Hello everyone, I am a percussionist by College Education and by every other aspect of the word but I am filling a long time goal of learning to play the bass. I just started, still in module one with a cheap 4 string that I purchased. However my formal bass player for 25 years just gifted me a 5 string when I went and visited. Should I learn on the 4 or the 5 ?
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Play both and see which you prefer.
I would suggest sticking with the 4 string usually, but if the 5er is substantially better feeling to you, stick with it and ignore the B string for now.
You won’t have an issue learning on either.
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B string makes a convenient thumb rest if you play it like a 4 string. Plays just the same otherwise.
If string spacing is too narrow consider a 4.
Feel is very important on a bass. If it feels good go for it
The big misunderstanding about the 5 string is that it’s not a step up from 4 string and for beginners it’s not that much harder than 4 strings simply because “everything” is hard.
It’s like asking is one up one down harder to play than two up one down. 
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Same goes for a six string!
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I bought both when I got started, coming from 6 string guitar I thought it would be fine. I found the extra string only benefit, in regards to using it to learn, is it’s a more comfy thumb rest than the edge of a pickup. Otherwise, no training materials make use of it, so it’s kind of pointless at this point in my journey. Sometimes it’s just annoying that it’s there and in the way.
I find I much prefer the feel of my 4 string. It also sounds better than the 5 but that has nothing to do with # of strings.
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