Playing Fretless - An Earful

StyleOverShow · #1 05-26-2008, 11:39 PM

Just picked up a fretless, '76 Ripper, with an ebony fretboard. It has some fretwear causing some buzzing but I think that can be leveled out.

So I picked up a handful of charts from the weekend gigs and started to play them. Not that easy to keep in pitch. Have taken to putting a small tuner inline so I can verify the starting pitch and then play relative to that.

I can see why the fretlines are popular on the newer fretboards.

I think it will improve my ear and finger technique which ain't a bad thing. The sounds are amazing and I'm playing on 10 year old rotowounds. Going to try some TI flats.

Check out the newest member of the family.

Foxworthy925 · #2 05-27-2008, 12:39 AM

Beautiful bass. Fretless is one thing I hope to man up enough to try one of these days. Well, money permitting. Oh well

BassChuck · #3 05-27-2008, 04:44 AM

The TI's are great. Nice bass. As far as making the transition to fretless. Practice scales slower than you normally would. Be very careful to get the fifth and octave in tune. The rest of the intervals will come in time.

Really, the only way to to play in tune is to ALWAY have your ear glued to the pitch. It takes a while, but the things you are learning are correct hand postion, and constant listening.

Good luck, you'll really love it.

Frost.Blast · #4 05-27-2008, 12:08 PM

A very good tip my bass teacher told me : when playing on a fretted neck, always stick your fingers just behind the frets on which you're playing. Of course, this should always be done, but a lot of people don't do it, taking for granted that it'll sound just as right if they're half an inch behind the fret -- a correct assumption as far as fretted neck are concerned.

I've only been playing for 6 years now, and I always forced myself to play as close behind the frets as I possibily could. I've now been playing fretless for over 3 years and I never had any trouble putting my fingers are the right place on the fretboard because right behind the fret is where you're supposed to be even on a fretless neck (right behind where the fret would be, that is).

Also, obviously, having a lined fretless as a first fretless is always a big big help for learners.

MarkTAW · #5 05-27-2008, 12:21 PM

I took a sharpie to the *strings* of my URB and put dots at the 5th and 7th fret harmonics on the E string to serve as a quick reference.

fretlessguy · #6 05-31-2008, 10:44 PM

Most folks feel strongly about the fretless. They either really like it, or do not much interest in it. It's a little tough at first, but it will make you use your ears much more. After a while you develop a muscle memory for it and it seems second nature to play.

1954bassman · #7 05-31-2008, 10:48 PM

If you have a fretted and fretless of the same make / model, your fretless playing will benefit.

Personally, I find I prefer 'no lines'

StyleOverShow · #8 06-01-2008, 12:04 AM

Fretless is in the shop now getting some repairs and new setup. Dave Neely in Hollywood is doing the work. Great to watch him at work assessing the bass.

Didn't go with the Thomastik-Infields afterall. Repair tech said 'no'.

It only took a few days to work out the pitch thing. Was getting there when I took the bass in on Friday for repairs. Playing with more vibrato now, enjoying the sound/sensation.

Went back to fretted MM Sterling and wondered what those speed bumps were: oh, frets.

nsmar4211 · #9 06-01-2008, 08:34 AM

I took a sharpie (silver) and marked fretlines on the side of my finger board. My body chemistry wore the sharpie off within a few days and it was easy to remark. My problem is there are dots on the neck where the frets would be, but you cant see em while playing. There's dots on the side of the neck every other fret, but they are positioned in the middle of the fret area instead of on the fret..... messes with my brain too much. Next extra money (hah) that sucker is getting lined!
But for now the silver sharpie works

Lalabadie · #10 06-01-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsmar4211

I took a sharpie (silver) and marked fretlines on the side of my finger board. My body chemistry wore the sharpie off within a few days and it was easy to remark. My problem is there are dots on the neck where the frets would be, but you cant see em while playing. There's dots on the side of the neck every other fret, but they are positioned in the middle of the fret area instead of on the fret..... messes with my brain too much. Next extra money (hah) that sucker is getting lined!
But for now the silver sharpie works

I did the same thing with a white water-based marker. Looks like small inlay dots

bkbirge · #11 06-01-2008, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StyleOverShow

Didn't go with the Thomastik-Infields afterall. Repair tech said 'no'.

Why?

Thunderthumbs73 · #12 06-01-2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fretlessguy

Most folks feel strongly about the fretless. They either really like it, or do not much interest in it. It's a little tough at first, but it will make you use your ears much more. After a while you develop a muscle memory for it and it seems second nature to play.

If I didn't like the fretted bass slap/pop sound so much, I'd probably play nothing but fretless basses if it was an option.

ClassicRock55 · #13 06-03-2008, 08:23 AM

Fretless is awesome, and your ears and technique will improve greatly. A good intonation exercise I do every time I warm up is playing the major scale, octave to octave starting on the low E. Move it up half a step until F and work your way to the Octave on the 12th unfret. Focus on your fingering and intonation, not speed. This helped me a ton with intonation