B-E-A-D Tuning
Mamcountry
most of the time. This can make some of the fingerings arkward.
I'd thought of buying a five string, then a suggestion was made that I tune
down and use a B-E-A-D tuning.
Can anyone comment on this from experience.
I am playing country, and use heavy gauge wirewound strings (.105" E) and a
high action played finger style.
Regards
Mike
Jeff Addicott
(B-E-A-D-G-C) and stay on the bottom 4 strings a lot.
One thing I've found is that playing on the higher frets on the B string
makes for a very very thick and meaty sound.
I play the song "Tighten Up" (G major pentatonic riff) and for this one
riff there are 5 DIFFERENT PLACES I can play it on. Instead of using the
open G string, I always go way up on the E string (and sometimes even
way way way up on the B string). Sounds SO MUCH BETTER.
My point is: the low B string is really great even for notes above low
E, and if you find yourself not having to play the higher notes very
much, the BEAD tuning might work out well for you.
Good luck.
Jeff Addicott
Customer Relations
SlowGold slowdown software - www.slowgold.com
jeffad...@netscape.net
Bill Campbell
heck of a lot easier played on the low B string but at a higher fret--"Let
It Ride" by BTO is a good example, the verse part is F#-B-C#. Played on a 4
string it takes a fair amount of strength down on the 2nd fret on the low E
string, and by the time you keep the staccato part up for a minute or so for
the solo (well it seems like minutes) it gets pretty intense. But go up to
the 7th fret on the low B string to play the F# and the same part is much
less tiring.
Although, having said that, 90 percent of my playing still is on the
traditional first four strings. However, if you're auditioning for a gig,
just showing up with a five string can give you an advantage over someone
who just shows up with a four. Trust me, I've been the guy with the four.
LoRdOfLoW
Hey mike,
i have used this tunning before. i think it sounds like poo and its kinda a
pain in the ass but if you want to tune down i would recomend buying a set of
heavy bottom five string stings. The heavy bottom makes the low b string less
murky.
LoRdOfLoW aka Ryan
Ben Jacoby
: The guy I'm working with likes the bass player to use the bottom octave for
: most of the time. This can make some of the fingerings arkward.
You just figured out one of the reasons 5 and 6 string basses are cool!
: I'd thought of buying a five string, then a suggestion was made that I tune
: down and use a B-E-A-D tuning.
: Can anyone comment on this from experience.
You can get a 5 string set and use only the 4 lower strings and that
might be OK, however the grooves the nut may be too small for the fatter
strings and need to opened up. I would NOT take your normal strings and
just tune them down. Hey, a B string tends to suck major except in the
best of circumstances anyway and using light strings like this will
guarantee it. There's a reason people use 35" scales!
: I am playing country, and use heavy gauge wirewound strings (.105" E) and a
: high action played finger style.
I'd say just go get the 5 string. It will help you learn the patterns of
fingering down onto the B. As someone else noted 5 and 6 string bases
aren't JUST about extra notes. It's about patterns of fingering that go
*across* the strings.
--
Benjamin Jacoby | "Some rob you with a six-gun and some with
| a fountain pen." ..........Woodie Guthrie
(SPAM GUARD! Delete the no spam letters in name to email.)
paul brecht
>
>I'd thought of buying a five string, then a suggestion was made that I tune
>down and use a B-E-A-D tuning.
>
>Can anyone comment on this from experience.
>
>high action played finger style.
Quimbus Flectrum
and for recording. here are the essential tips:
1) Use the lower 4 strings from a 5 string set- the B string will be too
flabby otherwise. Or just buy a single B.
2) Check the nut slots, making sure that they are wide enough to accomodate
the string. Use a small file or reamer to enlarge the slot if necessary
(usually for the top, lightest string)
3) Tune the bass, then set the intonation, making sure that the 12th fretted
note is the same as the 12th fret harmonic.
I don't use this set-up that often, but I'm beginning to like it more and
more. (I usually tune this particular bass ADGC, which is a fourth UP instead
of DOWN)
There's a punchyness there that exists- I don't know what it's called- but
happens when an instrument (particularly bass) Haas fewer strings. Check out
Tony Levin's MusicMan 3 string! For slappin, there's nuthin' out there (ie 5+
strings) as good as a four, although this tuning won't have you slap-happy
considering it's low nature. This is actually good and it helps with one's
groove playing. Also learn when to use the lower notes FOR the song- not using
them just because they're there. Don't always play in that register all the
time- I usually throw in a low note or two as a passing tone or a low octave
of the A string. These notes are very powerful sonically.
My cheap 2nd bass now sounds just as tight as any good 5 string, especially
when compared to the 5 string model by the same company!
Hope this helps....
-Uriah
Mamcountry wrote:
> The guy I'm working with likes the bass player to use the bottom octave for
> most of the time. This can make some of the fingerings arkward.
>
> I'd thought of buying a five string, then a suggestion was made that I tune
> down and use a B-E-A-D tuning.
>
> Can anyone comment on this from experience.
>
> I am playing country, and use heavy gauge wirewound strings (.105" E) and a
> high action played finger style.
>
> Regards
>
> Mike
--
••• Mr. Duffy
••• mrduffy at hotmail dot com
••• 1.415.BORG.UPN
••• http://www.majornet.com/~mrduffy/
Steve White
On Mon, 08 Mar 1999 17:06:52 -0800, Jeff Addicott
<jeffad...@netscape.net> wrote:
>One thing I've found is that playing on the higher frets on the B string
>makes for a very very thick and meaty sound.
Possibly / partly because that puts the pickups much nearer the centre
of the string and therefore emphasizes the even harmonics. That's part
of what makes the bass such a beautiful instrument - I love it when
the bass plays melody lines. I love that Kula Shaker thing of just
playing simple repetitive riffs around the 12th fret and really
grooving. And I LOVE our bass players new 5 string and that meaty "B"
when my drum stool is vibrating and I can feel the notes through my
drum pedals. Its definitely a sexual thing!
Steve White
James Martin
>I'd thought of buying a five string, then a suggestion was made that I tune
>down and use a B-E-A-D tuning.
>Can anyone comment on this from experience.
I tried it and didn't like it. But that's because I play on the A D and G
strings quite a lot. I really missed the G string. So I'd have to go
with the five.
Wheat
_________________________________________________________________________
James E. Martin GRAD 339
jema...@comp.uark.edu 501.575.5100
http://comp.uark.edu/~jemartin Department of Educational Technology
_________________________________________________________________________
Sean Madden
I have done exactly that. I used the B E A D strings of a six string set and
did not have to
change anything on the nut or the bridge.
I find this makes a lot of fingering easier esp. when you play with people
that
transpose everything they play.
You get a lot of fat notes. If however you are a slap bass merchant dont
bother
don't stop at 5 go the whole distance and get a 6 string bass.
Sean Madden
PercEast
overtones I get. I do a fair bit of slapping, and have found that I prefer the
meatiness I can get on my BEAD (don't bother trying to get that tight pop
though). I also like the experience of using my BEAD as my backup when I break
a string; trying to figure out on the spot the new positions to play the same
monotonous songs. It's a great education tool :)
Mamcountry
I will try the tuning if I don't have to start carving chunks out of the nut.
Regards
Mike
Stephen Burkart
: Thanks to everyone who replied.
:
: I will try the tuning if I don't have to start carving chunks out of the nut.
Yikes!
How about trying the Contra Bass pre-set on a ART Nightbass SE?
A normally tuned bass ends-up sounding like it's B-E-A-D.
James Martin
>Thanks to everyone who replied.
>I will try the tuning if I don't have to start carving chunks out of the nut.
On my bass (Fender) the nut was almost wide enough, and I actually used
the string to saw it out wide enough to work (I just ran it back and forth
until it fit). That bass has a graphite nut, so it probably wouldn't work
on every bass, but it might work for a plastic nut.
Wheat
Rob Hewett
> Thanks to everyone who replied.
>
> I will try the tuning if I don't have to start carving chunks out of the nut.
>
> Regards
>
> Mike
I just converted my fretless Precision to this
tuning and it's kind of fun and sounds pretty good.
The nut needed repair anyway, so I got out a file and
just started hacking it down for the .130 - .065 strings.
It seems to have come out OK, but I wouldn't have done
it if I wasn't going to eventually replace the nut anyway.
My thinking in doing this was to help focus on an aspect of
playing my normal bass which is a fretted six string. To see
the B string more in conjuction with fingering patterns around
the middle of the neck and not just as a place to dig out
the low notes on the first 4 frets. Others have mentionned
this in one way or another, as well as the super beefy sound
you get up the neck on the B string.
Problem is, I'm not very good at fretless!
-Rob
Martin Cliffe
Stephen Burkart wrote in message <7cb90b$d...@netaxs.com>...
>Mamcountry (mamco...@aol.com) wrote:
>: Thanks to everyone who replied.
>:
>: I will try the tuning if I don't have to start carving chunks out of the
nut.
>
>
>How about trying the Contra Bass pre-set on a ART Nightbass SE?
>A normally tuned bass ends-up sounding like it's B-E-A-D.
Kinda expensive way to do it isn't it? Cheaper to buy a new nut. Or a new
bass. Or a new 5 string if that's what's required. Unless you happen to own
a Nightbass... Which I don't. And because they're sadly no longer in
production I probably never will. So is life. Anyhow, I have a 6 string so I
don't have the problem.
Other problem with that suggestion. If you play at fairly low volume levels
(or most levels really) you will hear the acoustic strings sounding a 4th
above what is coming out of the amp. Not going to sound pretty. And it'd be
extremely hard to play.
Later
---
Martin Cliffe
Bassist / Vocalist
Voyager Project
http://www.voyagerproject.freeserve.co.uk/
Stephen Burkart
: >
: >How about trying the Contra Bass pre-set on a ART Nightbass SE?
: >A normally tuned bass ends-up sounding like it's B-E-A-D.
:
:
: Kinda expensive way to do it isn't it? Cheaper to buy a new nut. Or a new
: bass. Or a new 5 string if that's what's required. Unless you happen to own
: a Nightbass... Which I don't. And because they're sadly no longer in
: production I probably never will.
I bought one used just recently for $240, it was already updated (and it
came with the X11), so no I don't think it pricey. It's an option to
doing something like cutting the nut on a bass you might not want to cut,
but I can see your point of it being overkill.
: Other problem with that suggestion. If you play at fairly low volume levels
: (or most levels really) you will hear the acoustic strings sounding a 4th
: above what is coming out of the amp. Not going to sound pretty. And it'd be
: extremely hard to play.
If I'm playing that low I'm usually in headphones. Through a rig I can't
hear the fourths at all, so it's really not the problem you might think
at almost any volume.
Martin Cliffe
Stephen Burkart wrote in message <7ccmrq$c...@netaxs.com>...
>Martin Cliffe (mar...@HATESPAMmarzcom.force9.co.uk) wrote:
>: >
>: Kinda expensive way to do it isn't it? Cheaper to buy a new nut. Or a new
>: bass. Or a new 5 string if that's what's required. Unless you happen to
own
>: a Nightbass... Which I don't. And because they're sadly no longer in
>: production I probably never will.
>
>I bought one used just recently for $240, it was already updated (and it
>came with the X11), so no I don't think it pricey. It's an option to
>doing something like cutting the nut on a bass you might not want to cut,
>but I can see your point of it being overkill.
Well as in this country they listed fr about £1000 ($1600) the cheapest I've
seen one over here s/h is about £600. Which *is* pricey! esp. as I only paid
£350 for my first 6 string bass (very nice Washburn XB600)... By far the
cheapest option though IMHO is just to but a new nut. They're what about $5
over there? And they're fairly easy to fit...
>: Other problem with that suggestion. If you play at fairly low volume
levels
>: (or most levels really) you will hear the acoustic strings sounding a 4th
>: above what is coming out of the amp. Not going to sound pretty. And it'd
be
>: extremely hard to play.
>
>If I'm playing that low I'm usually in headphones. Through a rig I can't
>hear the fourths at all, so it's really not the problem you might think
>at almost any volume.
I guess you don't pluck the strings that hard! I can hear the acoustic
strings even through my basic rig unless it's up really loud. I don't play
with headphones cos even with my £90 Sennheisers I don't get good bass
response. Just play through my little 150W 4x10 Laney rig with the volume
low. Obviously I can't really HEAR the acoustic strings when I'm playing
through the full 550W tri-amped rig, but I could still feel a dischord if it
was there.
Stephen Burkart
:
: Stephen Burkart wrote in message <7ccmrq$c...@netaxs.com>...
:
: Well as in this country they listed fr about £1000 ($1600) the cheapest I've
: seen one over here s/h is about £600. Which *is* pricey! esp. as I only paid
: £350 for my first 6 string bass (very nice Washburn XB600)... By far the
: cheapest option though IMHO is just to but a new nut. They're what about $5
: over there? And they're fairly easy to fit...
Well ouch! I don't know what that is in U.S.$ but it sounds like a lot.
As for the nut, I was quoted $50 for graphite (but that's in a deal with
a re-fret and other work).
Whoever said buy a new bass probably had the best idea.
: I guess you don't pluck the strings that hard! I can hear the acoustic
: strings even through my basic rig unless it's up really loud.
This is the first I'm having any complaints about my plucking.
Seriously, it aint like I actually use that preset for anything
anyway. It *looks* useful, but I'd have to play with it because
as-is it's a tone-killer.
: I don't play with headphones cos even with my £90 Sennheisers
: I don't get good bass response.
Yeah phones suck that way, but they're stereo, and until I get
a stereo rig I have to use them if I want to get silly with
the Nightbass, which gets silly in a hurry.
Quimbus Flectrum
sounds perverted) doesn't fit too well, and I, like you, am not interested in
carving nut. It works fine for me like this. Even though the string sits a
little higher than normal, the looseness of these fatter strings makes it still
easy to play even at the first fret.