Does it matter were between the frets you play?

[wazzel]

Just wondering. I tend to play right behind the fret, almost like I was playing fretless. Does it matter that I am not playing in the middle of the space between frets?

[73jbass]

Nope.

[Tobbo]

Isn't it more energy consuming to play right in the middle and therefor you should play just behind the fret for minimal tension to avoid injuries etc. ?

Ofcourse the pitch is the same always

[Deacon_Blues]

Yep to the question in the thread title. Your technique is considered the better one as it minimizes fret buzzing and requires less force.

[mutedeity]

You Suomi's have some good answers.

[Joel S.]

Originally Posted by wazzel

Just wondering. I tend to play right behind the fret, almost like I was playing fretless. Does it matter that I am not playing in the middle of the space between frets?

I was once told by a guitarist that you should play in the middle between the frets. I later found that it was MUCH easier to play just behind them.

It's good practice too in case you want to switch to fretless.

[ric1312]

I was told both. Behind the fret by bass players from here and in the middle by guitar players.

But, I've found on my bass anyway, it depends on where you play. On some frets I don't notice a change in pitch if I play right behind the fret. On some frets I've noticed that the pitch does indeed go sharp. Didn't really notice until my guitar player, who has a very good ear, kept hearing something out of pitch on a song. Checked me, I was on the right fret but it still sounded out, sure enough when I move to the middle of the fret it was right on.

Personally I don't find it any harder or easier to play behind the fret or right in the middle, and for my bass, it doesn't seem to make any difference in fret noise. FYI, I'm playing a 4 string bongo with a stock set up as far as action.

[Sammy_L_D]

Yes. It "can".

If you play too far from the fret the note can go slightly flat.

Now, being that bass, guitar, etc. aren't perfectly intonated up the neck, sometimes playing further from the fret will actually make you more "in tune" than playing behind the fret.

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by Sammy_L_D

Yes. It "can".

If you play too far from the fret the note can go slightly flat.

Now, being that bass, guitar, etc. aren't perfectly intonated up the neck, sometimes playing further from the fret will actually make you more "in tune" than playing behind the fret.

Correct, but it goes sharp. This is more noticable on guitars.

Play directly behind the fret for both. It takes the least effort and it's usually the most in-tune (assuming your intonation is set properly)

[Sammy_L_D]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

Correct, but it goes sharp. This is more noticable on guitars.

Play directly behind the fret for both. It takes the least effort and it's usually the most in-tune (assuming your intonation is set properly)

Yeah, you're right. My mistake.

o and hai sup

[mambo4]

I have always been told that good technique is to finger just behind or on top of the fret.

i n practice i pay less attention to ti than I ought too.

[ZonGuy]

Jaco said the best tone is right behind the fret and I believe him. Thats how I play.

Also, if you play fretless as well, its good to get in the habit of playing close to the fret for intonation reasons.

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by ZonGuy

Also, if you play fretless as well, its good to get in the habit of playing close to the fret for intonation reasons.

Playing close to the fret gets you close to in tune with a fretless.

[HappyCakeOven]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

Correct, but it goes sharp. This is more noticable on guitars.

Play directly behind the fret for both. It takes the least effort and it's usually the most in-tune (assuming your intonation is set properly)

True, but I only experience that when I press in pretty hard, if I press the string without too much pressure it gives out the same tone over the length of the entire fret.

[MyUsernameHere]

Just behind the fret for intonation reasons (although I agree its much more noticeable on guitar than bass). Also makes any long stretch you would have to make down the fretboard just a little bit shorter. Not a big deal I know, but if you have relatively small hands and play 35" plus scale basses its a useful habit to get into.

[wld3]

Just behind the fret. Definitely not on top of the fret.

[mutedeity]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

Correct, but it goes sharp. This is more noticable on guitars.

Play directly behind the fret for both. It takes the least effort and it's usually the most in-tune (assuming your intonation is set properly)

This would be caused typically by the downward increase of tension as the string is depressed to the fingerboard. Close to the fret this is less of a factor since the tension relative to the fret is much greater nearer to the fret and requires greater force to press the string to the fret board.

If someone has high frets or tends to press down very hard this will also be more of an occurrence.

I would say in the case of ric1312's post that if some notes are sharp at the fret there must be a tendency to bend the note for some reason that you are less likely to do I the middle of the fret. The reason I make that conclusion is because, as I pointed out above, the string would be pulled sharp, if anything once in the middle of the frets.

I would always recommend playing closer to the fret personally since I agree that it is much more efficient and also good "practice" for fretless playing.

[SBassman]

Originally Posted by wld3

Just behind the fret. Definitely not on top of the fret.

+1

[All_¥our_Bass]

I have big fingertips. So in the lower registers I can adjust it so I play just behind the fret. But in the higher areas, my fingertips tend to fill up most (or all) of teh gap between frets, so I'm not as finicky about it past the seventh fret as adjsuting it doesn't really 'work' for me in that area of the neck.

[rarisgod]

Originally Posted by wazzel

Just wondering. I tend to play right behind the fret, almost like I was playing fretless. Does it matter that I am not playing in the middle of the space between frets?

I play the same way, and I've always heard it's the better way to do it.