A bass guitar is an instrument that has been around for many years and is often used in bands. Though it may look like a regular guitar, a typical bass guitar has four strings instead of six like a regular guitar. However, there are special types of bass guitars that may have 5 or even 6 strings, let’s take a look at why that is the case.
Many people are curious about how a bass guitar works and what its capabilities are. In this blog post, we will explore the basics of a bass guitar and discuss some of the different ways it can be used in music.
Bass guitar string frequencies
A bass guitar features thicker strings than a regular guitar. The thicker strings are necessary to create the low, deep tones that a bass guitar is known for. This makes it the perfect instrument for playing low notes. The lowest-pitched strings can play notes with a lower frequency (also called a lower pitch), while higher strings can play notes of a higher frequency.
On any bass guitar, the starting frequency of each string can be tuned up or down using the bass guitar’s tuning pegs, but they are typically tuned to starting notes as described below. Alternate bass tuning methods such as drop tuning are certainly possible but beyond the scope of this article. The standard bass tuning method below is the most common by far.
Standard tuning for a 4 string bass guitar:
The normal way to tune a four string bass is with the E A D G standard tuning like this:
- E string (the lowest frequency string, also called E1)
- A string (second lowest string, also called A1)
- D string (third lowest string, also called D2)
- G string (the highest frequency string, also called G2)
Why do bass guitars normally have fewer strings vs. normal guitars?
Convenient frequency range and tuning
First, the strings on a bass guitar are in a good frequency range for adding lower notes that add depth to an ensemble of other higher-pitched instruments such as regular guitars, or the melody line of a piano or keyboard. Notes far below this range can sound a bit sloppy on a bass guitar if not played just right, while notes above this range can easily conflict with other instruments in a typical ensemble.
In addition to the above, the four strings on a typical bass share the same musical notes as a regular guitar, but at a lower octave. This is convenient for players switching from one instrument to another.
Individual bass notes vs. chords
When playing a regular guitar, the instrument is typically played using chords of multiple strings and notes at the same time. Multiple notes can be played at basically the same time by either strumming across multiple strings with a finger or with guitar pick, or by plucking one string at a time (which is actually called picking or finger picking).
By contrast, when playing the bass guitar, for most musical styles the bass rarely plays chords that contain multiple notes at once. Instead, the bass strings are usually played (a.k.a. plucked or picked) one note at a time. When playing with a band or accompanying other groups of musicians, a bass player that plays individual notes can add a lot to the music while still leaving space for the other instruments to be heard clearly.
Playing chords using more strings than one on the bass can result in a complex and muddy sound, especially when mixed with all the sounds of other instruments (and or vocals) on stage. That said, playing styles vary for sure, and there is no rule against playing chords on the bass. But if you listen closely to just about any song you hear on the radio, you’ll notice that the bass guitar is playing individual strings or notes instead of many strings together.
Even when the bass guitar is synthesized like in electronic or hip hop music, you’ll almost always hear one note at a time in the bass line.
Bass guitars with more than four strings
Although the standard bass guitar has four strings, there are variations that have five or even six strings. These are called extended-range basses and they feature additional strings that let the bass player create lower or higher tones than a typical 4-string bass guitar.
Let’s take a look at how many strings are on some of the extended range bass variations.
Five string bass guitars (fairly common)
A 5 string bass has the same strings as a standard 4 string bass, but also adds an additional string that is tuned to a lower pitch. This extra string gives the bass player more flexibility in creating lower tones.
The fifth string is typically tuned to a low B (the B0 note comes just below that of the E1 string, which is usually the lowest string on a standard bass).
With five strings tuned in this way, you can hit some seriously deep lower notes as compared to a standard bass.
Six string bass guitars (somewhat rare)
A 6 string bass guitar is similar to a 5 string bass, but with one additional string that is tuned even higher. This higher pitched string allows the bass player to create higher tones compared to a normal 4 string or 5 string bass.
Seven string bass guitars (rare)
7-string bass guitars are pretty rare, but I know of at least one made by Ibanez. The 7-string bass adds one additional string, even higher frequency compared to a 6 string bass.
Eight string bass guitars (rare)
8-string bass guitars are also pretty rare. The way they work is that they have the same strings as a standard 4 string bass, but each string comes paired with a secondary string right next to it which doubles the total number of strings to 8. These secondary strings are typically tuned to the same note, but one full octave higher in frequency compared to the regular string. That way, using one finger to pluck across the two ‘paired’ strings, you can play the same note but doubled (one octave lower and one octave higher at the same time).
Ten string and Twelve string bass guitars (rare)
10-string and 12-string bass guitars are also very uncommon. They work exactly the same as described for the 8-string bass guitar above, but instead of doubling the 4 strings from a standard bass, the paired secondary strings double the number of strings on a 5-string or 6-string bass.
Common bass guitar variations
Electric bass guitars
Electric bass guitars, also called solid body electric basses, are by far the most popular type of electric bass guitars, especially for playing with a live band such as a rock band. They are typically made from a solid piece of wood, hence the name “solid body.”
For electric bass guitars, four strings is standard. However, it’s fairly easy to find an electric bass guitar in 4 string, 5 string, and 6 string varieties. At the time of publication for this article, a quick check of an online guitar shop’s electric bass offerings showed the following instrument availability:
• 474 4 string basses (65%)
• 222 5 string basses (31%)
• 27 6-string basses (4%)
• 1 7-string basses (0.001%)
• 2 8-string basses (0.002%)
• 1 12-string basses (0.001%)
Acoustic bass guitars
In contrast to solid body electric basses, acoustic bass guitars have a hollow body. They are typically also made of wood, and are similar in look and feel to a regular acoustic guitar, but with thicker strings that are tuned lower. Because of their design, acoustic bass guitars can be played unplugged without an amplifier and still be easily heard if you are nearby.
Acoustic guitars typically have 4 strings (at the time of this writing, a quick search at an online guitar store showed 54 acoustic bass guitars for sale, of which 49 of them (or 91%) were 4 string models.
Electro acoustic basses are a variation of the acoustic bass guitar that can be played unplugged like a regular acoustic guitar, or plugged into an amplifier like an electric guitar. They have a built in “pickup” microphone that helps to capture the sound of the bass so that it can be amplified. Electro acoustic basses are a very popular type of acoustic bass for this reason and most often come with 4 strings as with other acoustic basses.
Fretless bass guitars
A bass guitar is typically a fretted stringed instrument, meaning the bass player can achieve different notes or frequencies by pushing their fingers down on metal strips placed along the neck of the instrument at fixed intervals. These metal strips are called frets.
While the strings usually start on the same notes as normal bass guitars, fretless bass guitars are different in that they do not have any frets. This design feature allows smoother transitions between notes compared to a fretted string instrument because the player’s finger can be placed at any interval along the neck to achieve different pitches (vs. choosing only the notes defined by the placement of the frets).
Like other basses, fretless basses most commonly come in a four string or five string configuration. At the time of publication, a check of an online guitar store showed that about 95% of the available basses were in either a 4 string or 5 string configuration.
Double Bass Guitars (also called Upright Bass or Standup Bass)
Another type of bass guitar is the double bass, which typically has four strings. While there can be more, it is much more rare to see double basses with more than four strings (as compared to other types of extended range bass guitars). The tuning on the four strings of a double bass is the same as on a standard bass (E, A, D, G).
The upright double bass is the largest member of the guitar family. In fact, it’s the same instrument as the largest stringed instrument in an orchestra, and thus is often played with a bow instead of being plucked with the fingers or picks. This varies depending on the style of music, and upright bass players often pluck the strings in jazz or bluegrass music.
Do you really need more than 4 strings on a bass?
Bass guitars with different numbers of strings can be used for different purposes. If you are a beginner, starting with 4 strings can make learning to play bass easier. You definitely don’t NEED more than 4 strings.
That said, some players really love the deep range of the lowest strings on a 5 string (I put myself in this category and have switched to a five string myself). If you’re thinking about investing in a bass guitar and you already know you fall in this category, it may be better to go ahead and invest in a quality five-string up front vs. switching a bit later.
With a 6 string bass, my personal advice would be different. I view a 6 string bass as an advanced instrument with a specific purpose that is best explored once you’ve already mastered playing a 4 or 5 string bass. I would not suggest starting with a 6 string bass guitar for beginners – it’s better to make the switch to this specialized instrument later, and only then if you really need it.
How many strings do famous bassists prefer?
Most new bass players start out with a 4 string bass, as it is the standard and easiest to play. A 4 string bass works great in a wide variety of musical styles, and many bassists stick with four strings even as professional musicians.
However, some well-known bassists have used 5 or 6-string basses to create their unique sound. Let’s take a look at a few examples of players you might know.
Some famous 4 string bass players include:
• Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Cliff Burton of Metallica
• Geddy Lee of Rush
Some well-known 5 string bassists are:
• Les Claypool of Primus
• Bootsy Collins
• Victor Wooten
A few famous 6 string bassists include:
• John Entwistle of The Who
• Jaco Pastorius
Players like these have pushed the boundaries of what a bass guitar can do and have inspired other bassists to experiment with different numbers of strings, voicings, and even bass chords.
The bottom line
While a 4 string bass is certainly the standard, there are useful variations that have 5 or even 6 strings. More strings than this is a pretty rare specialty instrument.
Additional strings give the bass player a greater range for lower and higher-pitched notes. At the same time, extra strings typically make the neck of the bass guitar wider, which can make it harder to reach certain notes or fingering positions.
At the end of the day, how many strings feel right on a bass guitar is up to the player, and great music can be made with any number of strings.
For more information on the different bass guitar types, visit our article on choosing the best bass guitar for you.
