Question for bass players....

[Mudbug]

When you now have so many tunings to deal with. How do you tune your bass/basses so you don't have to have 3,4,5 different basses. Or have to tune during every song. When the people you are playing with want to try to tune to the song??? I have a 5 string and a 4 string. I was thinking about tuning the 5 string 1/2 step down and keeping the "B" a "B". Then tuning the 4 to a "E"....

Any input???

[EyesOfAnguishbassist]

Play every song in the same tuning

[moxham123]

I use one 4 string bass using standard tuning and we play every song in the key it is in.

[MeYatch]

one 4 string for standard/drop D, one 4 string for Eb and dropped Db

That covers most anything.

You could just use your 5 string. I have no idea why you would tune your 5 string B Eb Ab Db Gb. Besides the strings being out of relationship with each other, its not like those flat notes aren't there, you just have to move your hand a little bit

[bassist_25]

I'm kind of confused by your question. Are you saying that your guitarist(s) tune down a half step on certain material and stay in standard 440 for other material? If that's the case, then yes I'd tune down one bass a half step. Be sure to check your setup then; that could affect you intonation.

I have no idea why you would tune your 5 string B Eb Ab Db Gb. Besides the strings being out of relationship with each other, its not like those flat notes aren't there, you just have to move your hand a little bit

The notes are there, but if there is material that benefits from the usage of open strings, then it's going to be a lot of extra work to be fretting Ebs and Abs to play a night's worth of material just so you don't have to be tuned a half-step down. Like I've said here before, I play 5vers so I don't have to deal with drop-tunings and multiple basses, but if I were in a Tool tribute band, you better believe I'd have my bass in drop-D. LOL

It's all about the economy of motion. I've learned that sometimes you're better off playing a fretted A and sometimes you're better off playing an open A. It's about the situation and what allows you to play a passage as cleanly as possible while setting yourself up for the next position shift. I tell a lot of bass players to spend some time learning cello suites (warning: many of them require notes below a low E, so a 5er may be needed) because they really make you think about the economy of motion, fingering, and left hand* technique.

*or right hand technique if you're left handed.

[moxham123]

It's all about the economy of motion. I've learned that sometimes you're better off playing a fretted A and sometimes you're better off playing an open A. It's about the situation and what allows you to play a passage as cleanly as possible while setting yourself up for the next position shift. I tell a lot of bass players to spend some time learning cello suites (warning: many of them require notes below a low E, so a 5er may be needed) because they really make you think about the economy of motion, fingering, and left hand* technique.

*or right hand technique if you're left handed.

Good advice. I took violin lessons for 6 years (same 4 strings as a standard bass but in reverse order - E is the high string). My instructor was a concert master and taught me the value of hand anchoring and being able to hit the most notes with the least amount of hand motion. I learned to apply that to playing bass and it has proven to be a valuable lesson even though the neck is much larger and the notes further apart, the same principles apply.

[DrumAndDestroy]

Play every song in the same tuning

yup

[RamRod 1]

I just play oldies so it's not a concern.

Don't get me wrong, I respect what all you guys are trying to do but sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it.

[MOONDOGGY]

Invest in a couple Hipshot D-tuners. You can adjust them to drop from 1/2 step up to like 1 1/2 step.

[bassist_25]

I just play oldies so it's not a concern.

Don't get me wrong, I respect what all you guys are trying to do but sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it.

Good post. IMO, I definitely think that it's worth it. A half step can mean the difference between a vocalist being able to hit something or not, a high baritone voice being able to hit something written for a low tenor or a mezzo soprano hitting something originally done by a soprano. Some styles of music are easier to transpose than others. With a lot of the newer rock and metal stuff, though, it's not so easy to tranpose down because it's already probably being played in E. You really can't just put a capo on. The answer is to go to a lower tuning.

There are a couple tunes we do that we transposed to different keys, which require tunings other than standard.

[Mudbug]

I've only ever played 1/2 step down. And then the "drop tuning" (C#). After awhile you kinda get use to it, ya know. So I'm trying something new!! Plus you just can't go into someone else project and tell them how "you" want to do it...

Thanks "b_25"... That's what I was thinking.... And...

"MeY".... There are songs in the modern world with a Low B...

[JeffLeeper]

I cant speak for everyone but I've been gigging on bass for ....well ill be in year 30 this year, and always got what i wanted from a 4-string Fender, tuned regular.

[Griff]

I play a 5 string and I play in standard 440 if it is only a few songs that are drop tuned then I work with the flats and sharps, but a while back I played with a few friends and they tuned down for vocal reasons for every song so I tuned down as well. My opinion it is all what you like and what works for you.

[MeYatch]

if you use the low B, awesome, more power to you. I don't, and you asked what other people did to fascilitate different tunings.

What I was getting at is I think it would make more sense to play your 4 string in Eb and your 5 string in standard. Are any songs you are playing actually in B Eb Ab Db Gb? I've never heard of anyone tuning like that, it seemed to me like at that point the low B would just be a big shiny thumbrest.

As far as needing to retune, you just arrange your set list so that your songs with different tunings come in big blocks.

[Banned]

I use one 4 string bass using standard tuning and we play every song in the key it is in.

Same Here.