Why ALL bass players should play a 6 string bass
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- Опубліковано 6 гру 2019
- I know, I know… that sounds controversial, but bear with me…
I was sitting in the studio with the legendary Oteil Burbridge and we were deep in discussion about, well as you’d expect, bass! ;)
He was sharing his philosophies on learning the bass, and his own journey with it when he dropped a super insightful comment…
He said, “Everything started to make much more sense when I got my first 6 string bass”… he then went on to talk about how, for him, it proved to be a great learning tool that gave him the ability to start seeing harmony on the fingerboard in a much clearer way.
Oh, and wait till you hear the story about being on tour with Victor Wooten, it’s awesome!
As always, see you in the shed…
Scott :)
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Scott before: "why 6 string basses SUCK!"
Scott now: "everyone should get one!!!"
did you only read the title of that first one?
@@peterspear2247 the title was "why 6 string basses suck, (and how to fix it)". I was mostly just trying to make a joke not really actually scrutinize scott for saying that lmao
@@the_bassiah lol provocative click bait at its finest for us bass heads lol
@@the_bassiah lol
Just watched that before this 1
Scott needs to talk to ThunderCat IMMEDIATELY
YES
Lol dude played some chords on a six string lol chill
Done!
Yo I found this video because I was looking for someone who played Thundercat's bass.
@@jacobregan5848my thoughts exactly
2019: why all bass players should play a 6 string bass
2020: why all bass players should play a 7 string bass
2021: why all bass players should play a 8 string bass
2022: why all bass players should play a 9 string bass.
2351,5 : why all bass players should play a 338,5 string bass
More strings does make it easier to read band charts
@@heltonadams5787 Finally...
Dude doesn't age. I have a issue of Bass Player from 1998 advertising Modulus basses and he looks younger now than he did then.
Evan J the secret is money
The secret is six strings, the more strings the happier you will be with things!
@@philipm3173 Jazz musicians aren't in it for the money, and for good reason lol.
ALL bass players should practise playing 1 string bass.
Mad Dog has a 3 string...
@Carlos Davis ua-cam.com/video/LsUBbwMM2Q4/v-deo.html
2 - is max!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
that is actually kinda true my bass player cant even play 4 string bass
what a boss. The dude's so chill but so masterful. That was incredible
I've been playing the 6 string fretless acoustic bass. I never realized just how useful frets are until I tried to learn chords on a bass.
Amen! Even double-stops and basic power chords can be tricky once the frets are gone.
@@Chattosaurus It gets better with practice though, especially if your bass has good action.
All guitarists should play a 4 string bass. All bassists should play a 6 string guitar. There, I said it.
Yep, I bought my first bass for my recordings 2 days ago after years of guitar playing. One of the best and most beautiful things I've ever bought in my entire life. I've been playing it like crazy.
i agree. i find there's so much you can learn about music from just finding another instrument and figuring out how it works. once you go back to your instrument of choice, you can see it with a different frame of mind. i'll always be a bassist first & foremost, but i'm so glad i learned the guitar as well
Ideitbawx Productions Very true, I played the violin for 10 years, from 8 years old to about 17/18, and played the cello for 2 years. Never really thought about playing the guitar nor bass til I moved 1000 miles from home with no family and no friends, and I must say, I bought a four string bass and was kinda weirded out by the tuning, I ended up buying a 5 string bass and tuning it so that it felt comfortable. The most appalling experience though was picking up a mandolin and realizing its in violin tuning... immediately I picked up my old school books and started playing and it was awesome 😭😂
Yes. I’m on team 5 string bass but yes. Play guitar.
I took a crack at a 5-string and although it's useful for playing along with detuned stuff if you're too lazy to detune, I mainly used the low B as a thumb rest :P Don't get me wrong... a lot of players can really throw down on one, but I'm not one.
Personally I find five strings to be the perfect balance for me. My role as a bass player really is just to keep our low end strong and the rhythm steady. I don’t need a high C because it’ll almost never get used but that low b helps so much in changing keys or playing riffs higher up on the neck. This is the beautiful thing about music though, because every bassist (every musician) will approach their instrument differently and fill their role in a unique way.
I endorse this, I feel the same.
Former modulus Q6 owner... Now current Q5 owner.
Totally agree for 90% of the cases. For the really technical stuff or stuff that wanted to be way up high, the 6 was nice to have.
@@peadookie a year + later and I now own a 2000$ six string lol, I still love my five but the six is very nice to have
@@Violetcas97 hahaha thanks for the report back.
"I don't need a high C..."
Year later, she's rockin' a sixer :)
Truth be told, I might be thinking about an ibanez 1506MS myself...
@@peadookie I can swear by Ibanez, my six is a BTB846SC in Deep Twilight and it is by far the best instrument I’ve ever owned.
Why you should play a 6 string:
to tune it down to low F# and make the earth tremble, Nolly style
Just get a 7 String bud.
J.R. Productions no
Rivers of nihil time
just get a four string and tune it down...
Get a contrabass
I totally agree. I've been playing 6 string bass for over 10 years. It's expands my ability to contribute to a song, or a band.
His solo is so synced with his vocals that it sounds like a talk box
So when I buy a 6 string, I'll be able to sing Bach cello concertos like I have a Bluetooth speaker down my throat.
Oteil is the man. His six string work is great but his 4 string work with Allman Bros and TTB is my fav stylistically. Such a talent.
When I entered music school my bass teacher guilted me into selling my ken smith 6 string bass because he said I needed to concentrate on 4 string upright. I have regretted that for 20 years. I even learned to double on guitar. Man I wish I had oteal as a teacher.
Who the heck gave that man the allowance to even teach in the first place?! You are supposed to HELP the student IMPROVE, not limit him by telling him to sell a bass just because it has "too many" strings...
Lifehack for your teacher: you just can replace 2 strings without selling 6-string bass...
Honestly there's this mentality among some bassists that you have to start on a 4-string and then "graduate" or somehow "earn" the right to play an extended-range bass, and it's such bullshit. I've been playing bass for a year, and I started on 6-string because that's what I wanted to play. I couldn't be happier with that decision.
@@j.schultheiofficial2638 I agree with you.
@@jellosapiens7261 i disagree ive been playing for months and im getting the hang of it, but there is so much to learn on a 4 before i think i deserve a 6 string. But that teacher should have put foam on the other 2 strings not tell him to sell it
I could listen to that conversation all day. I love the passion!
I've been playing a six string for a while now. Just such a versatile tool. This is a great video. I'm sitting here with my bass, getting a free lesson on chords. Great stuff.
Thanks Scott, nice! Chords and chords melody are amazing tools for we, bassman!
Top!👌🏾
Love the Shout out for Six string bass !
Its really a beautiful instrument with a lot of possibilities and a lot to offer in a musical experience as a whole beyond only the bass line.
Scott Devine
2017: 3 Reasons why 6 string basses suck
2019: why ALL bass players should play a 6 string bass
Six string basses are nice,had one but really had no need for it. I like four strings,and some awesome players kill on a four and do just as much stuff on that.
It is possible to change your opinion you know
Actually the full title was 3 Reasons why 6 STRING BASSES SUCK (and how to fix it) ua-cam.com/video/9X12P1g7S0I/v-deo.html and if you watch it from the beginning till the end you will see what Scott meant (and imho does not contradict but anticipates what this video says) ;-)
It’s just marketing lol
Robert Bentley I need one to play death metal
Six string bass was also a revelation for me - but I only have about 1/1000 of the talent and knowledge of Oteil. This is refreshing to see instead of the usual snide "Jaco only needed 4 strings" comments.
Well, Jaco does only need four strings. Jaco, Pastorius, that is, not you, not me, not most people. Whatever gets one over the curve is what they need.
Jaco wasn’t the best. If he was alive you wouldn’t even be speaking about him like you do. Maybe you should talk more about him in mental illness conversations instead of this. No disrespect but y’all are fucked up
Been playing bass for 8 years and studied music theory for 5, got my first 6 string guitar recently and it changed my understanding a lot
When he played that Thundercat part I had to pause like and rewind to head it again with the vocalisation
I saw him with TTB in 2013. I’ve seen lots of the big name bass wiz folks in person, but I’ve never been more blown away than I was by OB. Superior instincts. Solid groove. Incredible chops. Seems to always choose the right notes. And a super nice guy to boot.
Sounds like why I recommend playing guitar along with bass. Guitars are such good chordal instruments that it allows you to visualize your chords so clearly in so many voicings and inversions.
Then you apply those chords and learn how to arp those shapes or come up with licks around those notes, which makes coming up with pertinent basslines so much more intuitive.
It’s amazing you guys! I played bass for 20 years before buying a six and it just makes sense. I love it!
That was a great video, would like to see the entire interview!
That was a great advice, totally agreed thanks Scott.
Going from 4 to 5 was the bigger challenge for me; going to 6 just meant I had to relax my hands more and pay attention to the scales up the fretboard.
I'm finding the transition from my old 4 string to my 5 string is difficult, but I'm in the same boat as you where when I try a 6 string at the music store I feel so much more relaxed. It feels like I have so much more expressive freedom, while I find the low B to just sound flubby with limited applications.
Just started on a four, discovering I need a five for some current stuff and based on this interview can definitely see how a six can open new avenues...which is what makes playing so mind blowing in the first place. A cheap six will come after the five for me.
It's the difference between a 66 key piano and a full concert grand. I'm in San Diego and have several on craigslist
Your videos makes me play a lot more my Bass, Improve my english (I'm Brazilian) and also was an inspiration to return to play bass after a 3 years with no bass or music in my life. Thanks for all your video over the 3 years since I returned to amazing life of Bass
That's actually a very cool reason to own a six string. I've been contemplating selling my bass to get into guitar so I can expand my understanding to chords and chord voicings.
I was literally just thinking about that Studio Jams session with Oteil yesterday.. now I see Scott’s made a new video using that very clip.. very trippy!
This unlocked something for me. Thank you!!!
I switched to a 6 last December and it has been an absolute joy to play. I however had not made these chord connections. I am excited to work on this.
Did you buy one 6string bass?
@@Scarabee80 Yes
@@slapnpop826 wich one?
I have an Ibanez BTB676 and a Yamaha TRB6II.
Do you start to play chords, since?
Playing chords is not easy in the beginning. But if you go step by step you'll make it.
Oh wow! OTeil is such a great guy and player. Great interview.
Oteil’s playing on the aquarium rescue unit live is flat out incredible.
Everybody should play 6 string bass if everybody were him.
I went with an Ibanez BTB746. After some searching it seems it can’t be beat in its price range. Sounds great, after a pro setup it SHREDS. (It’s heavy as balls though)
Wolfman Curtis Agree, I have the BTB1826. Super heave, but plays better than a $10,000 Fodera
@@dr.michaelbennett8597 I agree with you.
I have an Ibanez BTB676 and I love it so much.
@@dr.michaelbennett8597 "Fodera" means "I would fuck" in my first language. Actually lol'ed.
@@SoneNando I'm curious what language? 😅
@@supersandwich8967 portuguese. It's actually "foderia" but it's close enough.
I got to bass via the guitar so thinking chordal was my first approach. Carol king teaches this approach too it really gets one into the guts of a tune.
Please can you get hold of Thundercat one of these days? I would LOVE a breakdown of his process, both playing-wise and just creatively in terms of writing.
So beautiful the chords and the melody alltogheter
Oh man! insane harmony, oh eargasmic.
You can easily play chords on a 4 string. I voiced all my standards I learned in college and university on a 4. You can even voice like a guitar player by omitting some notes like the roots, concentrating on “colour” notes such as 3rd, 7th and extensions (9th, 11th, 13th).
IMO, I’m just a lowly worm compared to these monsters but, saying you need a 6er is not really really accurate IMO. Learning basic harmony is.
But I 100% agree that you can play more complex multiple note chords on a 6er
This is exactly what I was thinking. The only other thing I can say is that for me personally I learn more things when I get bored and I decide I'm ready to branch out. I've just never been there yet with a 6 String Bass. It's uncomfortable for me physically and I still don't feel like I "Need" to get one and learn on it because I can roll with a 4 or a 5 comfortably. I also dabble in guitar and I do most of my chord figuring out with that 1st and then go to my Bass if chords are what I'm after and looking for.
Yeah, people can get by with only one arm, or only one leg and one arm, or only arms, but I don't recommend chopping off any limbs on that basis. You're invoking the scarcity fallacy to justify your position.
In today's world, it's becoming less practical to play bass with less than 6 strings. It's becoming the new standard, which is why you can buy them so cheap now. It's impractical to try to make do with a bass that has less strings than that, and it puts an undue limitation on creativity. If you're going to at some point need to play something composed for 6-string bass, why bother to own and play anything with less strings? I can see your argument only holding true if all you're ever going to play is jazz standards or work in some shitty cover band that only plays classic rock and country. But for actual artists and modern session players who do a variety of work, your argument makes zero sense.
The first bass guitar was the 6-string guitarron. The traditional standard for guitar has always been 6 strings; the 4-string electric bass was a departure from that standard in emulation of a standup bass, not a standard. So if anything, the current move towards standardization of 6-string bass is a cultural correction.
My music sucked balls until I switched to a 6-string. There's so much I can do that I couldn't do before when I played 4 and 5-string basses.
Yea this is what Scott means when he says you can approximate it
Maybe it’s because i switched over to a 6 string but I won’t be picking up the 4 anymore because tonality in chords is superior on the 6, more options for tapping / fingerings, less jumping of the hand all over the neck/more consistent playing, I can go on, now these are all the benefits I’m not saying you can’t play chords or tap on a 4 string, but when a 6 string exists, after you tried it... it’s pretty hard to go back 🤷♂️
@@antonvoltchok7794 I agree with you.
Wow. Scott with portuguese subtitles! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Top lesson! Thank you!
Man, I was so psyched to see this title pop-up......Oteil is the reason I switched from guitar to Bass and why I mostly reach for the 6-string.
Oteil's work with the Aquarium Rescue Unit is astonishing.
Nice video! I played a graphite neck in the 80's and found it so cold and unpleasant (temp wise) that I quit using it. It did sound great and for the first time i played a fender Jazz that had no dead spots in the neck. Even the "C" on the "G" string rang clear!
I met Otiel in 1991 at a roadside pool hall called Breaker's Billiards in Hope Mills, North Carolina. He was with ARU then (Jimmy Herring, Jeff Sipe, Bruce Hampton, Matt Mundy).
It was a night that changed me forever. It was a performance I'll never forget- pool tables pushed off to the sides of the room, the band set up on the floor between them. I'd never seen a 6 string bass, and I'd never heard of the Aquarium Rescue Unit..
But lo! It was THIS VERY BASS! I
He's sure come a long long way!! I remember ARU from back in the day when they used to play The Wetlands here in NY. Later... seeing him with The Allman brothers was so incredible. As well as TTB . And on to Dead and Co. Going from pool halls to stadiums...it couldn't have happened to a nicer, more humble and kind person than Oteil. He's such a monster player and it's so cool seeing him play at a stadium one night..then seeing him sit in with band's at small clubs along with his own bands like Oteil and friends. I've seen him well over 50 times throughout the years and could never get tired of seeing and hearing him. He really steals the show imho with any band he plays with. He's that ridiculously great!!
I was at that show!
Rik Dewar really!!?? I lived in Fay, my brother was friends with Jimmy who was from there.
@@tracywilkinson1820 yeah, that club was on Countryclub dr in NE F'ville. Pretty popular for a few years.
I saw several bands there, and gigged a few shows, when they showcased local acts. I lived in F'ville for 30+ years. If you were playing with a band during your time there, we may know some of the same people. 👍🏻
Jimmy Herring, as you may already know, grew up in Fayetteville, cutting his teeth with local bands. Guy's an actual prodigy.
You know that the person that ran over his 6 string was a 4 stringer
LMFAO
Or a guitarist. Or even worse, a violinist.
@@dmitriy9985 no the worst would be a person who plays the triangle
@@minceraftfornite4334 It was a reference to one famous youtube bassist and his struggle against non-bass players.
(Davie504, if you're curious)
does this guy know how to NOT be humble? holy crap, great skill and great personality
Awesome interview
Oteil is a true artist. I thought it was really cool that my mid-level Peavey TL-6 has the same bridge as his megabucks Modulus
My old man met Oteil, said he was super cool, insanely good. I like when a bassist can play melodically/harmonically. Those extensions are sweet
Absolutely true! I love this video. As a bass player of twenty years I just recently started learning blues guitar as well and I've taken all of the blues guitar knowledge I've learned so far and the scales and chords have made my bass playing skyrocket.
Someone needs to do a video on John Patitucci's two new Yamaha semi hollow guitar prototypes, both of them look beautiful
This was a good video. Very talented.
This guy is so chill
I enjoyed my LTD D-6 bass last year!! Never thought of that idea before but I'll try it!! The next time or if I invest in a different 6 bass it'll be passive.
This is great! Thanks!
Man that modulus is almost exactly what my dad had before I was born, his was a 5 and little darker blue, he had so much gear,custom warwicks! 8x10 cabs,etc and sadly everything got destroyed in a flood, and what did not had to be sold
Scott, thanks for these great video's (def gnna get a 6-string)!! Random question: what kind of bass guitar rack is that in the vid (where can I fine one, plz)?
Oteil is literally the reason I play bass today...heard Col Bruce/ Aquarium Rescue Unit Workin On Building and his solo blew me away....
i had a 6-string bass for a long time that i never played, because to me the extra highs never justified the wider neck and added weight. i kinda just felt like "if i wanna play a solo, i'll grab a bass tuned up higher." so i hated my 6-string for a long time and always grabbed a more comfortable 5-string when i needed one. i eventually just decided to re-think the 6, so i bumped everything down and instead of a 5 string with a useless high, i got a 5 string with a low F# in the low end. now i love it. it goes where the other basses cant and i find myself playing it like a 5 and then when i wanna go super low i have that option to just blow away the listener with those earthquake notes. i usually play in the key of B, ride the b-string and ignore the F# until needed. just my style, not saying anyone needs to do it, but it's great. you do need a longer scale than 34 if you wanna go G or lower. mine is a 36.5 to 35 fretless so that works.
What genre do you do? In mine the 5 is def helpful but I’ve never needed to go lower than the low C on the B string
I only play 4 strings EADG, and 4 strings ADGC for some arrangements and solos, and have an unused 5 strings in BEADG (just like Oteil's, a Modulus Quantum) for the extreme rare needs when a Drop D is not enough on a 4.
Wow Vernon Reid was on that session with his Hamer!!! That quite a ways back!!! Still sick though!!!
finally my kind of boat love you scott
U Da Man , Scott. 😉👍🏿 Love ya, Bro
I love what Oteil played in 1997 Bass Day, his interpretation of "Get the funk out of ma face". I compiled a video of some Six String Bass Players and Oteil is one of my favorites.
ua-cam.com/video/i1_giy6pkHU/v-deo.html
Enlightened...thanks
Great insight! Oteil was a idol of mine, but lost him out of sight. Need to grab my 6string now...........
Wild! But whats really respectable is the guitar player at 2:03 for staying out of the way of that insanity, what a rare sight lol
OHHHH MY GAWWED!!!!!! This is a gem right here!!!
First video I look up about 6 string bass & now I want one
I play a 7 strings and I love it!
LOVE my 6's. Fretless and fretted.
The chords at 3:27 are gorgeous.
Soo nice!! 😍😍😍
Wait... During the bass solo, was that Vernon Reid of Living Colour on guitar in the background???
Love oteil! Hes from my hometown also!
I tried playing a 6-string bass TWICE, and it just wasn't for me both times. While I understood its tonal advantages, it did feel like I was playing a a farm fence and there really wasn't anything that I couldn't play with a 4-string anyway.
I love Oteil's performance from Bass Day 1997.
Pretty bold statement!!
Scott, put up some more videos! About anything. Guest or no guest! Need some SBL content!
Thanks!
I have a 6 strings fretless bass and it's amazing.
🔥🔥🔥
Chords are the bread and butter of multi-string basses. Not to mention the extended range in the various positions, which minimize shifting, thus facilitating memorization and technique.
The shifting thing is a benefit for 5, but 6 I don’t see it. Low range has a finite stopping point which is why it helps with shifting. Unless you spent a lot of time in the high range of the bass it wouldn’t help too much. It’s all genre dependent though
Just recently got a new 5-string, so a new 6-string is out of the question, but I've been thinking for a while I might swap out the low B for a high C on my other 5-string. On the other hand, I may stick with the original plan and just sell it lol
I have been thinking about this a different way- I have been looking into Ukes and uke basses and tenor guitars, and short scaje basses converted to tenor
So I could not only learn chord but learn chord on a 4-string instrument rather than a 6-string
Just saw Oteil in LA. 12/27/2019 w John Mayer and some other excellent back up players. Billy Kreutzman on drums and Jerry Garcias' back up guitarist. Great night. You should also mention how good Oteil can sing...!!!
*(BTW... just bought an acoustic 5 string fretless bass. Never played before.)
i nowadays play a six string bass in my band not to play chords. i enjoy the freedom to be able to transform a song in a different key if needed. sometimes the singer want to try some different. the additional low notes become very handy too. often the singer invites me to play a short bass solo inbetween guitar or harp parts. i like 6 strings so much that i seldom play my 4 and 5 string anymore. and not to forget, the big neck makes hughe tone. cheers from germany.
I dropped my 6 string because I thought my hands were too small and I had a bit of a problem with patience but now I'd try it again
I do have a 5er strung E-G
Algo1 E-G?
Groundbreaking stuff
Algo1, you bought a 5er and removed the fifth string? Or, did you mean you have it EADGC, or BEADG?
Hi Scott,
Bring some Brazilian bass players. There are a bunch of amazing players over here. Junior Braguinha, Ricardinho Paraíso, Michael Pipoquinha and so many others.
Is there a course on bass chords or 6 string bass technique on SBL?
That strap is so cool
Oteil is absolutely awesome
I want to buy a 6 just for some fun at home tbh, any suggestion on a good grand for it? Keep seeing Ibanez a lot, any good?
Oh yes! Try the Ibanez SR506. If you have huge hands, try the BTB series.
I ow a BTB676 of Ibanez and I love it!
4 strings passive Fender precision or jazz is all l need but l can definitely understand the necessity of 5 or 6 strings for some contexts even if they are not my thing 😉 and l have a keyboard to play chords.
I love playing 6 string bass!
Enjoyed 👍👍
Great!!
Could someone please explain the concept of 2 and 5 with the chords going down chromatically. Thanks 🙏