narrow spacing is that the 5-string forces your picking hand to work more accurately as there's 2mm less space between each string compared to the 4-string. There's not much room to spare and you have to pick efficiently. Result: picking technique will refine faster. - It forces you to strictly mute strings: with the low B, you have to mute even more carefully. Result: muting technique will refine faster. - Warmer sound: compared to a 4, the same model as 5 will always have a little bit of warmer sound and slower attack. Contraproductive for hardcore slappers maybe, but can be very useful to everyone else.

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...

I wanted a jazz bass and I saw a squire vintage modified jazz 5 for £150 second hand so I bought it and love it

Bring the thunder! I love my 5 string.

Excellent real world problems video... Just common sense...Thank you

Hey Marco, Thanks so much for helping me clarify this in my mind!

Great point

I agree. I took my low B off and put a High C instead and it’s punchy. I notice on tons of KZfaq videos players shy away from the B string and play on 4 strings. After all Jeff Berlin plays on a 4 and does pretty well.

Your comments are spot on. Only one thing I wonder about is the whole sustain thing. I've been playing 34 years now and most of the songs and situations I've been in I've never really needed to sustain a note longer than a bar of music. So I've never bought into high mass bridges and anything else that supposedly gives you this extra sustain. And anyway you've got to remember that when your dialled in a mix live or recorded them notes on the five that gives you economy of motion will go past so fast that your average listening punter won't know a thing. Sorry guys just my thoughts.

Nothing to say. Your explanation is perfect. Thank you a lot

Thank you Marcelo for the information.

5 strings were invented in the 1970 or 80, so I guess it is really important to have a 5 string bass on recording studio and live performance. I've been playing bass for 9 yrs, with a 4 string bass. As a session bassist, I only use standard tuning at that time in high school, but I later switched to drop B on my 4 due to one of the songs required for perfect sound and balanced. And the answer is yes. A 5 string can be necessary.