Extended-range bass

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The Extended-Range Bass, ("ERB") as a term, refers to an electric bass guitar with more range (usually meaning more strings, but sometimes additional frets are added for more range) than the "standard" 4-string bass guitar. In practical usage, however, the term is often applied more to basses with more than 5 strings, including 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and even 13-string basses. 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 basses with doubled or tripled courses of octave strings.

1 History
2 Construction and tuning
3 Playing styles
4 Notable players
5 External links
6 References
7 See also

[edit] History

The Danelectro Longhorn (or the Fender Bass VI) were tuned EADGBE and were seen as guitars that were tuned 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. Jackson's bass extended the range of the bass lower rather than higher. Though Jackson initially received much criticism for the new instrument, the deep sounds of the low "B" string become a standard in many genres including metal, R&B, funk, and gospel.

In the late 1980s, luthier Michael Tobias made a bass with more than 6, single course strings, a custom order 7 string bass as a custom order for bassist Garry Goodman, which was tuned BEADGCF. Since that time, luthiers have been adding strings to their custom basses. Since 1995, when luthier Bill Conklin made a 9-string bass for Bill "Buddha" Dickens, bass builders have been adding strings. Subsequently, other luthiers built instruments with 8,9,10 and 11 strings. Over time, 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.

Garry Goodman's Adler 12-string bass with 36 frets tuned in fourths spans 8 octaves and has the same range as a 97 note Grand Piano. Jean Baudin became the second bassist with an extended range bass of this range in early 2006 with the finished construction of his JP 12 string. This bass does not have as many notes as the Adler 12. Adler began crafting a C to C 13 string bass in 2005. Jean recently announced that a 13-string bass is being built for him. As the low C# requires subwoofers to hear, it is presumed that the 13th string will be a high Db, thus making the bass come full circle (C# -> Db [C#]). Some insist that notes below 20 Hertz are inaudible to the human ear. Garry Goodman designed the Adler 12-string to have C0 as its lowest open string. The idea was to match the range of the Bösendorfer model #290 grand piano. The Adler 12-string successfully matched the 8 octave range of the #290. Garry Goodman's concept of having 13 strings was to add the C5 string to add additional note positions. He has recently developed new strings that give the 12- and 13-string instruments strings with consistent tone quality. After much experimentation with several G#00 strings, Goodman decided to keep the lowest pitch C0 and expand the number of note positions in the upper range. His latest generation of bass strings do not require any special speakers to be heard clearly. The Adler 12-string was a prototype that gives the guitar the same range as the piano. Garry Goodman developed the A440 string for guitar with scale lengths up to 31" and the G 392Hz string for bass guitars with scale lengths up to 34" long. These strings created the " High A standard" tuning expanding the range of bass guitars, guitar and other instruments such as the Violin.

While the Extended-Range Bass is built using the same basic design as the 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.

Warwick recently released a bass called the Vampyre BO Dark Lord. It is a 4-string bass, but instead has a low .175 gauge continuing in fourths. (F#,B,E,A) Also the Corvette Taranis(named for the Celtic god of thunder) starts at the B-string and also continues in fourths (B,E,A,D), the 5-string version of the Taranis starts at the F#-string and is tuned F#,B,E,A,D.

[edit] Construction and tuning

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" method of tuning is to tune 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. Some players use extra low strings, or vice versa.

[edit] Playing styles

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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 plectrum 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. Jean Baudin is an example of a player who uses two-handed tapping.

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.

[edit] Notable players

Notable extended-range bassists include:

Franck Hermanny (See: Adagio)
Adrian Lambert
Al Caldwell ^[1]
Bill Dickens ^[2]
ChaotH (See:Unexpect)
Dave Grossman ^[3]
Geddy Lee during certain Rush songs
Geordie Smith
Gregory Bruce Campbell
James Hart ^[4]
Jauqo III-X ^[5]
Jean Baudin ^[6]
John Myung ^[7]
John Patitucci ^[8]
Les Claypool ^[9]
Paul Delano ^[10]
Scott Hubbell ^[11]
Stew McKinsey ^[12]
Steve Bailey ^[13]
Trip Wamsley ^[14]
Yves Carbonne ^[15]

[edit] 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.