New to Bass but really enjoying it

I bought my daughter a jazz bass back in 2012 or so for Christmas due to some depression after we moved. She liked it but it always seemed a bit big for her so she didn?t play it so much. After a year it got put back in the case left there until recently. I got tired of my strat so I picked it up and started noodling. I have become somewhat hooked on it and began looking around at other basses in the local stores to see what all is out there.

Nothing even comes close to this one. IIRC it was custom because I remember choosing out all the specs back then, but I have seen many look like this so am wondering if they didn?t point out that what we were ordering was a standard make. Either way this thing is really nice compared to what I find from other brands I have picked up. The only thing as nice are other American made fenders.

i have recently been hit up to play at church on an as needed basis. But I notice that a lot of the music is in Eb. I?m not enthused about tuning down so I am posting here to see what sort of 5 string you might recommend. I have been practicing by going up an octave on the A string to hit the Eb, but it?s too high pitch. Thinking that the 5 string is the ticket, but hat to buy?

Welcome to the Fender Forum. There are some very good, experienced bass players here (I'm not one of them) and I'm sure they'll be along to guide you. But I wonder, why the reluctance to tune down half a step? Of course, you could also play Eb in standard tuning, but your root note will be on the D string, meaning you'll have some interesting inversions!

You could also look at something like a Digitech Drop Pedal which will serve the same purpose as changing the pitch of your bass without you having to retune / drop tune. Not cheap, but it might serve your purpose without trying to change the band's playing key. Of course, you'll have to adapt the music to your key relative to what the rest of the group is playing.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...ch-shift-pedal

Why would you have to tune down for Eb? Are you going to be doing bass bombs in church?

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Originally Posted by Offshore Angler

Why would you have to tune down for Eb? Are you going to be doing bass bombs in church?

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Because many of the songs they play are in b keys.
He wants to be able to ride the open E string (tuned to Eb) so he doesn't have to play the octave.

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Originally Posted by Tele-Bob

Because many of the songs they play are in b keys.
He wants to be able to ride the open E string (tuned to Eb) so he doesn't have to play the octave.

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I'm just sayin' that's a long way down there for church music. That's when the statues start to rattle. Also, the piano or organ is in assumed in concert pitch so if the Eb is in a minor key as is often the case with church music, that's basically every black key on the keyboard, lol! Not exactly user friendly.


Meh, it's a half step, if you feel the need just tune down to it. You won't notice it on bass. As guitar players we drop the low string to D all the time.

Interesting. I can't think of a single song performed in my church that's in Eb. The worship leader is the keyboardist, and when he's accompanied by guitar/bass/rhythm, I see capos being used on occasion, but my reading of fingers tells me that a lot of the stuff uses D, Bm, G, C, F in open tunings and the same fingerings being used with a capo on the second or third fret.

The worship leader chooses the key to suit his voice range. I guess it's different in every other church.

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Originally Posted by OldStrummer

Interesting. I can't think of a single song performed in my church that's in Eb. The worship leader is the keyboardist, and when he's accompanied by guitar/bass/rhythm, I see capos being used on occasion, but my reading of fingers tells me that a lot of the stuff uses D, Bm, G, C, F in open tunings and the same fingerings being used with a capo on the second or third fret.

The worship leader chooses the key to suit his voice range. I guess it's different in every other church.

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Maybe it's a satanic church that plays doom metal hymns.

A bunch of classically trained keyboardists go to Eb and Bb as their fave keys.
I?ve had a few I need to educate, everyone else what?s to play in a # key. I taught one keyboardist the basics on guitar. Within 15 minutes he apologized for the hell he was putting everyone through.

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Originally Posted by Tele-Bob

Because many of the songs they play are in b keys.
He wants to be able to ride the open E string (tuned to Eb) so he doesn't have to play the octave.

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This. Can be up to 5 songs in a service and maybe 2 are Eb I have noticed. I can use the Eb on the A string for most of the song, but our music guy tends to really go all in for the last verse and ending, and dropping to the low Eb would sound emphasized in those cases. Or at least it seems to in other keys when it is done.

it’s not a big deal to just play the same Eb, this is more about the emphasizing the swell of the song.

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Originally Posted by rfjeff9

This. Can be up to 5 songs in a service and maybe 2 are Eb I have noticed. I can use the Eb on the A string for most of the song, but our music guy tends to really go all in for the last verse and ending, and dropping to the low Eb would sound emphasized in those cases. Or at least it seems to in other keys when it is done.

it?s not a big deal to just play the same Eb, this is more about the emphasizing the swell of the song.

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If the guy is hell-bent on that low of a bass note - just throw a sub-octave on it and get on with life. Easy peasy. You can tap in and out of the sub as required or use an expression pedal to blend it in and out of your mix.

That said, I'd ask the keyboard player to support me on the songs in Eb.

Chuck