I'm thinking I would like a stick that uses mirrored fourths but down to an A like deep matched reciprocal, and with thicker strings. But I'm also thinking that the other chord tones I'd like to reach on the melody side are too often on the exact same fret as the left hand bass note being fingered. How easy is it to reach a note on the melody side on the same fret as the left hand bass is fingering?

I was thinking it might be more comfortable to move the whole melody side two frets so that my right hand is more far down the finger board gravitywise. Is two frets far enough because the deep tuning makes the right hand have to be held up too high too often?

So instead of having deep mirrored fourths, we'd have deep fractured fourths.

Hi Tatsu,

I think you'll find the low string more universally usable at B or Bb. I've had a couple of instruments set up in a mirrored 4ths tuning. Because the bass scale is compacted to three frets per string, you can stay closer to the nut unless you are needing to play chords. So this would make it easier to play low on the board.

I forgot if you have a 10 or 12 string currently? What tuning are you currently using?

The unfortunate tradeoff in mirrored 4ths is that low bass=low chords. Rob's is tuned to a low E, and he has a good range for left-hand chords, but even with 6 bass strings it's hard to get to middle C, for example...which for a low B tuning would be fret 12 string 12.

It's a fun tuning for basslines, though!
Hope that helps

That does help but didn't answer my question about how easy it is to play on the same fret across bass side and treble side. If left hand first finger plays on the bass side, is it impractical to play on the same fret the first finger is on but on the melody side? I suspect even if you're not reaching for a chord it might be cramped quarters.

Not currently in possession of a stick.

I am sometimes in this position, but rarely. The more common situation is to play with the left hand 3rd or 4th finger at that fret, and the right 1st finger. But like I said, it's pretty rare.

The 36"-scale Stick has lots of room for the left hand, so I find I really don't have to worry about collisions.

I just took a photo of the bass notes with chords that I want to play and will post them here after I finish editing them in Photoshop for size and clarity etc...It's only a few.

btw I'm not going for the low A tuning because I want to play it. I'm doing that so I can get a really good tone from all the strings and fretting positions the length of the neck and across it. That, plus thicker strings.

Especially notice the "RIDES D half dim" chord in the second document. It is played with three pitches and a bass pitch all in the left hand, but with another two pitches in the right hand (D, and F).
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You have another string below in the right hand to play that chord, so you could just shift up 5 frets and down one string...

Oh, right. So it's just my G7 and CMaj7 chords that might create an issue with hands getting in the way of each other as far as that chart goes.

I still can't decide what I want to do whether they're fine or not. Could get with a more normal tuning. Could go with a guitar type tuning or at least a 115 dronish tuning. Could get an N/S. I'm really scratching my head about what is going to be the best thing for me to do the jazz lounge thing. I still need to be able to play normal piano tertian sevenths too as per the modal pieces I posted a while back. Those fifths on the guitar side don't have to be played at the same time as the fourths but they do need to be played at the same time as the bass. Just tuned my classical in fifths and fucked around. Thought that would be cool so a pianist could continue to play in fourths while I stab fifths staying more out of each other's way. Decisions, decisions.

Realize also that the tones on those low melody strings are pretty deep, so the voicings might not sound the way you think in practice.

My experience with tonics in jazz chords is that you only "need" one of them, and if the bassist is playing that, you don't "need" any... So there's little reason for you to play roots and 5ths in the right hand (except for b5ths). You can focus the right hand on the higher pitched extensions, which is there the harmony stands out the most.

I was hoping to only stab those fifths for an 8th note to allow me to play other pitch options in the bass besides the root. Hoping to cover bass, chords and melody in one shebang. I think I'm going to let whichever trade I'm able to finagle be the deciding factor in which instrument I get. I'll experiment with tuning after I have an actual instrument.