Are six string basses addictive?

[Doddy]

1 hour ago, TheLowDown said:

If you think a 6er doesn't add complication to navigation then maybe there is still a lot of work to be done on fretboard awareness. But if you just play in the box all night every night, a 5 or 6 string will definitely suit you much better. 

First of all, there is nothing wrong with my fretboard awareness, and I'm fully aware of every note on the instrument as well as what notes are in what scales and chords. 

Positional playing can be a big help if you're on a reading gig, particularly if there are big leaps in range, because it's all there under your hand.Even if you're not reading, you can play more in the middle of the neck rather than in the lower positions. It's not about playing in a box, or playing a beginner shape.   Like I said earlier, you also get a 3 octave range within 12 frets, which is something that is not possible on a standard Fender. That is one of the main reasons I like a 6 for gigs where I'll be soloing, even though I play 5 strings most of the time.

I guess players like Anthony Jackson and John Patitucci are limiting themselves to beginner box patterns and need to improve their fretboard awareness?

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Doddy

[binky_bass]

1 hour ago, TheLowDown said:

Major 3rds was an example to make the point. You should be at least aware of where all the major/minor 3rds, natural/flat 5ths, and minor/major 7ths are depending on what chord type you're playing. Playing scales across the entire neck teaches you more than just note positions so you don't have to rely on beginner shapes. 

A 4 string means that there is less to consider which makes playing much nippier when you need it.  If you know the fretboard well enough, going up or down the neck where necessary shouldn't be a problem, and even encourages a certain creativity. 

If you think a 6er doesn't add complication to navigation then maybe there is still a lot of work to be done on fretboard awareness. But if you just play in the box all night every night, a 5 or 6 string will definitely suit you much better. 

Can't we just play whatever instrument we want to play without fear of being shot down because 'we haven't mastered the 4 string so should own a 6 string'.

Can everyone stop sapping the fun out of music!!! Music is art, art is subjective ergo music is subjective and can darn well be whatever the individual wants it to be! 

Humbug, humbug to all!!! 

Yes, even YOU! 

Edited May 7, 2021 by binky_bass

[Waddo Soqable]

Well I had a cheapo six for a bit, it was certainly a lot of fun !.... I'm about the 180° antithesis of a royal college of music, jazz chords, theory type, last time I read any "dots" was at school !.... I got rid of the six after the initial novelty wore off though, I wasn't really doing anything with it so passed it on.

I can see how a six would be a very good tool to originate stuff on, in the sense you come up with ideas you wouldn't have had on a 4 stringer. For me instruments that are a bit different interest me in that kind of direction rather than some kind of mega tecnical math muso malarkey... But as I've said elsewhere, I'm essentially just a hammer wielding thug !

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, Doddy said:

.I guess players like Anthony Jackson and John Patitucci are limiting themselves to beginner box patterns and need to improve their fretboard awareness?

Yep, they are not good enough to play a 4 so they have to make do.

what is a "beginner shape" anyway, are there some patterns you are not allowed to use once you have been doing it a while?

[binky_bass]

I think the lesson here is that if you play 4 string bass you're some kind of awesome bass hero that can slay dragons while simultaneously slap-tapping every song ever written at the same time while effortlessly curing all of the world's ailments and feeding every orphan in existence, but if you play 6 string bass you are the reincarnation of Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin and Wario all wrapped up into one bastardish package. 

And no, I have literally never exaggerated anything in my life ever! 

Edited May 8, 2021 by binky_bass

[Waddo Soqable]

12 minutes ago, binky_bass said:

I think the lesson here is that if you play 4 string bass you're some kind of awesome bass hero that can slay dragons while simultaneously slap-tapping every song every written at the same time while effortlessly curing all of the world's ailments and feeding every orphan in existence, but if you play 6 string bass you are the reincarnation of Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin and Wario all wrapped up into one bastardish package. 

And no, I have literally never exaggerated anything in my life ever! 

You're making me wish I'd kept the six string now !

[akabane]

15 hours ago, TheLowDown said:

Major 3rds was an example to make the point. You should be at least aware of where all the major/minor 3rds, natural/flat 5ths, and minor/major 7ths are depending on what chord type you're playing. Playing scales across the entire neck teaches you more than just note positions so you don't have to rely on beginner shapes. 

A 4 string means that there is less to consider which makes playing much nippier when you need it.  If you know the fretboard well enough, going up or down the neck where necessary shouldn't be a problem, and even encourages a certain creativity. 

If you think a 6er doesn't add complication to navigation then maybe there is still a lot of work to be done on fretboard awareness. But if you just play in the box all night every night, a 5 or 6 string will definitely suit you much better. 

It's incredible how much ignorance can be spewed in a post and touted as facts

[Woodinblack]

12 hours ago, binky_bass said:

I think the lesson here is that if you play 4 string bass you're some kind of awesome bass hero

Clearly as you play 6, 7 .. 10 string basses, it is a miracle that you can even manage to get out of bed and dress yourself in the morning 😂

[binky_bass]

25 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Clearly as you play 6, 7 .. 10 string basses, it is a miracle that you can even manage to get out of bed and dress yourself in the morning 😂

That sir is an assumption! I am currently trapped in bed with a sock on my hand and my fear in my eyes. 

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 14, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[DiMarco]

Last night I had rehearsals with my punkrock band and brought the six just for kicks.
Most of the songs only need two or max. three strings.

The reason I brought the six is because it is new and I was wondering if I would experience any limitations while playing regular fast rock stuff.
I will be completely honest here: Nope, zero limitations. I must add that I regularly play five string basses so I have taught myself how to keep the lowest strings from droning quite some time ago and always mute with both hands. I did find I have to work somewhat harder if a song has a lot of stuff going on on the low B string since that is a bit more of a stretch (my bass has 19mm spacing) but that's no biggie and I can get used to that pretty quick I reckon.

[funkypenguin]

10 hours ago, akabane said:

It's incredible how much ignorance can be spewed in a post and touted as facts

+1.....

[TheLowDown]

On 07/05/2021 at 19:03, Doddy said:

and I'm fully aware of every note on the instrument as well as what notes are in what scales and chords. 

That's not what I said.

On 08/05/2021 at 09:17, akabane said:

It's incredible how much ignorance can be spewed in a post and touted as facts

Sorry for my "ignorance". Please educate on where I'm wrong so I can learn from your greater knowledge?

Edited May 11, 2021 by TheLowDown

[binky_bass]

Opinion is Opinion, fact is fact, by my reckoning @TheLowDown has stated opinion and not tried to push it as fact, so it's valid as their opinion even if I personally don't agree. 

Now let's all just agree that all 6 string bass players are incredibly handsome and excellent at all things in life and all 4 string players are terrible terrible people, surely that's a fact we can all agree on! 😜

[Doddy]

3 hours ago, TheLowDown said:

That's not what I said.

But you did say that if you don't find a 6 complicated then you lack fretboard awareness, and that 5 & 6 strings are for if you play in a box all night. I just countered that rubbish by saying that it doesn't matter how many strings I'm playing, I know exactly where to play the notes over the entire fingerboard.  It's not about playing boxes and shapes.

[Al Krow]

13 hours ago, binky_bass said:

Opinion is Opinion, fact is fact, by my reckoning @TheLowDown has stated opinion and not tried to push it as fact, so it's valid as their opinion even if I personally don't agree. 

Now let's all just agree that all 6 string bass players are incredibly handsome and excellent at all things in life and all 4 string players are terrible terrible people, surely that's a fact we can all agree on! 😜

Fact: bass six string players typically have 6 fingers per hand

Edited May 12, 2021 by Al Krow
Source: Trump campaign HQ, Florida

[Hellzero]

3 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Fact: bass six string players typically have 6 fingers per hand

A slight correction here.

Fact: bass six string players typically have 6 fingers on the fretting hand and 4 fingers on the plucking hand.

Edited May 12, 2021 by Hellzero
Source: Bush campaign HQ, Texas

[Al Krow]

4 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

A slight correction here.

Fact: bass six string players typically have 6 fingers on the fretting hand and 4 fingers on the plucking hand.

Fake news!

[binky_bass]

29 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

A slight correction here.

Fact: bass six string players typically have 6 fingers on the fretting hand and 4 fingers on the plucking hand.

Also incorrect,

Fact: 6 string bass players have 10 hands, each with 1 finger. 6 hands on the left of the body and 4 on the right. No thumbs. Left handed 6 string bass players are a figment of our collective imagination and do not actually exist. 

Artists rendering:

Edited May 12, 2021 by binky_bass
Source: Qanon HQ

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 14, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[DiMarco]

Oh dear...

 

[DiMarco]

 

 

[TheLowDown]

On 12/05/2021 at 00:56, Doddy said:

But you did say that if you don't find a 6 complicated then you lack fretboard awareness

I didn't say that either. 🤦‍♂️

[binky_bass]

On 07/05/2021 at 17:33, TheLowDown said:

If you think a 6er doesn't add complication to navigation then maybe there is still a lot of work to be done on fretboard awareness.

To be fair, you kind of did! 😜

[DiMarco]

Ah you're still here... The six string works and sounds great.
But the five string Fodera has been regaining its ground a bit again. I prefer its character.
Life is good. It doesn't matter how many strings a bass has. Love them all.

Still, playing a six is intriguing and I do reach for it every day.