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Best Approach to Fretless

#121
Chasarms said:
The classical community says hello!!
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I think if the first instrument you picked up didn't have frets, and you just had to learn where the notes are to be in tune, you'd just internalise it.

Actually, I know that's true because my first ever instrument was the trombone, which I can play in tune even after a long break from it. I just know where the positions are and if i'm slightly off i can "fudge it" back into pitch.
 
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#122
Tazziedevil said:
I think if the first instrument you picked up didn't have frets, and you just had to learn where the notes are to be in tune, you'd just internalise it.

Actually, I know that's true because my first ever instrument was the trombone, which I can play in tune even after a long break from it. I just know where the positions are and if i'm slightly off i can "fudge it" back into pitch.
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I agree. Your first musical experience gets the nod because you’re any open slate at that time. Yes, I wish I learned fretless or upright prior to fretted in retrospect, because it have been a lot easier. but I’m doing ok now.
 
#123
Lots of great advice here.
Just wanted to summarize what I did--and see in mind we are all different in our previous experience, hearing abilities, size & shape of out hands & fingers, etc.

When I first bought my fretless (Just before I joined here)
-I spent a lot of time in practice & in playing that wasn't necessarily practice. I played more bass in the first month than in any one month period of my life, and probably more in the first few months than in any year (or longer)--so time playing it to get used to it & practice to learn it is important.
-At first I played stuff I knew or from sheet music/chord charts/Tab to make sure I had the right idea.
-Then i played along to recorded songs & backing tracks (I made some myself-not worrying about sound or anything like that--the main purpose was to listen & see if I could get the intonation correct)
-Then I recorded myself playing bass & listened back to it.
-I play in bass & guitar in church, but at first kept playing my fretted bass when it was my turn at Church. About 2 months or os after I bought it we had a jam session so I brought my fretless & played with other people.
By then I felt ready to play with others and have kept doing that.

so
-practice
-play
-listen
-play to recordings whether existing ones or backing tracks you created, or even better-both
-listen
-Play with others
-listen
 
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#125
Chasarms said:
Violinists? Cellists? I played a NSD CR5M for quite a while. I could play it in tune as well.
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The Ned design uprights that I have seen have markings on their boards.

Jaco, Willis and Mannring look at their hands. Young players seeking advice should get good advice, instead of unrealistic and superficial "unlined looks cooler" opinions.
 
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#126
bassrique said:
The Ned design uprights that I have seen have markings on their boards.

Jaco, Willis and Mannring look at their hands. Young players seeking advice should get good advice, instead of unrealistic and superficial "unlined looks cooler" opinions.
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Yes, an NSD bass is lined. However, it's pretty hard to watch those lines and read charts at the same time.

Not everyone aspires to be Jaco, Willis or Mannring. There are many musical settings where being dependent on those lines would make it impossible to perform. Suggesting that they are needed is hardly good advice. I have nothing against them, but playing an unlined instrument in tune is very realistic.

I have owned both. I have played well with both, and I have missed a lot of notes with both.
 
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#127
There is an advantage to visual aids as most performers I know of use both eyes and ears , even on fretted bass. Most kids aren't going to work as a pit musician or something similar.
Chasarms said:
Yes, an NSD bass is lined. However, it's pretty hard to watch those lines and read charts at the same time.

Not everyone aspires to be Jaco, Willis or Mannring. There are many musical settings where being dependent on those lines would make it impossible to perform. Suggesting that they are needed is hardly good advice. I have nothing against them, but playing an unlined instrument in tune is very realistic.

I have owned both. I have played well with both, and I have missed a lot of notes with both.
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#128
Make sure the intonation on the bass is set correctly. I have an unlined fretless that had the intonation set too far forward which led to intonation problems as I went up the neck. Once I got that corrected, my intonation improved immensely. Always spend time working intonations! Every day. Also, when you play a fretted bass, finger nearly on the frets and not back from them. That way your fingering is the same on fretted and fretless and the tone on your fretted bass will improve if you've typically played in the middle. Enjoy the wonderful tone of the fretless and have fun.
 
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#129
red7flag said:
Thank you guys for some great advice. Some like playing with a tuner and playing to tunes I had played on fretted were ideas I have not thought of. I am strongly pondering getting a Tony Franklin. Love the new
"Lake Placid" blue version.
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I have a black Franklin Fender fretless and it is my favourite of the 4 fretlesses I own (I only own five basses, BTW, lol). Wonderful tone, can sound super-aggressive with round wounds (and maybe a fuzz/distortion pedal, or two...), and just feels good to play. I don't find intonation too bad, at least until the 10th fret, so it seems helpful to practice a lot on the higher frets, to help with that. Good luck, and go for that Franklin model. They are sweet.
 
#131
I started using a fretless almost a month ago. My current habit is to do my usual practice exercises, but more slowly and with a tuner. This has helped me understand exactly where I need to be to get perfect intonation on each note.

I remove the tuner when I practice repertoire. This has helped me develop my ear.

Cheers!
 
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#132
Listen to, learn, and play some Bach cello suites.
Good way to hear intonation and learn some chord fingerings in a melodic setting.
Josquin des Pres put out a good book "J.S. Bach for Bass" on Mel Bay; both standard notation with tab fingerings.
Chech intonation against open strings and harmonics.
 
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#135
Just a few:

You are playing with a conductor
You are sight reading
You are on a dark stage
You are singing BGV
You are playing in an improvisational setting and are watching the band leader for changes
You care enough about the audience that you don't want them staring at the top of your head all night (this is just an editorial, obviously)
 
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#136
Chasarms said:
Just a few:

You are playing with a conductor
You are sight reading
You are on a dark stage
You are singing BGV
You are playing in an improvisational setting and are watching the band leader for changes
You care enough about the audience that you don't want them staring at the top of your head all night (this is just an editorial, obviously)
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Crazy as this may seem to you at your current level of learning, there are skilled musicians for whom these things are not "impossible."

One household-name example is Sting. He sings lead vocals and has great stage presence, all while playing lined fretless and sneaking peaks at his left hand.
 
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#137
Mushroo said:
Crazy as this may seem to you at your current level of learning, there are skilled musicians for whom these things are not "impossible."
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How exactly can one stare at the fingerboard with the head up? I did not say reference the lines. I said DEPENDENT on the lines. It's no different than those who play fretted while constantly staring at the fingerboard. If you can't look up without losing your place, you're limited.

An what do you know of my level of playing? Or are you always this pretentious?
 
#138
Chasarms said:
Or are you always this pretentious?
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Not pretentious; I just have a useful skill that you apparently don't have, and want be encouraging to the OP that they can succeed and learn this skill too. I'm an average musician at best (I wasn't gifted with a great "ear") so if I can learn to do it, then with the right teacher, I'm sure the OP can learn to do it, too. I am a big believer if you set goals, find great teachers, and work hard, anyone CAN achieve their goals. My intention is to be "aspirational" but if you want to call that "pretentious" then fine. From my perspective, I don't understand your motivation behind telling an enthusiastic beginner "it's impossible so don't even try." All they have to do is go on YouTube and watch successful pro players to see, no, it is not "impossible," with enough practice they can be on the path to success too. PM me if you need a suggestion for a great fretless teacher. :)
 
#140
Chasarms said:
Just a few:

You are playing with a conductor
You are sight reading
You are on a dark stage
You are singing BGV
You are playing in an improvisational setting and are watching the band leader for changes
You care enough about the audience that you don't want them staring at the top of your head all night (this is just an editorial, obviously)
Click to expand...

All these things you mention are just as hard (or easy) as with an unlined neck. There is no difference.
 
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