teach me how to play a fretless bass

[brothertupelo]

i just got one this week. my background is that i've played the guitar for about 13 years, and bass off and on for about 5, so i have some knowledge. i'm decent on a fretted bass, but nothing to write home about.
i'm trying to learn how to play this thing, and i realize a lot of it's about intonation. i've been playing a lot off of open strings, and i realize i drift around a bit. so tell me anything and everything that'll make me worthy of listening to.

[BassChuck]

It's all about intonation. And getting that in control is all about hand postition (IMHO). Don't pile up your fingers... keep them close to the strings. Play a major scale (2,4 / 1,2,4 /1,3,4) and as you play the top root, add the bottom root to keep fingers in position. Play down the scale and as you play the bottom root, add the fifth of the scale (4th finger) to help keep the hands in position. Octaves and fifths are the easiest intervals to hear in tune. As you move up the neck the notes get closer together (just like the frets do).

It's probably a good idea to amplify the sound with a practice amp or headphones when you practice... you really need to hear the notes clearly, so keeping the treble a little higher during practice time is a good idea too.

Next to hand postition the thing you will be practicing the most is listening. Years of guitar and fretted bass playing may not have trained your ear as much as you think. You have to listen to every note. It takes time and effort, but the tone and control are (IMO) very much worth it.

good luck

[jp700]

There is really nothing anyone can "tell" you about your intonation. It's just a matter of practice and ear development.You will begin to gain muscle memory over time by practice. All fretless models have different spacing according to the neck dimensions. It is always easier to grasp the fretless if it is a model you are used to playing fretted. You will have a headstart on your spacing.

[brothertupelo]

i do play with a practice amp. i'm not sure exactly what piling fingers are, but i assume you mean play 1 finger per "fret", which is what i generally do.
and yeah, i realize that a lot of it is just plain old practice time, but i was wondering if there's anything besides just looking at the insides of my own head for inspiration or practice routines.

[Jools4001]

Try playing in various positions, but dropping in a few open strings to give you a reference on how far your intonation is off.

A little thing that I do involves closing my eyes and playing a straightforward major scale starting from the open string then playing the scale on that string only, so that it forces you to make position changes. I don't mean just sliding your forefinger along the string, the fingering I do taking the G major scale as an example is:

G - Open
A - Forefinger
B - Forefinger
C - Second Finger
D - Little Finger
E - Forefinger
F# - Third Finger
G - Little Finger

Try and play the scale as smoothly as possible, just like you would playing across the strings. When you get to the octave, play the open note again and see how far your intonation is off. You will find that after a little bit of practise you will be able to hit each note perfectly, even in the dark - if you're like me, you'll keep doing it because you can't quite believe you did it.

Once you can do that, if you're feeling brave and (like me) have a two octave fingerboard, try doing the same thing across two octaves - again dropping back to the open string once you've hit the second octave. This is much harder, but it does happen with practise.

Now I don't suggest this will work for everyone, but I find that it helped me greatly with spatial awareness and after a while I found that I had a much better sense of where I was on the neck when playing in position and far better accuracy when changing position

[rythmicillusion]

A few things that can really help your ears...

*With a Tuner: Start with just one note. For example, let's say that you intend on hitting Bb on the G string (normally the 3rd fret) Keep your eyes away from the tuner, and play the note. Then give the tuner a look. You're goal would probably be to hit a "bulls eye" on the Bb every time. I found with this sort of practice, some patterns developed. For me, that I tend to play notes a little bit flat. Use your imagination to find other ways to practice with a tuner.

*With Recording Capabilities: Record a simple repeating bass line or chord progression...something that you can easily establish as "in tune", and simple enough that you can very quickly establish the harmonic motion. Playback your personal "backing track" and improvise some simple melodies using the stronger intervals (roots, perfect fourths and fifths, major thirds). Hopefully, your ear will start to guide you right away with the "intuneness" of your statement. I can't stress enough to keep your improvisation very simple, as you want to give your ears their best chance possible to guide your intonation. Add more complex material as you get the hang of it.

*Playing along with Recordings: You may already have experience with this sort of practicing. However, you may want to focus on elements other than the bass...like the vocal, keyboard or guitar riffs, etc. These elements are usually much closer to the average human's peak hearing frequencies, which is another safe bet for intonation exercises. If I'm not mistaken, Jaco Pastorius said in an interview that it was important for him to not only listen in on the bassline, but the stuff in the higher registers as well, especially the melody.

*Call And Response: Sing a note or short phrase. Then try to mimic it on the bass. This might not be the best exercise for getting "perfect intonation", but it will get you in the ballpark AND most likely vastly improve your relative pitch, melodic identification, general musicality, etc.

Also, I wouldn't hesitate to seek out somebody for lessons. Or even a patient, big eared friend who wouldn't mind providing an in tune context for your to play within.

Good Luck and Have a Blast!

[MikeBass]

Easy easy easy.......
Fretless Bass in 6 Easy Steps by MikeBass
Items needed:
1- fretted bass (in tune would help)
1- fretless bass (also in tune)
1- case of choice beer.
2- bottles of Jack Daniels.
1- recording device

OK, lets get started.........
1-Record yourself playing a scale on your fretted bass.
2-Then play along to recorded fretted bass with your fretless.
3-Get depressed (if step is repeated beyond first time through, but feeling isn't there, skip this step)
4-Have a few drinks. A shot or two as well.
>>>>>>>>>> Multi-part step- choose option "a", "b", "c" or "d" pending outcome of above steps:
5a-Not satisfided-Do it again, starting at step 2.(playing the bass, not the drinking part)
5b- If you're satisfided at this point (after step 2),and you think your Jaco, Gary Willis or Tony Franklin, repeat step 4 and skip to step 6.
5c-Repeat steps 4 & 5a as needed if step 3 continues to yeild feelings of depression.
5d-If step 2 does not yeild feelings of Jaco/Willis/Franklin skill, skip step 3, repeat step 4 as needed, repeat Step 2,see step 5, repeat step 4, then skip to step 6.
6-Done. Be happy!

See....EASY!!!!

Oh yeah, listen to the other guys posting up too if you think you need it.
There MIGHT be something useful in what they're saying.

[Orangeclawhamme]

Not that I'm planning to buy a fretless any time soon, but i belong to an ethnic group that does not drink beer. I absoultely can't stand the stuff. Could I just use more Jack Daniels?

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by Orangeclawhamme

Not that I'm planning to buy a fretless any time soon, but i belong to an ethnic group that does not drink beer. I absoultely can't stand the stuff. Could I just use more Jack Daniels?

I guess.........yeah, what the hell!!!

[Slax]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

I guess.........yeah, what the hell!!!

lol. That could be dangerous if you're not a quick learner I suppose.

[brothertupelo]

or if, like me, you're a recovering alcoholic

[Orangeclawhamme]

Originally Posted by brothertupelo

or if, like me, you're a recovering alcoholic

Then you probably should stay away from the beer and the Jack Daniels. Nearly all of my ancestors are from Germany, where beer is nearly non-existant, so I've never been able to drink it.

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by Orangeclawhamme

Nearly all of my ancestors are from Germany, where beer is nearly non-existant, so I've never been able to drink it.

This does not compute.

[standupright]

try not to slide around on the finger board when playing. i've noticed alot of new fretless players doing this, and imho, it ends up sounding like 2 cows humping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_u35sHICjE

put your fretted bass away for awhile and work on every thing you already play fretted, on your fretless.

practice is the only way you'll get there.

[ryco]

Make sure your bass is in tune.
If playing to recordings, make sure your bass in tune with the recordings.
Focus on listening to pitch and check you intonation with the open strings and harmonics.

[vlxyooper]

Originally Posted by standupright

try not to slide around on the finger board when playing. i've noticed alot of new fretless players doing this, and imho, it ends up sounding like 2 cows humping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_u35sHICjE

....that was ...uhmm.... unique. Hopefully they weren't playing around any livestock.

Along with what others have said, try practicing with your eyes closed, or in the dark ...or in the dark with your eyes closed. The idea is to take away any visual reference and get to where your ears, fingers, arm position, and brain are doing all the work. Muscle memory and a good ear are much more important than visual cues.

Not sure if anyone mentioned it, but there are all sorts of natural harmonics on the neck that you can use to check your intonation, as well as the open strings. They are very helpful, and right under your fingers!

[brothertupelo]

ok. i do all that stuff. what sort of **** should i play? i want a strong foundation. deep groove, funk, melodic, all that.

[Orangeclawhamme]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

This does not compute.

What doesn't compute? I was just stating fact here.

[phatbass]

Do what I did; on your way to a gig in a hurry, grab the wrong case on your way out the door...

It was a bit stressful 'coz I was also singing most of the songs.

[greenboy]

How I learned? Play fretless and nothing but, practice, and do two gigs nearly every weekend. Make sure you can hear your rig. It's good to point your cabs closer to your ears than your knees ; }