for a mid level bass player with access to a 5 string for the first time, what riffs get the most bang for the buck using a low B? I'm thinking what to have a pop at learning to have fun with it rather than playing with others ?
At first I thought this was going to be about Police songs!
Try some Gogol Bordello stuff. Tommy Gobena plays a five string throughout the music and the riffs are terrific. Not exactly pop but it's fantastic music.
It's only 5 extra notes, B, C, C#,D & D#. Having the B string isn't just about those notes but also it's about the increased options of your fretting hand position. Now you can fret E on the 5th fret of the B string instead of playing it open for instance.
It's good to be judicious with the B string. If you hang around on it like it's an E string you'll end up sounding like P nut from 311. :puke:
Some of the earlier Black Sabbath material was drop tuned, so having that lower B string makes "Into The Void" easier to play, and sounds right.
One song that is deceptively drop tuned, to my ears, is an old Humble Pie song that fits better with that low B string available, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H987w5NQ6Sk
what a great song. thanks for posting.
one of my favs...
Always nice to here Steve Marriott!
Also when it comes to five string I have a hard time not thinking of Nathan East. He's great on this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWrRrRGT3Uc
But the guy that takes the cake for me on 5 string would have to be "Ready" Freddie Washington.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9dytLAEPYE
is that freddie 'boom boom' washington from 'welcome back kotter'! :mrgreen:
It wasn't very popular, even for a Yes album, but this riff got me to buy my first 5 string, and tune it down a step. By the time my infatuation had cooled off, I had gotten used to the tuning and floppy strings and still use it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEt5OQSGDIA
Quote from: nofi on May 18, 2013, 11:15:24 AM
is that freddie 'boom boom' washington from 'welcome back kotter'! :mrgreen:
Yes, exactly. Same guy that goes on tour with Steely Dan and is a first call session bassist also played himself on Welcome Back Kotter. :rolleyes:
I heard you're a big fan of Robert Johnson.
(http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o632/4stringer77/Joan/Robert-Johnson_zpsa8caa2bc.jpg) (http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/4stringer77/media/Joan/Robert-Johnson_zpsa8caa2bc.jpg.html)
my guy is dead. who is this imposter. :P
I realized Nathan East and Freddie Washington both recorded for Anita Baker. I prefer the album Freddie did, Rapture, over the one Nathan did, Giving You the Best That I've Got.
This guy covering East's work on the title track is impressive and shows how to handle a B string well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVs8F5PNV5U
He does a Freddie Washington cover too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qHgk_1Zozw
Too many strings on that bass, Ari... ;)
I keep my Dano Tuned standard...my Precision is BEAD...never missed the g string, never looked back...
Quote from: HERBIE on May 19, 2013, 02:15:47 PM
Too many strings on that bass, Ari... ;)
I can appreciate the playing but yeah, I stick with 4 strings. Yesterday I played "ain't no sunshine when she's gone" in D and drop tuned with no problem.
Patman, you're going to want to play my next transcription on your Dano. It involves double stops with an open D and fretting the G string on different positions.
Sorry if we derailed your question wellREDman. Hope your enjoying that fiver.
Quote from: Denis on May 18, 2013, 06:30:25 AM
At first I thought this was going to be about Police songs!
oops
Quote from: 4stringer77 on May 20, 2013, 08:58:22 AM
Sorry if we derailed your question wellREDman. Hope your enjoying that fiver.
not as much as I was expecting to
thanks for all the suggestions,
what I was after was not so much new music, as a riff that I already knew, just hadn't learned to play, that would take advantage of the Low B. I did find it elsewhere though, wipeout sounds fantasticly dirty in the lower register :)
Quote from: 4stringer77 on May 18, 2013, 07:43:05 AM
Now you can fret E on the 5th fret of the B string instead of playing it open for instance.
Brilliant advice cheers, had fun reworking the fingering on Higher Ground.
No pun intended but Police songs are fun to rework with a 5'er. You can harmonize the synth pads or do double stops against the parts where there were fretless slurs, like "King of Pain." You need to get out of the "riff" mindset because that's a guitar mindset for melodic phrasing. (-think almost every modern Tool chordal bass part) Use the B string to build harmonies even if you've just doing sustained half notes of roots or second notes an octave lower and the more you get used to it, the easier it will be start phrasing melodically and working it into your regular playing vocabulary. It's also fun because you'll start hearing some neat jazz voicings in a different light. 90's pop and pop country lived by the low B.