When playing the intro to calm like a bomb...

[duo8675309]

Is it better to use the 5th frets or the open strings? By this i mean is it better to play it like

G :----0-2---------|
D :2-4-------4-2-0-|
A :----------------|
E :----------------|

or

G :------2---------|
D :2-4-5-----4-2---|
A :--------------5-|
E :----------------|

Because I have small hands and i have a hard time reaching that far, but on every video i've seen they always play using the 5th frets.

[RMay]

If you apply the rule of one finger per fret then this shouldn't be much of a stretch for you. IMO, either way can work using the open D or fretted D. The answer will come from which feels comfortable and sounds best. Some players dont have the ability to reach or the pinky finger strength to fret a note. Good luck.

Peace.

[Vic Winters]

I prefer open.

[Swimming Bird]

Open notes that can be substituted for fretted ones usually makes a line sound amateurish at best. Unless you have a zero fret on your bass, open notes will stick out like a sore thumb. IMO it's better to move your hand to hit the better sounding note if you can't reach it with your pinky.

[Dr. Feelgood]

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

Open notes that can be substituted for fretted ones usually makes a line sound amateurish at best. Unless you have a zero fret on your bass, open notes will stick out like a sore thumb. IMO it's better to move your hand to hit the better sounding note if you can't reach it with your pinky.

What? No offence or anything, but that is pure nonsense! With proper technique (muting etc), everything sounds perfectly consistent.
And what about playing chords with OPEN strings? Should you try and substitute the open string for a fretted note and attempt to stretch 15 inches? What about playing major/minor chords high up on the neck whilst backing them with low, resonant open strings?!

As for an answer to the CLAB question: play it however you want. There is no "right" way. So long as you feel comfortable and like the way it sounds, you are doing good!

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by Dr. Feelgood

What? No offence or anything, but that is pure nonsense! With proper technique (muting etc), everything sounds perfectly consistent.
And what about playing chords with OPEN strings? Should you try and substitute the open string for a fretted note and attempt to stretch 15 inches? What about playing major/minor chords high up on the neck whilst backing them with low, resonant open strings?!

As for an answer to the CLAB question: play it however you want. There is no "right" way. So long as you feel comfortable and like the way it sounds, you are doing good!

a big +1 on that brother.

If you have small hands, don't hurt yourself.
Try some exercises to get your pinky stretching. Also, have you looked into a short scale bass?

[happyslapper]

anyones got small hands compared to tim from RATM. hes a monster!

[Alec W. Conway]

I prefer fretted notes. But then I play on a fretless, so for me its an actual sound issue. I only play open string when there's no other option, be it sheer speed or simply that my hand isn't placed adequately.

[BrandonBass]

am i the only who prefers open notes?

[Synplicity]

for this intro i use open notes got the G, but in general i dont like open notes, its hard to explain, it feels like i have no ''control'' over them, i prefere fretted notes

[Atomicant]

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

am i the only who prefers open notes?

You and pretty much every single upright bass player in the world.

[duo8675309]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

a big +1 on that brother.

If you have small hands, don't hurt yourself.
Try some exercises to get your pinky stretching. Also, have you looked into a short scale bass?

Well, its not the reach technically. I can reach it just fine its just... umm... ... I'm too lazy to re-learn it.

[2 Fingers McGee]

It really sounds like Tim's using all fretted notes in the recording.

[Nils]

I play it open, and every other note in that line that can be open, but that's because I learned it that way. Now I prefer fretted notes, but I seldom play that intro, so I haven't bothered re-learning it.

[Sean S]

I like to play it fretted...I prefer the "fatness" or the larger guage string. I also start on the 7th fret on the A string for the first E.

[iamlowsound]

When I learned it it was tabbed with open notes, so I learned it that way. Now I would probably use fretted notes because it makes more sense to me to be played that way.

lowsound