More experienced and yet can't play fretless?

Fassa Albrecht · #1 08-21-2008, 09:20 AM

This is weird.

I was in church a few days back and I got talking to this bassist who'd been playing a good 3 years or so and who I had played with before at a special service.

He then came to our band session after the service and we began to play some stuff.

I offered him a song to play. This is when the problem started- the only bass we had was mine- my fretless Shergold.

So we began with me playing some simple keyboard improv. This guy was HORRENDOUS! His fingering was all over the place.

He then confessed he couldn't play a fretless- he found it 'too hard'.....despite being a much more experienced bassist.
When I had played at the special service a few months ago, this same bassist couldn't play my 5 stringer.

This can't be right.....can it?

**baba** · #2 08-21-2008, 09:24 AM

Umm...yes, it could be right. I imagine there are about eleventy thousand killer bassists that don't play fretless or 5 string.

Fassa Albrecht · #3 08-21-2008, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baba

Umm...yes, it could be right. I imagine there are about eleventy thousand killer bassists that don't play fretless or 5 string.

This guy said he COULDN'T play fretless, not that he didn't...

peaveyuser · #4 08-21-2008, 09:27 AM

I've been playing for a while and I can't play fretless, huh maybe its because I don't own a fretless so i never had time to attack the instrument.

Makes sense, also if I ever go without frets I think I may just pick up double bass in music college.

I don't understand the 5 string part though, again I don't have one but its not hard to just play it like a regular 4 string. In my playing simply have no need for a 5 string, never liked em much.

Fassa Albrecht · #5 08-21-2008, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peaveyuser

I've been playing for a while and I can't play fretless, huh maybe its because I don't own a fretless so i never had time to attack the instrument.

Makes sense, also if I ever go without frets I think I may just pick up double bass in music college.

My Shergold was my first fretless and I learnt how to adapt in 10min.

**baba** · #6 08-21-2008, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

This guy said he COULDN'T play fretless, not that he didn't...

Ok, pretend I said couldn't.

palm grease · #7 08-21-2008, 09:29 AM

holy shiz!!!! you have a Shergold?????!!!!!

palm grease · #8 08-21-2008, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

This guy said he COULDN'T play fretless, not that he didn't...

well duh Fassa, he didn't have his CD with him! What do you expect the guy to do?

Visirale · #9 08-21-2008, 09:43 AM

Uhhh fretless isn't for everyone. Why are you this surprised? I also know a ton of bassists that just can't do the 5 thing.

To me fretless is ok, but it'd never be my main bass and I'll never be remotely good as I am on a fretted bass.

JazzBass Love · #10 08-21-2008, 09:46 AM

How often has he played fretless or a 5 stringer? It was likely only for a few minutes. His intonation and muscle memory hasn't been trained to effectively play fretless, so it's not all that surprising that he wasn't any good at it. Some folks can catch on fast with fretless (like you I was a pretty quick learner), but the majority of people take a little longer to get the feel of it.

As with the 5 string bass, remember that the B string can take some getting used to. It also requires you developing slightly different muscle memory.

There's also the fact that experience doesn't always equal skill level. He might not have learned as much in 3 years as you did in 6 months.

Depth_Charge · #11 08-21-2008, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

My Shergold was my first fretless and I learnt how to adapt in 10min.

In your mind and ears maybe. I thought the same thing when I first got my Tony Franklin fretless too. Fact is, I suck at it and was only "close enough" to fool my ears and anyone with an ear as good as mine or worse.

And yes it can be right. Your friends' comfort zone is a 4 string, fretted bass setup the way he likes it setup. Why would you expect him to be generally fluent in both 5 string and fretless basses let alone basses he has never played before?

baalroo · #12 08-21-2008, 09:50 AM

3 years ain't much, and tons of people suck at playing music.

RED5 · #13 08-21-2008, 09:52 AM

Did you say he'd been playing 3 years?

peaveyuser · #14 08-21-2008, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

My Shergold was my first fretless and I learnt how to adapt in 10min.

It can't be that easy, 10mins. If it were us electric bassists would be able to adapt to an upright in an hour.

peaveyuser · #15 08-21-2008, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by palm grease

holy shiz!!!! you have a Shergold?????!!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by palm grease

well duh Fassa, he didn't have his CD with him! What do you expect the guy to do?

great

palm grease · #16 08-21-2008, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peaveyuser

great

oh dude please don't encourage me!

lamonica78 · #17 08-21-2008, 10:21 AM

Fretless is a totally different beast all together. You need to train your ear to really hear if you are in tune...it's not something you just pick up and start playing. I'm an experienced bassist and have been playing fretless since January and am NO WHERE near where I want to be. Sure, I can play it, but I don't have that sound, tone, or attack that makes fretless such a unique instrument.

Depth_Charge · #18 08-21-2008, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lamonica78

Fretless is a totally different beast all together. You need to train your ear to really hear if you are in tune...it's not something you just pick up and start playing. I'm an experienced bassist and have been playing fretless since January and am NO WHERE near where I want to be. Sure, I can play it, but I don't have that sound, tone, or attack that makes fretless such a unique instrument.

Who cares about all that stuff. Have you got the mwah ?

Baryonyx · #19 08-21-2008, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

This guy said he COULDN'T play fretless, not that he didn't...

Some people just can't pick it up, is it that hard to grasp? Some people can never drive a car with manual transmission, so they drive automatics. Same thing.

Basshappi · #20 08-21-2008, 10:32 AM

I've been playing bass for 30 years and i am only now beginning to pick up the fretless.
I started playing 5 string 7 years ago.
I play fretted 4 string 90% of the time.

I'm willing to bet that the majority of bassplayers only play fretted 4 strings and won't go beyond them, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

It's about the music not the instrument.