If you don't look at the neck while playing, how do you tell where you are?
 

I've strung my bass BEAD for a long time but just for a change have switched to standard EADG.

I always thought BEAD should be easier in a way as the commonly-played notes can be played further up the neck, but I'm actually finding it easier to play EADG without looking at the neck, because the notes in the juicy zone are all in the first few frets, so my hand naturally (withouth thinking) uses the widening of the neck as it becomes the headstock as a reference point...

You?

Ha!
 

This is great! I just bought a bass of craigslist yesterday sight unseen. I got it home and realized it was BEAD. Never tried that before. I'm trying to decide whether to restring it or leave it the way it is.

Anyway, back to your question.... This whole thing is more fun on a fretless and MUCH more fun on the upright! As the Nike folks say, Just Do It. Lots and lots of practice. It happens!

If the bass sounds good that way, BEAD is great - it's nice that at least half the neck is in the bass range, rathet than just the first few frets!



After first learning the violin and then the guitar maybe it's taking my arm a while to dare make those big bass steps...

Since I tuned to BEAD It surprises me that basses are almost exclusively sold EADG tuned. In my opinion it's more natural. Those few higher notes I play can easily be found on the D-string.

When I changed to BEAD, it took a while to get used to it. Many notes are played higher on the neck. I don't know how, but if I'm in the groove, my hands just find their way to the right strings and frets. Nowadays I have to reset myself if I want to play an EADG tuned bass.

I love BEAD. Every now and then I miss those last few notes a G string would provide but the extended lows make it so very worth it. That and I hate 5 stringers.

Just from playing. You just learn the neck.

When I read music, I don't look at my hands and I find my way, it is just some kind of link between hand movement and sound.

If I would change the tuning, I would need to sing what I play at the same time looking at my hand.

If BEAD is so great, why not just get a 5 string?

If there's a rule that says you can't look at the neck, I didn't get the memo! Look at the neck if you need to... lots of pros look at the neck. Here's a video of Jaco looking at the neck! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwhkPSEXs1Q

Anyway, the secret is muscle memory... practice shifting 1 fret, 2 frets, 3 frets. You don't need to find the target note "blind" like you're throwing darts at a board; you just need to use whatever note you're currently playing as your reference note, and then shift the correct number of frets up or down. Study fingering systematically, learning scales, arpeggios, etc., and it will become second nature.

And ears, of course. Being able to hear a wrong note and correct it in a millisecond is an incredibly useful skill. ;)

All I do is set up ALL of may basses with the forward strap button behind the 15th~17th fret(17th best for me). Then the REACH is the same for them all.
A way to teach yourself, as mentioned by Seth Horan, is to practice in complete darkness until you KNOW BY FEEL where everything is.

1. Hard to get a five string with true 4 string spacing.
2. 4 strings are usually cheaper than 5 ;)
3. Don't have to buy a new bass. Just retrofit an existing one.
4. Generally a 4 is lighter than a 5.
5. Five strings are harder to find if you aren't in a large market.

For me, number 1 is by and far the biggest reason.

I play both, I have a thunderbird bead and a couple others eadg I used to have a 5 string fender jazz. I never thought about this topic. Pretty much if I'm going from say the 1 st to like the 9 th fret I do try to look so I don't screw up but mostly just practice. A good ear makes good fingering no matter how you tune, or spacing or any of that crap. A string is a string, a fret is a fret, and a note is a note.

It's ok to look at the neck, it's not like staring at the sun. But yes muscle memory is very important. Just practice regularly in a standing position with whatever tuning you are using, and you will adapt and play naturally.

I have always looked at the neck when doing runs or doing drastic position shifts, I admit. But I do it peripherally, peripheral vision combined with so-so muscle memory has always served me well. I am more concerned with sounding good than looking good anyways.

I got so sick of people telling me to "look up and smile!" that I had no choice. It was my sanity at stake. :P

Seriously, though... it sort of came naturally as my technique improved. Once I became more familiar with scales, I found myself jumping around less, which led to not having to look so much... and then eventually I learned the "feel" of the spacing between the frets. Unless I'm getting up past 12th fret, at which point it boils down to "oh crap that sounds wrong QUICK FIX IT!"

Plus, I sing. It's very hard to look down and sing into a microphone at the same time.

How do I tell where I am? I look at the neck. But only for harder stuff. It comes the more you do it. Just like anything...gotta put the hours into it.

Most common reason is if you're singing, I guess...

You get used to it. Playing upright and reading classical music, for instance, made it necessary for me to not look at the neck too much. On electric, playing rock and whatnot, I look at the neck some and don't look at it some. But, even when I'm not looking I'll take a glance when shifting positions far enough so as not to be off.

It looks good to be looking at the audience and your band members, but there's no rule. Some producers might complain about looking down too much, though.

That ..and makin eye contact with some hot babr in the crowd.
;)

Geddy Lee could sing, hammer on notes on his bass with left hand, play the keyboard with his right hand, and still look at both his bass fretboard and his keyboard every few seconds.

Just sayin'. :smug:

99% muscle memory. 1% eye balling that neck.

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