Quick question- playing open strings?

[Fassa Albrecht]

This is going to sound like a really stupid question but this is something which is really annoying me.

I've always been of the impression that in the case that you have a choice of playing an open string and fretting the same note, you should always choose the fretted note. I was told this by my first bass teacher and I've also noticed that my jazz bass book also writes most of the music out so that there's no open strings.

Can anyone see any logic in this? What advantage does fretting a note have in this situation?

[Muzoid]

For me it would depend on the position I'm playing, what notes come before and after.

Also the bass....on some, open sound quite different (brighter), but on my basses which I like to be bright, I doubt anyone would be able to distinguish open notes that well.

Also the nut can effect the sound of opens sometimes, I like bone nuts, but my buddy has brass and I don't like the difference in the open notes.

[Fassa Albrecht]

Thought so.

I've also been told that keeping your fingers ready to fret is also 'easier' than taking your fingers away to play the open note, only to then have to set your fingers to fret again. Can't see this myself, you're talking about milliseconds of time here.

[zachoff]

I almost always play the open note. Rings out bigger.

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

This is going to sound like a really stupid question but this is something which is really annoying me.

I've always been of the impression that in the case that you have a choice of playing an open string and fretting the same note, you should always choose the fretted note. I was told this by my first bass teacher and I've also noticed that my jazz bass book also writes most of the music out so that there's no open strings.

Can anyone see any logic in this? What advantage does fretting a note have in this situation?

Yep my bass teacher taught me the same thing.

He was wrong.

[Muzoid]

Open strings also allow you to scratch and itch, or quickly wipe sweat.

Or if you are playing Waterfront by Flock Of Seagulls, open D, DD, DD, DD, DD....you can have a beer, light a smoke, smoke it, wave to friends, flip a heckler off, and maybe cop a feel

[strappa]

if you fret the note instead of playing the open string
it is easier to play the same line in a different key

[Fassa Albrecht]

Originally Posted by Muzoid

Open strings also allow you to scratch and itch, or quickly wipe sweat.

Or if you are playing Waterfront by Flock Of Seagulls, open D, DD, DD, DD, DD....you can have a beer, light a smoke, smoke it, wave to friends, flip a heckler off, and maybe cop a feel

You can do this anyway- a party trick of mine is playing bass one-handed.

[jaywa]

It totally depends. Sometimes the slightly twangier/"ringy"er sound of open strings is better for the song (e.g. lots of 8ths on the root). Other times the same note sounds better -- in context -- if it's fretted.

One thing I've been doing more and more over the years is to incorporate open strings into my runs whenever possible. If an A or a D is part of an extended run it can really be helpful to grab that note on the open string and use that opportunity to shift position as opposed to trying to get an octave or more run out of one hand position. I believe James Jamerson did a fair bit of that and if it was OK by him, it's OK by me.

[jaywa]

Originally Posted by Muzoid

Open strings also allow you to scratch and itch, or quickly wipe sweat.

Or drink a beer while still holding down the groove.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Muzoid

Open strings also allow you to scratch and itch, or quickly wipe sweat.

Or if you are playing Waterfront by Flock Of Seagulls, open D, DD, DD, DD, DD....you can have a beer, light a smoke, smoke it, wave to friends, flip a heckler off, and maybe cop a feel

You can cop more than one if you are doing Everyday People
by Sly Stone.

Use the whole fretboard, you paid for all of it.

[carl h.]

When teaching an instrument, as in learning theory, there are rules which will make life easier. Keeping consistent gives consistent results. Eventually the rules are incorporated into how you play/think. At that time you just ignore them and play. Skipping the learning and incorporating phase is short term gain, long term lose - also known as "winning!!"

[taphappy]

^^

Past that point, it's something to pay attention to. Different basses will resonate differently - but play a D on your E string, then on your A, then open.

Even with a zero fret system (fret at the nut), it doesn't totally combat the difference between 5th fret A string and open D. When you dig it, use it. When you're looking for more continuity, switch.

[carl h.]

In college I took an improv class on sax. All us reed and brass players were working our @55&5 off learning the patterns in all keys, while the guitar/bass guys used one pattern up and down the neck.

See any good reason not to use open strings?

Muscle memory can pay off big time when called to transpose to a new key on the spot if you don't have to relearn all the patterns. Using open strings means learning all new patterns and adding major complexity to a tune you may have been playing for years.

[Fassa Albrecht]

Originally Posted by carl h.

In college I took an improv class on sax. All us reed and brass players were working our @55&5 off learning the patterns in all keys, while the guitar/bass guys used one pattern up and down the neck.

See any good reason not to use open strings?

Muscle memory can pay off big time when called to transpose to a new key on the spot if you don't have to relearn all the patterns. Using open strings means learning all new patterns and adding major complexity to a tune you may have been playing for years.

I think that this is the reason that my book of jazz bass, with its emphasis on learning things in different keys, uses few open strings.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Depends very much on the bass... But as a rule of thumb, I try to avoid open G (and on a 6er, open C)...

An open G / C is cool for a skip or quick muted note.

But it does really depend a lot on the bass the amount of difference in the tone.

Playing a walking bass line for example with an open G in the mix, just sounds weird... open string "skip" is cool though.

[jaywa]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

Depends very much on the bass... But as a rule of thumb, I try to avoid open G

Same here. In fact the G string anywhere from the 1st to about the 7th fret doesn't get much play on my basses. All those years of working around the dreaded "dead C" on my P-Bass, I guess...

[HeadyVan Halen]

Two Words:
James Jamerson

[dvh]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

I think that this is the reason that my book of jazz bass, with its emphasis on learning things in different keys, uses few open strings.

DB players use open strings all the time. It helps keep your ear "intonated" and actually makes playing many things easier (less reaching and shifting).

EB is different but I find myself adapting my DB fingering to EB and it makes some things a whole lot easier....

Aside: Jamerson was an DB player first.

[jeepin_jer1]

I almost never play an open string. My reasoning is; if I ever have to change the key of a song (which seams to happen a lot), then all I have to do is change my position.
I recently started playing a song in open position (why, I don't know) and for some reason the guitarist left a capo on for song that didn't need it, I wasn't ready for the key shift and had to put my brain in overdrive to compensate for his brain fart.