Manipulating 'wah' on fretless

kbuschmann · #1 06-17-2011, 09:42 AM

I've just begun to play fretless (on a wonderful Tom Clement custom). Much easier than I thought it would be to make the transition. But I'd like to know better how to alter the 'wah'.
What fingering/plucking techniques and electronic adjustments can be made to augment or diminish it.

Thanks for your help.

Audiophage · #2 06-17-2011, 10:04 AM

Well, doing vibrato usually enhances the "mwah", so keeping your hand sturdier sort of reduces it. Also, you can go all out by palm muting and completely change the tone of the instrument.

guroove · #3 06-17-2011, 10:06 AM

Lighter strings, roundwounds, lower action, and playing closer to the neck tend to emphasize it as well. Playing closer to the bridge, digging in hard, and playing staccato minimize it.

Skitch it! · #4 06-17-2011, 10:08 AM

Vibrato is a lot to do with coaxing 'mwah' out of note's imo, for sound, boosting mids I find attenuates more like a voice in that respect. It depends on where along the string you pluck and the intensity you pluck with too, a lot of different factors really.
This is one I keep coming back to lately, Gary Willis

YouTube - ‪Gary Willis - Very Early‬&rlm;

Skitch it! · #5 06-17-2011, 04:46 PM

Sorry, could have expanded a bit earlier but was stuck for time. I remember watching a Willis instructional vid years back that had great points, basically he pivots on the tip of his finger, rolling/rocking the tip back and/or forth rather than sliding, he uses this for vib but also to quickly correct intonation, when he needs to, by rolling (pivoting on the tip) into pitch, it's a quick and effective way of correcting. I'd practice slow vibrato using that method and learn to control pivoting on the tip for vib mwah (I can't help smiling at that word : )

As for the right hand I think it's all about touch, learning to draw resonance out, fretless is a much more 'organic' kind of thing compared to fretted imo, a lot more touch involved to get the best out of it.

SLaPiNFuNK · #6 06-17-2011, 11:28 PM

Different amounts of pressure in the left hand. Depending on the bass and the fingerboard, more or less pressure will make more or less WAH... Sometimes, less pressure is more WAH...

Also, different parts of your fingers... I get the most out of the "meat" of my fingers rather than the tip (less pressure too)...

Skitch it! · #7 06-18-2011, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

Different amounts of pressure in the left hand. Depending on the bass and the fingerboard, more or less pressure will make more or less WAH... Sometimes, less pressure is more WAH...

Also, different parts of your fingers... I get the most out of the "meat" of my fingers rather than the tip (less pressure too)...

Sorry, I probably have mis-read, but Mwah to do with fretting pressure?

SLaPiNFuNK · #8 06-18-2011, 10:43 AM

Yes. I re-read my post and it looks accurate to me.

Also, playing further away from the bridge (on top of fingerboard) will give you more waaah too.

Skitch it! · #9 06-18-2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

Yes. I re-read my post and it looks accurate to me.

Also, playing further away from the bridge (on top of fingerboard) will give you more waaah too.

I wouldn't agree with that one, once you've cleanly fretted a note on the board, less pressure or more pressure doesn't really make any difference to the tone of that note at all, unless you release it until it buzzes, if that's what your looking for.

As far as the left hand is concerned for fretting on any bass, this is a good tip imo, ymmv.

YouTube - ‪Gary Willis On Finger Pressure‬&rlm;

SLaPiNFuNK · #10 06-18-2011, 12:00 PM

Well, maybe if I were to completely analyze what I am doing, it is playing on the meat of my finger rather than the tip.

Obviously, to little pressure you will get a buzz.

Skitch it! · #11 06-18-2011, 01:25 PM

I see what your saying, I'm an advocate for whatever works for you personally and the differences. For me it's more a case of minimizing flesh contact for intonation accuracy and vib, fluidity and having the option to correct tuning by rolling tip adjustment. Not to come over like a Willis fanboy but after around 8/9 years of playing fretless and studying other players, his tip's were very together and did make quite a difference, for me. As I said though, whatever works for you is something you'll know yourself.

SLaPiNFuNK · #12 06-18-2011, 01:41 PM

I believe in whatever works for you too, but with fretless ever bass is different. I'll check out thvideo.