5 String Bass: What You NEED To Know!

You cant detune with hipshot in the middle of the gig? Sell your gear. You dont need it.

man, that bass sounds awesome. debating a Jazz vs Stingray. Jazz just seems more versatile though.

Just picked up a j5 essence from Anaconda. Still wrapping my brain around the extra string, but love the bass - absolute tone monster.

what strings come with the b string tapered where it goes over the bridge?

I like his method of teaching

He tells me truth I use my thumb to keep
The strings from humming

I hear drums the bass is not audiable

I have recently purchased a 5 string Music man stingray. Im loving it. I play in a 2000's pop punk band that has 8 drop D songs. To play them on a five string is a doddle, I love it. Oh, and the punch f the music man is just awesome.

I always use 5-string basses, and many of the songs I play go down to deep C or even B. It also requires less movement of the fret hand when playing around the 5th fret. And if you really want to make a statement, try playing open E on string 4 and closed E on string 5 at the same time. I do regular BEADG tuning.

Is it good for slapping and piping.

At first I couldn't play a fiver. But then it suddenly just clicked. I can easily switch now between 4 and 5.
All the reasons and tips you mention - I can totally relate.

What's that bass, which headstock is on the preview?

I always thought that the low 5 string was tuned to A because some bassist tuned it to that for a song. I think it was Bush.

Is there a need for me to buy a special kind of bass guitar if I want a high C tuning, or can I just do that to my low B, 5 string Bass?

The bass audio is much lower than the speech/voice and so I have to ride the volume to hear what you’re playing.

I don't know. It is what it is. You like it - or you don't.

I've only ever owned 4 string basses for the past 15 years (5 basses in all). When I've tried to play 5 strings, I found them to be too wide for my comfort. But as of the time of this comment, I'm planning on grabbing my first 5 string later today. Sometimes it's very important to explore outside your own style in order to find a broader perspective. This was a fantastic video!

Thanks Dan perfect

Love 5 string play 4 string for slap and lessons most books are written for 4 string bass

Dan, I love how calm your teaching approach is. It's refreshing! On the note of the BEAD 5 string...I have a Yamaha BB235 and it is brilliant for the price point. If I pair it up with my Boss GT-1B, I can get pretty much any tone I want without having to swap instruments. My personal biggest issue with playing the 5 initially was accidently hitting the B while plucking on the other strings. My workaround for this was to use a floating thumb approach, as opposed to anchoring, which gives me a bit more control and reach. What I love about the sound of a 5 string is it adds a different tonal palette to play with - an E, F and G on the B string will sound fuller and richer than played on the E because the string is thicker. Not always appropriate, but you have to love that punch it provides.

Hello Dan, I don't know anything about the proper use of a fret wrap. Is it a tool that helps to eliminate harmonic ringing when you play a 5 string? So I can use this along the with floating thumb technique? Or do you typically use one or the other? When I was an absolute beginner I bought a 5 string bass guitar and found out that I didn't have the muting skills to eliminate the harmonic ring. So I quit the 5 string and sold the guitar just learned to play on my 4 string basses. Now that I can play a little tiny bit,😂, and understand more about playing bass, I want to give the 5 String bass another try. Now I wish I hadn't sold my 5 string bass.😡

I often refactor patterns up the neck on a 5 string from what I'd normally play on a 4 string because in addition to the extra space, you also benefit from the tonal evenness. I have a nice Yamaha 735a now, really playable and versatile, great active sound and passive is great too. I'm now looking for a fretless 5er.

great vid !!!!
what's your opinion about marcus miller v5 5string? I'm about to start playing with 5 strings and I think its a good option ...

Would like a recommendation for a neck-diveless 5 string under $1000 (USD) if anyone has one.

I was watching your video and I couldn’t help but notice it seems like your action is pretty high on that music man stingray or is that just an optical illusion? Do you set up your own basses? Would that be a good video to do? Do you setup your basses…your playing sounds great.

If you're used to playing stuff in Drop D on a 4-string, what would be your suggestion of how to adjust to play these fingering patterns that would normally occur on the "low D string" to map between the B and E string(s)? Particularly if you're sight reading a fingering chart that assumes a 4-string in Drop D? Hopefully you can infer from my question that I am not at the pro level but still learning.
Or would you still recommend retuning to a Drop D for those songs and leave the B alone?

I have played 5 string for a long time. Notes below E never sounded all that good to me even in the 35" I own. The real power of 5 string is being able playing mostly in the 5 fret position instead of the open position. 1) Notes there have a lower fundamental sound. 2) Notes are closer so in long gigs you will be more confortable. 3) if you have smaller hands they can be a blessing. This makes them very popular for Latin, Afro and Dance music. I recently found at that this little to do with having 5 strings and everything to do with the scale. By playing on the 5 string you are shortening the scale. You can similar benefits from a lower scale bass. They are becoming popular now these 33" basses. In a shorter length 5 tuned E-C, your E will sound with more beef your high C will sound rounder. is I think matt garrison's bass is like a 32-33".

Been playing a 5 string bass since 1995. I agree with all your reasons for using a 5. Also if you're in a cover band and your singer needs a key change to do the song comfortably then a 5 is also useful there. Had a Stingray 5 and loved it. Now I have a Spector Euro5LXTW. Love it even more. Better, bigger, tighter low B.

I just use my wrist to mute the strings when slapping on my five or six-string basses. It's not that hard, really.

Great video man.
For me my bass I call home would have to be my Schecter Stiletto Studio 5. That bass has been my go to bass for a long time. I have a 4 and it’s fun as hell to play as well, but in the band I’m in we’re playing anywhere from E standard to drop A# and thanks to my 5er (named Ol’ Reliable) I don’t have to swap basses/change tunings for anything. Most I have to do is hit my hipshot dtuner to drop the B to A for the tunings lower than B and I’m covered.
The muting issue is something to consider but with practice/technique before you know it you’re playing and have a technique down for muting. Everyone’s is different, you just gotta find yours.

And for the songs in E standard i just play the songs as normal and add some notes from the lower register tastefully in key parts of the songs.

Harley Bentons are great sounding and inexpensive

I’ve played fives for most of my gigging life, I almost never bother with a four

I just bought my first 5 string. Had a few 4 strings, then bought a 6 string. I love it to death, it’s my favorite instrument that I own….but I never seem to use the high C string that much. So when I’m not using it, it just adds unnecessary width the the next. Got a short scale, 4 string fir when I was out and about and had time to fiddle, then noticed I kept wanting the low B after realizing how convenient it actually is. So here I am a year later waiting on my 5 string to show up in the mail. I think that will be my sweet spot. I wont sell my other instruments thought, they all come in handy in different situations lol Plus I have a hard time letting them go. I’ve sold 2 guitars in my life and I always look back and wish I hadn’t.

Would you negotiate that bass?
Trade for Yamaha Trb 5p?

"How do I use my B string more?" Would anyone ever ask, "How do I use the 21st (or 22nd, 23rd ...) fret more?" How often do any players play the highest fret? Yet we still like to have them there.

elixir strings.

Thank you. Some points are very accurate. Especially when it comes to flavor when using very low notes.
Why did you choose Stingray and not, for example, Jazz Bass or G&L L-2500 or something else?

tune your b string bruv!

One interesting video would be on how you achieve your sound which ilikevery much

I tune my 5 String Bass down a half step (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb) so that the higher notes are less of a strain on my voice, especailly when I sing.

so pleased I discovered this bass channel. Got absolutely sick of many others with their endless hard sell and " you must do THIS!!! etc".

I have found that my MM Bongo 5 hh is so fun to play and sounds great for practically everything.

My 5 is hanging on the wall and it's calling me.I need to use it more.5 is the limit for me, though I've an 8 string course bass but that's a horse of a different color.

Hello I'm a five string player also, and play tuned down to A (A,D,C,G,F). Similar to Andrew Gouche! Great tuning for church songs especially for those male lead singers that like singing in E flat or B flat or even A!

Thanks Dan! Didn't know, those Elites Strings are still available. I used to play Elites Stadiums (stainless steel) a lot a few years ago. Very good reasonally priced strings!

Dan do you recommend any books for someone coming from double bass (upright) over to bass guitar. I can read bass and treble clef fluently but need something more in the way of technique for the bass guitar. Any advice is appreciated.

I'm a 4-string player, but my 5-string comes in really handy in two of the bands I'm in, and another that I sub in occasionally. I started out only using the B string on songs that require me to play below a low E, but pretty quickly I started using the higher register of the B string to play more basslines higher on the neck. And often it just makes it so I don't have to shift nearly as much. It's a 35" scale, so the low B string is super clear. If anything I need to get a set of those ground-wound strings on it to tame the tone 😂

At 72,switching over from an upright double bass to bass guitar I find this intriguing and fun. You’re never too old for anything just keep on plucking!