Extended-range bass
Encyclopedia
Extended-range bass refers to an electric bass guitar
with greater frequency range than the standard 4-string bass guitar. Bass guitars tuned one octave lower than a standard four-string instrument are also considered an extended-range bass. "Extended range-bass" does not refer to 8 string bass guitars which have doubled or tripled courses of octave strings.
6-string bass (1956) and the Fender Bass VI (1961) were tuned EADGBE, an octave lower than standard guitar tuning. In 1975, Anthony Jackson asked Carl Thompson
to build him a six-string bass guitar tuned (from low to high) BEADGC, which he called the contrabass guitar
. Jackson's bass extended the range of the bass both lower and higher than a four-string. Though Jackson initially received much criticism for the new instrument, the deep sounds of the low "B" string has become a standard in many genres including metal, R&B, funk, and gospel.
In the late 1980s, luthier
Michael Tobias made the first bass with more than six single course strings, a custom order seven string bass for bassist Garry Goodman, tuned BEADGCF. Since that time, luthiers have been adding strings to their custom basses. In 1995, luthier Bill Conklin made a 9-string bass for Bill "Buddha" Dickens
. Subsequently, other luthiers built instruments with 8, 9, 10 and 11 strings. Custom bass builders have added both lower strings (such as F# and C#) and higher strings (such as F and Bb) to the six-string bass guitar.
Construction of basses with more than 7 strings has largely been the realm of boutique luthiers, with the exception of several production-run models including Galveston 7- and 8-string basses and the recently discontinued Conklin Groove-Tools line of 7-string basses. Some extended-range basses are tailor-made to a player's specific preferences, including much variation in scale length, appearance, and electronics. Due to the fact that the scale length of a typical bass guitar (34" or 35") produces excessive tension on the highest strings of extended-range basses, many builders opt to use Novax Guitars
' fanned-fret system to achieve a variable-scale instrument and prevent these strings from breaking.
Usually, extended-range basses are tuned in 4ths, and the most common methods include tuning 7-string bass to F#BEADGC or BEADGCF, an 8-string to F#BEADGCF, a 9-string to F#BEADGCFBb, a 10-string to C#F#BEADGCFBb or F#BEADGCFBbEb, an 11-string to C#F#BEADGCFBbEb or F#BEADGCFBbEbAb, and a 12-string to C#F#BEADGCFBbEbAb or BEADGCFBbEbAbDbGb.
is very rarely used.
The upper strings of an extended-range bass allow bassists to adopt playing styles of the electric guitar. One such style is the practice of "comping
", or playing a rhythmic chordal accompaniment to an improvised solo. The increased polyphony
of extended-range basses allows for voicings of five or more notes, as well as wider voicings such as "drop 3", "drop 2+4" and "spreads." Walking a bassline and comping at the same time is also possible, which is useful in jazz combos lacking a chordal instrument, or in accompaniment of a chordal instrument during their solo. Two bassists notable for adopting this style are Todd Johnson and Oteil Burbridge
.
The added strings of the extended-range bass compound the muting problems that many bassists encounter. Because of the sympathetic vibration of the bass, a plucked note will cause that same note (and its octaves) to sound on all strings if left unmuted. Extended-range bassists often turn to hairbands or advancing muting techniques, including the "floating thumb" technique (allowing the thumb of the plucking hand to mute lower strings), to achieve a good sound.
Many extended-range bassists, because of the extreme range of their instruments, choose to practice a technique called "two-handed tapping," in which the player uses both hands on the fretboard to press down the strings and creates sound with both hands (similar to the way one plays a Chapman Stick
). By using both hands, extended-range bassists can create sophisticated chordings, harmonies, melodies, and contrapuntal music.
The role that the extended-range bass plays in music is still largely a matter of situation and personal preference. Many extended-range bassists play the bass
part in bands, but many also perform their instrument in a solo setting, often using advanced techniques such as two-handed tapping or chording. Still others are exploring the extended-range bass's potential through the art of looping
by layering complex bass parts, melodies, and harmonies on top of each other.
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
with greater frequency range than the standard 4-string bass guitar. Bass guitars tuned one octave lower than a standard four-string instrument are also considered an extended-range bass. "Extended range-bass" does not refer to 8 string bass guitars which have doubled or tripled courses of octave strings.
History
The DanelectroDanelectro
Danelectro is an American manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units.-History:...
6-string bass (1956) and the Fender Bass VI (1961) were tuned EADGBE, an octave lower than standard guitar tuning. In 1975, Anthony Jackson asked Carl Thompson
Carl Thompson
Carl Thompson is a luthier and musician specializing in the construction of high-quality custom bass guitars. He is based in Brooklyn, New York....
to build him a six-string bass guitar tuned (from low to high) BEADGC, which he called the contrabass guitar
Contrabass guitar
A contrabass guitar is a low-register plucked string instrument in the guitar family with six strings.-History:Musical instruments called contrabass guitars having existed at least since 1899, when a "Grand Concert Contra Bass Guitar" was listed in Mr. Joseph Bohmann's catalogue...
. Jackson's bass extended the range of the bass both lower and higher than a four-string. Though Jackson initially received much criticism for the new instrument, the deep sounds of the low "B" string has become a standard in many genres including metal, R&B, funk, and gospel.
In the late 1980s, luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
Michael Tobias made the first bass with more than six single course strings, a custom order seven string bass for bassist Garry Goodman, tuned BEADGCF. Since that time, luthiers have been adding strings to their custom basses. In 1995, luthier Bill Conklin made a 9-string bass for Bill "Buddha" Dickens
Bill Dickens
Bill "The Buddha" Dickens is an American electric bass guitar player.Dickens has played with a huge range of artists, including Pat Metheny, George Michael, Joe Zawinul, Janet Jackson, Grover Washington, Jr., Chaka Khan, Mary J...
. Subsequently, other luthiers built instruments with 8, 9, 10 and 11 strings. Custom bass builders have added both lower strings (such as F# and C#) and higher strings (such as F and Bb) to the six-string bass guitar.
Construction and tuning
While the extended-range bass instruments are built using the same design methods as the more traditional electric bass, some performers view it as an entirely new instrument, since its expanded range permits high-register melodies, four- and five-note chords, and other techniques.Construction of basses with more than 7 strings has largely been the realm of boutique luthiers, with the exception of several production-run models including Galveston 7- and 8-string basses and the recently discontinued Conklin Groove-Tools line of 7-string basses. Some extended-range basses are tailor-made to a player's specific preferences, including much variation in scale length, appearance, and electronics. Due to the fact that the scale length of a typical bass guitar (34" or 35") produces excessive tension on the highest strings of extended-range basses, many builders opt to use Novax Guitars
Novax Guitars
Novax Guitars is a guitar manufacturing company founded by Ralph Novak. His instruments feature frets which are not perpendicular to the instrument's neck , but rather fan out at various angles to allow for more comfortable, ergonomic playing and for proper intonation.Charlie Hunter, an acclaimed...
' fanned-fret system to achieve a variable-scale instrument and prevent these strings from breaking.
Usually, extended-range basses are tuned in 4ths, and the most common methods include tuning 7-string bass to F#BEADGC or BEADGCF, an 8-string to F#BEADGCF, a 9-string to F#BEADGCFBb, a 10-string to C#F#BEADGCFBb or F#BEADGCFBbEb, an 11-string to C#F#BEADGCFBbEb or F#BEADGCFBbEbAb, and a 12-string to C#F#BEADGCFBbEbAb or BEADGCFBbEbAbDbGb.
Playing styles
The techniques used to play the extended-range bass are closely related to those used for basses, including finger plucking, slapping, popping, and tapping. A plectrumPlectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick, and is a separate tool held in the player's hand...
is very rarely used.
The upper strings of an extended-range bass allow bassists to adopt playing styles of the electric guitar. One such style is the practice of "comping
Comping
Comping is a term used in jazz music to describe the chords, rhythms, and countermelodies that keyboard players or guitar players use to support a jazz musician's improvised solo or melody lines....
", or playing a rhythmic chordal accompaniment to an improvised solo. The increased polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
of extended-range basses allows for voicings of five or more notes, as well as wider voicings such as "drop 3", "drop 2+4" and "spreads." Walking a bassline and comping at the same time is also possible, which is useful in jazz combos lacking a chordal instrument, or in accompaniment of a chordal instrument during their solo. Two bassists notable for adopting this style are Todd Johnson and Oteil Burbridge
Oteil Burbridge
Oteil Burbridge, in Washington, D.C.), is a Grammy Award-nominated American multi-instrumentalist, specializing on the bass guitar, trained in playing jazz and classical music from an early age. He has achieved fame primarily on bass guitar during the current resurgence of the Allman Brothers Band...
.
The added strings of the extended-range bass compound the muting problems that many bassists encounter. Because of the sympathetic vibration of the bass, a plucked note will cause that same note (and its octaves) to sound on all strings if left unmuted. Extended-range bassists often turn to hairbands or advancing muting techniques, including the "floating thumb" technique (allowing the thumb of the plucking hand to mute lower strings), to achieve a good sound.
Many extended-range bassists, because of the extreme range of their instruments, choose to practice a technique called "two-handed tapping," in which the player uses both hands on the fretboard to press down the strings and creates sound with both hands (similar to the way one plays a Chapman Stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
). By using both hands, extended-range bassists can create sophisticated chordings, harmonies, melodies, and contrapuntal music.
The role that the extended-range bass plays in music is still largely a matter of situation and personal preference. Many extended-range bassists play the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
part in bands, but many also perform their instrument in a solo setting, often using advanced techniques such as two-handed tapping or chording. Still others are exploring the extended-range bass's potential through the art of looping
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
by layering complex bass parts, melodies, and harmonies on top of each other.
Notable players
- Felipe AndreoliFelipe AndreoliFelipe Andreoli is a heavy-metal bassist known for playing in bands like Angra, Karma and Almah.In 2006, along with Angra and Hangar's members, he participated in Fábio Laguna's Freakeys project....
- Steve BaileySteve BaileySteve Bailey is an American bassist who is famous for his pioneering work with the six string fretless bass. He was voted runner up for "Bass Player Of The Year" in 1994 and 1996....
- Al CaldwellAl CaldwellAl Caldwell is an R&B musician who mainly plays the bass guitar and banjo with the Travelling Black Hillbillies. He is also a studio engineer and producer.-Career:...
- Alain CaronAlain Caron (bass player)Alain Caron is a French Canadian jazz bassist.The youngest of 11 children, Caron started playing bass at age 11 and began pursuing jazz at age 15...
- Edo CastroEdo CastroEdo Castro is an American Jazz Bassist and composer.-Biography:Born in San Francisco to mother Aida Saberi, Edo was an only child from Aida’s first marriage. Later Aida remarried and had two more sons, Thomas & Ted Saberi. Edo attended Grattan Elementary, Herbert Hoover Junior High and J...
- Les ClaypoolLes ClaypoolLeslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
- Kelly ConlonKelly ConlonKelly Conlon is an American bass guitarist. He has been a hired member of Death and Monstrosity.-Career:Conlon was part of the Florida underground metal scene until 1994 when Orlando-based Chuck Schuldiner hired him to play with the international death metal band Death...
- Bill DickensBill DickensBill "The Buddha" Dickens is an American electric bass guitar player.Dickens has played with a huge range of artists, including Pat Metheny, George Michael, Joe Zawinul, Janet Jackson, Grover Washington, Jr., Chaka Khan, Mary J...
- Jimmy HaslipJimmy HaslipJimmy Haslip is an American electric bass player and record producer best known as a founding and current member of the pioneering fusion group Yellowjackets...
- Jeroen Paul ThesselingJeroen Paul ThesselingJeroen Paul Thesseling is a Dutch fretless bass player, most famous for his work in German death metal band Obscura and Dutch death metal band Pestilence.. He is currently active in Pestilence and his fusion-metal project Nufutic.-Biography:...
- Anthony Jackson
- Adrian LambertAdrian LambertAdrian Lambert is an English bassist and songwriter who currently plays for thrash metal band Biomechanical and progressive rock band Son of Science. Lambert also played bass in power metal band DragonForce from 2002 - 2006. Lambert is currently touring with Biomechanical to promote the band's...
- Ryan MartinieRyan MartinieRyan Martinie is an American bassist, best known for being the bass player of heavy metal band Mudvayne. He is well known for his complex basslines and unique playing style...
of MudvayneMudvayneMudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms... - John PatitucciJohn PatitucciJohn Patitucci is an American Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player.-Biography:Patitucci is of Italian descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at...
- Tetsuo SakuraiTetsuo Sakuraiis a Japanese bassist. To date, he has released a total of 37 albums as a member of Casiopea and Jimsaku and solo artist, and has also made 3 bass instructional videos.-History:Tetsuo Sakurai started playing bass when he was 13 years old....
- Steve "Fuzz" Kmak of Disturbed
- Alex WebsterAlex WebsterAlex Webster is an American bass player, who is best known as a member of the American death metal band Cannibal Corpse. He is one of two current members who were of the original lineup of Cannibal Corpse, the other being drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz...
of Cannibal CorpseCannibal CorpseCannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album... - Sami HinkkaSami HinkkaSami Hinkka, born 1978 in Finland, is a heavy metal bass player, presently with Ensiferum. He joined his current band in 2004 as a replacement for Jukka-Pekka Miettinen after playing for some years in the melodic death/doom metal band Rapture...
of EnsiferumEnsiferumEnsiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "heroic folk metal." Since their formation, Ensiferum has released four full-length albums, one EP, one compilation, three singles, and three demo albums and one unreleased album.-Musical... - John MyungJohn MyungJohn Ro Myung is an American bassist, Chapman Stick player and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is considered a virtuoso player who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency....
of Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would... - Mike GordonMike GordonMike Gordon is a bass guitar player and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish. Gordon is also an accomplished banjo player, and is proficient at piano, guitar, harmonica and percussion...
of PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
External links
- Extended Range Bassist is a website dedicated to all aspects of the extended-range bass guitar, including audio samples, photos, and forums.
- Stewart McKinsey's article, "Approaching the Extended Range Bass"
- Dave's Guitar and Bass Resource Pages This site includes numerous scale and chord charts for 5 and 6 string basses.