Free bass system confusion

[Niknak]

I’m going to purchase a Roland FR-4xb soon using c-system and want to learn the free bass so I downloaded the user manual to get started. I notice the manual gives you 5 free bass options.

1. Minor 3rds
2. Bajan (assuming Bayan)
3. Fifth
4. N. Europe
5. Finish

I know I want the notes to go from low (chin) to high so it’s not Bayan. Not sure which system to use.

 

[dunlustin]

minor 3rd

 

[Niknak]

Thank you

 

[JerryPH]

Yes thats more clearly known as the C-system (minor thirds).

 

[Niknak]

Yes thats more clearly known as the C-system (minor thirds).

As a follow up, which bass option would you choose if you used the B system treble size; do you have to use the bayan option or can you still use the minor 3rd option?

 

[debra]

As a follow up, which bass option would you choose if you used the B system treble size; do you have to use the bayan option or can you still use the minor 3rd option?

There are (at least) three minor thirds systems. If as others say "minor thirds" is C-system then N. Europe probably means B-system (with low notes at the top) and the third one is "bayan" (B system with high notes at the top). (Finnish system is like C-system but everything moved over by two rows.)

 

[JerryPH]

As a follow up, which bass option would you choose if you used the B system treble size; do you have to use the bayan option or can you still use the minor 3rd option?

Well, ideally if I was using a B-system right hand, I would think that the best would be a B-system left handed free bass system. I play piano keyboard right hand and C-system left hand and stradella of course.

Paul dropped a nice hint. Try out the N Europe settings and see if it matches a mirrored version of the B-system of your right hand, in my opinion that would be the easiest for you since the right hand is already there.

 

[Niknak]

Clarification much appreciated - Thanks debra & JerryPH

 

[dunlustin]

Silly question ? but --
Have you compared the layouts of LH and RH in the FR4X Reference Manual pp101-103
(Download available here: https://www.roland.com/uk/support/by_product/fr-4x/owners_manuals/ )

 

[Niknak]

Silly question ? but --
Have you compared the layouts of LH and RH in the FR4X Reference Manual pp101-103
(Download available here: https://www.roland.com/uk/support/by_product/fr-4x/owners_manuals/ )

Yes, but still a little confusing. I wanted to double check my understanding, Thanks

 

[tcabot]

Well, ideally if I was using a B-system right hand, I would think that the best would be a B-system left handed free bass system

Having been a B-griffer myself, I found bayan to be marginally better than B, unless you play the lowest octave a lot. Both systems felt like fighting the accordion.
If you have 4 rows and persevere, you might start winning. If you only have 3 rows, your chances of winning are significantly reduced. I don't buy into the idea that it's easier to learn a bass that's a mirror system of the treble. You have 3-4 rows of bass vs 5 rows of the treble, you are free to use the thumb on RHS, but can't do much with it on the LHS and your left is solely responsible for driving the bellows. Fingerings are very different even if the keyboard layouts are identical. By the time you've practiced the scales it really doesn't matter if the starting point was C, B, bayan, quint or mirrored & reversed Wiki-Hayden. If anything, quint is somewhat easier to start on as it's the same note arrangement as stradella that you're already playing with 4 fingers and semi-anchored wrist.

Of course, usual caveats apply, that with enough talent and dedication you can learn to play Bach on a diddley bow.

If I was looking specifically for a converter, I'd personally roll with the quint.

The good thing is that with a Roland you can try different systems and see what works for you.