training my ear on a fretless?

ImaStupidBaby · #1 04-12-2007, 07:23 AM

i've got a Brice Fretless and its not the best bass...but its certainly playable. I'm wondering though, whats the best way to go about making sure I'm playing in tune? I can kind of tell if I'm playing the right note, but theres a lot of play going on involved. I could be a little bit sharp or flat and not really be able to tell the difference? Any advice on how to make sure I'm actually playing in tune and not learning bad habits?

JohnBarr · #2 04-12-2007, 07:43 AM

Search this forum, there was a thread on this recently.

Try this: Play along with very slow songs, ballads, etc, way down there at 60-80 bpm. Just a few notes and lots of space. You'll know quick how close you are.

If you have a keyboard, set it for an organ sound and tape down one note or a triad to create a drone and play scales and arpeggios against it.

ImaStupidBaby · #3 04-12-2007, 07:48 AM

thats a good idea. thanks

i'll try to find that thread.

BassChuck · #4 04-12-2007, 08:08 AM

Good ideas. I have the same concern. I have sequencing software so I made some track of scales and chords to play with. If you have Band In A Box that is a great tool also.

Bottom line is that you'll get more from your practice time if you are playing along with something so you can monitor and match pitches as you play. Go slow and be patient. This is a process, not an event... it takes time.

Audiophage · #5 04-12-2007, 08:17 AM

You really should work out a specific fingering method if you really want to play in tune. As much as it is hearing, muscle memory is part of being able to really play in tune. I'd suggest checking out what double bassists do to stay in tune. Also, it's good practice to check with open notes and harmonics.

ImaStupidBaby · #6 04-12-2007, 09:20 AM

yeah, one thing I've been doing is playing say open E and then playing an E on the A string. Or an A on the E string and then hitting an open A. I'm not too confident on my harmonics on the fretless yet though, although that could be due to a lack of understand what exactly a harmonic is (I think what it is in terms of physics and whatnot, just not how it works on a bass guitar).

Ed Fuqua · #7 04-12-2007, 09:29 AM

Double bassists generally use a combination of positional playing and expectation of pitch. That is to say, you have to be able to hear internally what the next note sounds like so that you play that pitch. NOT a geographic position, NOT a hand shape, NOT second finger in third position, a SPECIFIC PITCH.

What general ear training work are you doing?

ImaStupidBaby · #8 04-12-2007, 09:31 AM

not a whole lot of anything really. i play with my band quite a bit, and i try not to look at the fret board ever, but thats about the extent of my ear training. my problem is that I really have a lot of trouble hearing a tone internally. i can get a general idea for a bass line, but I can never hear it without an instrument in my hands.

BassChuck · #9 04-12-2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImaStupidBaby

i can get a general idea for a bass line, but I can never hear it without an instrument in my hands.

This is common at the begining. You're relying on your instrument to do your pitch generating. Try playing a scale and singing along with your notes. After a while try singing the next note before you play it. When you have that down, play different intervals on the bass and sing then after you played... then try singing the second note before you play it. I think you get the idea.

The goal is to get to where you can look at any place on the fretboard and sing the note before you play it. This will take a while... perhaps quite a while. Keep working. The music is in you, not the instrument.

Ed Fuqua · #10 04-12-2007, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

This is common at the begining. You're relying on your instrument to do your pitch generating. Try playing a scale and singing along with your notes. After a while try singing the next note before you play it. When you have that down, play different intervals on the bass and sing then after you played... then try singing the second note before you play it. I think you get the idea.

The goal is to get to where you can look at any place on the fretboard and sing the note before you play it. This will take a while... perhaps quite a while. Keep working. The music is in you, not the instrument.

And it's a good idea to do this with a piano/keyboard and to start moving beyond the first octave and into the second, cause that's where the chord tensions are. And then move on to closed position triads. then open position triads. Then closed 4 part chords. then open. Then closed 4 part with 1 tension. Then open. Then closed 4 part 2 tensions. Then open.

This is pretty daunting but pretty necessary. Being a musician is about hearing with clarity. I've found it best and easiest to pursue this with a teacher. They're not gonna let you skate before you're ready to....

JohnBarr · #11 04-12-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

This is common at the begining. You're relying on your instrument to do your pitch generating. Try playing a scale and singing along with your notes. After a while try singing the next note before you play it. When you have that down, play different intervals on the bass and sing then after you played... then try singing the second note before you play it. I think you get the idea.

The goal is to get to where you can look at any place on the fretboard and sing the note before you play it. This will take a while... perhaps quite a while. Keep working. The music is in you, not the instrument.

Well now! I've done a simple version of that but never took it to the next step.

Lord I'm a klutz on a keyboard! Looks like I've got another skill to master.

Jeralya · #12 04-12-2007, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

This is common at the begining. You're relying on your instrument to do your pitch generating. Try playing a scale and singing along with your notes. After a while try singing the next note before you play it. When you have that down, play different intervals on the bass and sing then after you played... then try singing the second note before you play it. I think you get the idea.

The goal is to get to where you can look at any place on the fretboard and sing the note before you play it. This will take a while... perhaps quite a while. Keep working. The music is in you, not the instrument.

Without perfect pitch, this is impossible without using some sort of relative pitch, and even then incredibly impractical. The goal is to give yourself a tone and be able to then find any note on the fretboard and sing it before playing it. Trying to summon pitches is something few can do and actually adds nothing to your playing.

You will probably 'think' in whatever pitches your range is comfortable- for instance I can think of melodies and lines but they are almost always in some sort of E if I am away from my bass. Of course, if I have specific chords in my head then it is a different matter

ImaStupidBaby · #13 04-12-2007, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

This is common at the begining. You're relying on your instrument to do your pitch generating. Try playing a scale and singing along with your notes. After a while try singing the next note before you play it. When you have that down, play different intervals on the bass and sing then after you played... then try singing the second note before you play it. I think you get the idea.

The goal is to get to where you can look at any place on the fretboard and sing the note before you play it. This will take a while... perhaps quite a while. Keep working. The music is in you, not the instrument.

thats a really good idea, i'll have to start doing that. thanks for the help guys