Fretless Advice!

rockstarbassist · #1 05-22-2006, 12:54 PM

Hey guys,
Just recently got my first "real" fretless and boy, it sure is a lot more different than fretted than I anticipated!

Any places or tips or advice y'all could give me to help me get in the swing of things? Even the basics are appreciated! I'm still learning how to get more "muah" out of my notes, as they aren't that pronounced just yet!

RSB

Tony G · #2 05-22-2006, 01:01 PM

First an foremost, listen.... Intonation is crucial when playing fretless. Even being slightly off can sound awful. As for the mwah sound, trying using more of the meaty pad of the fretting finger, as opposed to the tip.

Groundloop · #3 05-22-2006, 01:17 PM

To help with intonation, record yourself playing scales and simple lines at a slow tempo with a fretted bass, and then play along with the fretless. For more mwah, try, as xgabriel said, using the meatier part of your finger, and I've found playing near the end of the fingerboard and using a light touch, almost like dragging your finger pad across the string and letting it fall off, helps.

Mottlefeeder · #4 05-22-2006, 01:40 PM

Start by practising all the songs that you know in one key, and when you have mastered that part of the 'fretboard', choose another key that adds in another couple of 'frets'.

Assuming that you will be able to do everything that you could on a fretted bass, without some practice, is a surefire way to turn you off fretless basses.

JohnBarr · #5 05-22-2006, 02:09 PM

Slide into the notes abit (glisando), easy to over do it but a good way to slow yourself down in practice and get a feel for where the notes are.

Check out Gary Willis' book "101 Bass Tips"

http://www.bassbooks.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=194

good book in general, but written with the fretless in mind.

John

Mike Flynn · #6 05-23-2006, 03:09 AM

Sorry for the re-post of this from 'Recordings' but this video illustrates a few different ways playing notes on fretless - have a look at the way I play the 'mwah' notes over the end of the neck - by playing the string at a point where there is less tension will give a much softer attack and allow the string vibrate much more - thus you get that really long, fat sound - that should 'bloom' as it vibrates. You can also try rolling up to a fretted note on the finger board - again emphasising the difference in attack from a fretted neck - start one or two fret positions below and roll up to the note you want to play. Anyway have a look and listen to this - hopefully it'll give you some ideas:

Fretless loop solo:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...A11C1B19590660

Cheers

Mike

Suburban · #7 05-23-2006, 03:27 AM

Mwah is about action vs. string amplitude. Lower the action or pluck further up to the neck.

Intonation is about putting the fretted away for ever. Or at least for practice from now on...

Aussiephoenix · #8 05-23-2006, 03:27 AM

dont bend like a guitarrist... slide...

QuintrKD · #9 05-23-2006, 11:04 AM

I find it helpful to my intonation to practice my scales and modes on a daily basis in different ways: ascending and descending, in sequence or in intervals, with and without vibrato or slides, ect. I've found after doing these exercises for a while that I actually get a little distracted on the fretted hearing those variances in intonation that are inevitable. Playing trombone for 35 years hasn't hurt on the intonation either!

rockstarbassist · #10 05-23-2006, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suburban

Mwah is about action vs. string amplitude. Lower the action or pluck further up to the neck.

Intonation is about putting the fretted away for ever. Or at least for practice from now on...

The latter part is what I'm all about. If I could never play fretted again, I don't want to.

I love the hell outta how this thing sounds.

And Mike- sweet chops man!

I'm beginning to realize how much technique I DON"T have, and damn does fretless show that! I can play and all, but man... Have a bit to go on this adventure!

40Hz · #11 05-25-2006, 09:12 PM

Just a few minor suggestions:

1) Don't be ashamed to be seen looking at the neck while you play. Most of the pros do. Your intonation will benefit if you look as well as listen. That being said:
2) Don't put too much faith in the position markers on the neck. Listen, listen, listen above all else. Your ears are always a better judge of intonation than your eyes.
3) Slide into notes (mwah!) for the sound - not as a cheap way to find the note. If you cheat like this you'll be acquiring a bad habit that will become very difficult to get rid of later on.
4) And last but most important - practice. A lot. Every day.

rockstarbassist · #12 05-25-2006, 09:25 PM

Yeah I'm already gettin' a lil frustrated with having to look at the neck this much, but I guess that'll just come in time. I can pick up my fretted Spector 5 already and can play it blindfolded almost. My "retired" Charvel 4 for sure.

My problem is my fretted technique is really REALLY not helping me out right now. Like I said before, I hammer tons of notes and honestly don't even pluck that much, and you can't do that and it's kidna buggin' me, cause I like playing like that.

Oh well. I'm gonna test it out this summer, and if I just would rather do the fretted, I'll keep the bass and get a new neck or somethin'... I love this Mod, however.

40Hz · #13 05-25-2006, 09:40 PM

Here's a thought: "When all else fails-do the opposite" (I think that was one of Eno's Oblique Strategies. Sounds like one anyway...)

If you can play your usual axe "almost blindfolded" then why not try it that way on your fretless? Instead of looking at it so much, try looking at it less. If you've been playing for a while, your hands probably have a good idea of where the notes are. Try doing some target practice and attempt to hit the notes blind. The A above G on the D string is a good place to start. I sometimes do that when my intonation takes an unexpected turn for the worse and my "over-psyching" just makes it more so.

Sad truth is that fretless is a neverending challenge. You have good patches and bad ones. The only difference between the pros and the non-pros is that the pros have fewer and shorter bad times. ;-)

rockstarbassist · #14 05-25-2006, 10:02 PM

That's some good advice! I really like about not really worrying much about the fretlines. I'm not sure if it's supposed to work this way, but I much prefer the sound of the note just about ON the line as opposed to where it'd be as if you had frets on it, and were just a few millimeters to left. Donno, but that's just me.

I can't wait to gig with this thing and see how much I really screw up, haha!

west*coast*bass · #15 05-26-2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Flynn

Sorry for the re-post of this from 'Recordings' but this video illustrates a few different ways playing notes on fretless - have a look at the way I play the 'mwah' notes over the end of the neck - by playing the string at a point where there is less tension will give a much softer attack and allow the string vibrate much more - thus you get that really long, fat sound - that should 'bloom' as it vibrates. You can also try rolling up to a fretted note on the finger board - again emphasising the difference in attack from a fretted neck - start one or two fret positions below and roll up to the note you want to play. Anyway have a look and listen to this - hopefully it'll give you some ideas:

Fretless loop solo:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...A11C1B19590660

Cheers

Mike

Great playing Mike. What are you using to loop?

stanknuckle · #16 05-26-2006, 06:53 PM

I was watching Jaco's Instructional Video before and he was aksed by Jeremy Jemmott how he got his fretless intonation.
Jaco said by practicing his fretted. Jaco rarely practiced with his fretless because again he said the strings would chew away the fingerboard and would only bring it out at gigs. Jaco said he practiced by placing his fingers right on the frets on his fretted. It gets your fingers and hand acustomed to the stretching and in shape. Ear is also very important of course. It encourages accuracy in your left hand.