Tuning in 5ths

[Downunderwonder]

I was a violinist before taking up the bass at age 25. It didn't even occur to me to retune the bass to 5ths. It did take more than 5 minutes to adjust, but less than 5 days.

[Velarian]

Julia Hofer, everybody’s favourite cellist turned bass player, hasn’t tuned her bass like a cello because it would make playing disco harder.  😉

 

 

Edit: this was supposed to be a link to the place in the video where she mentions it but it didn’t work. It’s at 8:53

 

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by Velarian

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Tuning scheme should surely be dictated by the choice of repetoire, rather than being an idea set in stone.

 

 

What does your student want to learn?

[Nicko]

I would say it depends on what they want to play. If they are reading dots and therefore playing parts that are composed in standard tuning the  the original finger positions would not be available.  There's a reason why pentatonic scales for example are popular in guitar based music - it's because the scale tones are naturally under the fingers with the tuning of the instrument.   

[TimR]

I switched from violin to bass and my guitarist friend played both cello and guitar. 

 

You pick up a different instrument and your brain switches automatically. It's odd but it's a powerful thing the brain. 

[pete.young]

Hope that she has got big hands. I don't think this is one of your better ideas Owen, better to just get her an octave pedal and a pickup for the Cello.

[bass_dinger]

On 01/08/2022 at 15:34, Owen said:

I am about to launch a 'cellist into bass guitar world. She is 14 and at Grade 7 standard 

 

If you tune her bass guitar in 5ths, then the cellist will be playing a fretted pizzicato horizontal cello. 

 

A bass, tuned in 4ths, will be different from the cello, and it is that difference that opens up the new possibilities. 

 

Grade 7 at 14 tells me that she has the capability of learning the new layout, and if she wants something different with an extended range, offer a 5 string. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by bass_dinger
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