ubassman Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 (edited) Anyone experimented with tuning in 5ths á la Joel Quarrington? Certainly an interesting alternative to the fingering positions used to navigate the fingerboard tuned in 4ths (and actually nothing new). Young bass player Tomoya Aomori is exploring this as an interactive project inviting participants via his web site [url="http://www.playthe5bass.com"]http://www.playthe5bass.com[/url] Full of downloads, ideas, etudes and media. It may not be so user friendly an idea for many especially given the easy transition of tuning in 4ths from horizontal BG to vertical EUB/DB but an entirely different approach to playing the DB based on cello pedagogy . Here's a vid below from Barrie Kolstein master luthier explaining why for classical music it makes a lot of sense and he also suggests that from a luthiers point of view 5th tuning brings some instruments to life. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79xJC3EP8VY[/media] The tuning is to fit the bass with a low C, followed by a G, D, A ( at least the D string doesnt change from 4th tuning!). Edited January 27, 2014 by ubassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Interesting also to read this form Joel Quarrinton's web site about Red Mitchell's use of tuning in 5ths to make intervals like 10ths easier to play. http://joelquarrington.com/tuning-in-fifths/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Have you had a look at the cost of a set of fifths strings? Not nice! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 No need if you use the Rabbath thumb pivot. (You knew I'd say that, dincha ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 i reckon the two go really well together Rabbath and tuning in 5ths ! 0, 1, 2 ,4 with a pivot seems a very logical way of rising up the string before crossing. Not sure about rising thirds that just seems to be a bit of a crazy frenzy of hand shifts ...hmmn!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 [quote name='fatback' timestamp='1390843429' post='2350220'] No need if you use the Rabbath thumb pivot. (You knew I'd say that, dincha ) [/quote] ...yep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I've been playing a fair bit of cello lately and love the flexibility/notes available in one position and that's great for classical based pieces, and jazz to a large extent BUT............... I like playing my root's, fifth's and octave and that's a balls in fifth's tuning after a while!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatgoogle Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I'd love to try it one day. Fourths work at the moment but it does seem like it would make more sense to tune in fifth's when playing with an orchestra. It does seem to be more work for bassists to stay in tune with the orchestra then anyone else. You see whole sections make faces as they slip out of tune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3rHoTMwbU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 If I was as good as him I wouldn't give a toss how the bass was tuned! Seriously though most of the music I play is based in pentatonics and I think I would struggle a lot with 5ths tuning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickybails Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 old thread, but I've just started re-learning bass in fifths tuning. Bought a set of Red Mitchell strings (I first tried retuning my regular EADG set but not that playable) I came to try fifths after learning pivot shifting. I played orchestral bass to a decent standard at school, learning a solid Simandl technique. Gave up playing age 19. Then a couple of years back age 40 I got the urge to play again and got a stagg EDB. happily I found I soon got my old technique back. Then I spent hours googling on all things Double Bass to find out what had progressed in the last 21 years and discovered Rabbath and pivot shifting. Learned to pivot shift - watched Rabbaths DVDs and worked through the Vance books. Along the way I discovered that folk like Joel were tuning in fifths and with the new range I had with pivot shifting, realised that playing in fifths was completely possible. What I mean by 'possible' is that on the top G string I can stretch to C# with my 4th finger while keeping thumb in 1st position. With my old technique I would have been shifting all over the place. It's early days but so far the biggest hurdle is going to be the sight reading - relearn where all the notes are. In terms of playing by ear I find fifths a bit more logical. Relearning all the notes is just a matter of time spend sight-reading until I can do it instinctively. So in summary my advice to anyone wanting to play in fifths, just get started as there's a lot practice required. My motivation for Learning fifths as that so much of the orchestral repertoire suits 5ths better than 4ths.You need a C extension on a regular bass to be able to play 'anything' in an orchestra, and I didn't get on with a C extension. and my hands are a bit small for a 5 string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Fair play rickybails - but curse you also!!!! Now that's got me thinking again about giving it a go!!!! (which is a good thing, so thank you really) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Galbraith Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 (edited) Interesting concept... here's a possible workable way to utilise both tunings ? : [url="http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=373"]http://store.hipshot...ct_detail&p=373[/url] The video on the link at time 0:55 shows using this device to change from 4th's tuning to 5th's tuning. I've just bought one of these & www.LaurenceDixon.com is currently fitting one for me on the low E string so I don't have to get a C-Extension - I'm a jazz player & have been playing with a saxophone ensemble recently (27 piece band)... lot's of flat keys, so I need to play low Db's & Eb's. Have been sight reading these low notes with my 5 string electric bass as transposing them up an octave doesn't always work. Thought one of these devices would do the job in regards getting me to the low notes quickly when changing songs. After reading : [url="http://www.playthe5bass.com/strings/"]http://www.playthe5bass.com/strings/[/url] am thinking there could be an issue getting a nice string set-up that will work for changing between 4th's & 5th's tuning, especially if using a HipShot Xtender like in my first link ? Edited November 19, 2014 by Paul Galbraith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Hmm. Anyone tried flattened-5th tuning? That would give open octaves... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 27 piece sax ensemble!! Eww!... Is that a flock or a gaggle?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmartin Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 [quote name='daflewis' timestamp='1416440464' post='2610365'] 27 piece sax ensemble!! Eww!... Is that a flock or a gaggle?? [/quote] Neither, it's Staxaphones.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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