nobodysprefect Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 (edited) Here's a trailer for a musical theatre production by rank amateurs - law student's at my faculty - for which I'm the MD. Called to create music, I whipped out a chord progression - arpeggio inversions, really - I'd come up with and played two solos on top of it and picked the better one. Me, I think the result proves that sometimes a high c string is worthwhile. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xainYWAwV7k[/media] Edited January 30, 2013 by nobody's prefect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Is there anyone these days who wouldn't accept that a high C string can be useful for some players? I thought that sort of attitude died out in the early 2000's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodysprefect Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 You'd be surprised me matey... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 You could try using it to wean guitarists off their skinny cheese wires and on to some proper good honest chunky strings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodysprefect Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 Nah, flog the bastards with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 [quote name='nobody's prefect' timestamp='1359584458' post='1957225'] You'd be surprised me matey... [/quote] It probably wouldn't surprise me if I were auditioning for a pub rock band, but I thought most the civilised world had moved on to knocking 11 string basses now? It hardly seems that a 6 string is even considered an ERB anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodysprefect Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 11 strings... Eh, I dunno, never felt the need for more than 6. That's how Leo designed it. If you want to play that many strings, you should play a sitar or a harp. Anyway, you don't need more than 6 strings to play the money notes anyways. Frankly, though, I don't think I could develop the technique or stamina necessary to swing an 11 string. Or a 7 string, really. My pinkies are really short and a 19mm six is the absolute max I'm comfortable with, with practise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 For a reading muso, it saves flying up and down the neck = economy of movement = less wrong notes. But a 5 is chunky enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 [quote name='nobody's prefect' timestamp='1359586135' post='1957280'] 11 strings... Eh, I dunno, never felt the need for more than 6. That's how Leo designed it [/quote] Didn't Leo design it as a 4? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I had a 6 myself for a few years so I appreciate they can sound good, but it never did become a popular instrument - I still only ever see them used in pretentious metal bands (the sort who come up with a convoluted genre classification for their music before they actually come up with any songs). And like it or not most bands will roll their eyes at you if you turn up with one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Dental floss for a Great white? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodysprefect Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 [quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1359589067' post='1957347'] I had a 6 myself for a few years so I appreciate they can sound good, but it never did become a popular instrument - I still only ever see them used in pretentious metal bands (the sort who come up with a convoluted genre classification for their music before they actually come up with any songs). And like it or not most bands will roll their eyes at you if you turn up with one. [/quote] Chaka Khan is pretentious metal these days? Andrew Gouche is one of the hardest grooving cats you'll [i]ever [/i]hear and he mostly plays an MTD 635... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I use a 6 for some songs purely because it's easier to play the runs across the neck rather than whizzing up and down it like someone's found my Fast Forward button... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodysprefect Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 Me, I only play sixes these years. Having more range never stopped Melvin Davis or Andrew Gouche from grooving... And groove is where it's at! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 [quote name='nobody's prefect' timestamp='1359586135' post='1957280'] If you want to play that many strings, you should play a sitar or a harp. Anyway, you don't need more than X strings to play the money notes anyways. [/quote] Ah, those are the sorts of quips I remember being aimed at 6 string basses all those years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodysprefect Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 And Matthew Garrison can't probably groove, either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowender Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 It's however you decide to make music. There's no right or wrong. Personally, I sold my 6 string bass because I felt the extra 4 notes it provided wasn't worth the extra neck thickness. When I want to play in that resister, I pick up the guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckendrick Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 [quote name='nobody's prefect' timestamp='1359584458' post='1957225'] You'd be surprised me matey... [/quote] Lost in translation, boss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 What use is a high C? Pick any note on the G and barre the 4th above. Sounds lovely, especially on a fretless... If your intonation is better than mine above the 9th (un) fret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Nice piece of music with an interesting harmony/chord progression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamd Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Thundercat! Nice scoring yes, evocative Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I can't see myself ever owning or playing a 6 string bass but if someone else wants to get one then thats fine by me. Life would be boring if we were all the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I got to the stage last summer (when i only had a four string) where I was writing basslines for my new band, and it soon became evident that a low B string would make life easier. So far, I've never felt that the lack of a high C string has been holding me back. I can see situations where it would be beneficial, but they just don't apply to me at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 (edited) All depends on what sort of player you are. Some don't need a high C, some of us don't need (or know how to use a low B ). The bad ass MF in this band uses a 6 string and having seen him play live, he's awesome. [url="http://www.youtube.com/user/willeandthebandits?feature=watch"]http://www.youtube.com/user/willeandthebandits?feature=watch[/url] Edited January 31, 2013 by Marvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodysprefect Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 (edited) Thanks for the compliments! I guess we're backwards here in Finland. I've heard some guitards (sic) tell a bassist that they need a Real (preferably vintage 4-string) Fender, none of that Sadowsky clone crap. And the amount of lip I get (from other musos!) for playing the sixers at weddings! Thing is, the two musicians I've played with more than half my life with really appreciate the fact that I can comp or play kontrapunkts or solo or play a nice intro or outro up there. And then there's the usual 'we play lots of stuff in Eb or have to transpose to accommodate a vocalist.' So I realized playing a six was the way [i]for me[/i] to serve the needs of the trio. Then I found out going between five and six really mucked up my playing and it's been all sixes from there. To answer my own question, I don't think I've ever heard a chord played on a, d and g strings sound the same as one using d,g and c. There's a different sonic quality and if you want that nylon string-ish tone, you'll need thinner gauge. Also, where in the scale you play has famously a huge impact on the tone - who of us is free of the carnal sin of playing something up the neck on E or A string? It's got [i]that tone[/i] in a good way. Edited January 31, 2013 by nobody's prefect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.