Transition from soloing on bass to soloing on guitar... (4ths to 3rd)

[danonearth]

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I started on guitar, but am now loving 5-string bass… I want to go back to guitar for a bit, but only to ‘solo’ on it (not playing chords) - so, I have a question… (I know this thread is for bass players, but hopefully some of you can relate to this...? [/size][/font][/color]
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How do you ‘translate’ the perfect fourths tuning of a bass (especially the 5-string with 2 octaves across 4 frets) to a guitar with a 3rd thrown in just to mess with everything! Again, I mostly only want to just solo on it... I am fine with normal chords on a normal guitar - it is just when soloing I get confused after playing the perfect 4ths on a bass, and then I come across the dreaded 3rd interval on the guitar... I kind of want to keep the same ‘thinking’ of perfect 4ths on a bass and use it on the guitar - is it possible?[/size][/font][/color]
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Thanks![/size][/font][/color]

[Dad3353]

That seems simple enough to me; just tune the guitar in fourths, no..? The 'B' gets tuned up to 'C', the top 'E' becomes an 'F' and that's it..! 'Standard' tuning is only that, 'standard'. One may deviate from that 'standard' if that suits the music you want to play. Think of open tunings, for instance..? There are no hard-and-fast rules (but you'd have to adapt if also playing 'standard' chords, of course...). Try it out, it won't break anything.
Just a thought, though. If this change from fourths to thirds bothers you, it would imply (to me...) that you're playing from a purely 'positional', or 'shape' point of view. Any tuning can be handled, once one gets to know the notes and intervals well enough. Transposing on a piano, for instance, involves forgetting about 'shapes', and thinking (or rather, 'knowing'...) the sound of each key. Similarly with a guitar, the notes are where they are; one gets to 'know' how they sound, and that's all. Just a thought.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Dad3353

[paul_c2]

You get round it by remembering to go up one fret when you go from the G string to the B string. I guess you could put it into a different tuning, so long as you'll NEVER play chords on it - the reason that EAGDBE tuning is used is a compromise betweeen being able to play a number of different chords, and being able to play lead lines/melodies.

[danonearth]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1476515102' post='3154860']
That seems simple enough to me; just tune the guitar in fourths, no..? The 'B' gets tuned up to 'C', the top 'E' becomes an 'F' and that's it..! 'Standard' tuning is only that, 'standard'. One may deviate from that 'standard' if that suits the music you want to play. Think of open tunings, for instance..? There are no hard-and-fast rules (but you'd have to adapt if also playing 'standard' chords, of course...). Try it out, it won't break anything.
Just a thought, though. If this change from fourths to thirds bothers you, it would imply (to me...) that you're playing from a purely 'positional', or 'shape' point of view. Any tuning can be handled, once one gets to know the notes and intervals well enough. Transposing on a piano, for instance, involves forgetting about 'shapes', and thinking (or rather, 'knowing'...) the sound of each key. Similarly with a guitar, the notes are where they are; one gets to 'know' how they sound, and that's all. Just a thought.
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Thanks, @[b][font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#7c7c7c"][size=3]Dad3353 - Yes, I am not 'expert' on the guitar enough to know all the notes, as you say... so I was looking for a 'shape' way of understanding it better [/size][/color][/font][/b]

[danonearth]

[quote name='paul_c2' timestamp='1476519243' post='3154888']
You get round it by remembering to go up one fret when you go from the G string to the B string. I guess you could put it into a different tuning, so long as you'll NEVER play chords on it - the reason that EAGDBE tuning is used is a compromise betweeen being able to play a number of different chords, and being able to play lead lines/melodies.
[/quote]

Thanks, @Paul - actually some chords do sound ok tuned in fourths, but I agree with you - standard tuning is a compromise that does sound better

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='paul_c2' timestamp='1476519243' post='3154888']
You get round it by remembering to go up one fret when you go from the G string to the B string.
[/quote]

Thats what I do as well. If you view a guitar as tuned in 4ths but with a one fret shift between G and B strings then it makes learning all scales and arpeggios much easier irrespective of whether you play bass or not - for any one octave pattern spanning 3 strings you only have to remember one variation instead of four of them.

Edited October 15, 2016 by bassman7755

[paul_c2]

Its definitely worth learning the 5 "patterns" you'd play the notes in, during a diatonic scale (ie major scale, natural minor or any of the other modes for that matter). There's a few different variations of how to approach it but the CAGED system is worth looking at and getting to grips with. The other main thing is the "3 notes per string" system. In theory it all transfers to bass too but obviously with the bass having 4 strings, is more simplified/limited, and also for this reason (I feel) scales on the bass guitar don't transfer onto 6 string electric guitar nearly as usefully.

CAGED can also be used for pentatonic scales, arpeggios, different chord voicings, etc.

[MoonBassAlpha]

Embrace the third! It makes some things easier to play, like unison bends and other rock licks and tricks, if that's your thing.

[Cato]

I suppose it comes down to what you're used to.

I've always thought that if I ever get a six string bass I'll tune it B to B. Having the top string as C would confuse me and bugger up any chordal stuff I might want to do.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Cato

[danonearth]

Great! Thanks for all the advice everyone... I'll give it another go cheers, Dan

[TimR]

Just remember the top string is the same as the bottom string and the B would be the same as the bottom B on a 5.