Do You Routinely Play Above the 12th Fret? Are You a Traditional or Modern Player?

I use above the 12th fret for accents and fills mostly- unless I am doing Real Me by the Who. I do slide up and play a fill in each song there though. (I play 70s rock covers).

 

Almost every song in My bands current set list has bass work above the 12th. It's Classic Rock but the Cream of the Crop stuff.

 

Absolutely! Playing jazz you are called to solo practically on each tune, so...

 

I do, for fills only. Too many instruments and voices to make it effective most of the time.

Dan K.

 

I'm usually below the 12th fret, since we are 3pc classic rock type band I tend to try and fill in the low space as much as possible. So mostly fills and accents but I usually get up there a little bit in most songs

 

Bottom dweller with the occasional detour above the 12th just to get a rize from my bandmates.

 

Sure. Even if you play "traditional lines" there are useful notes up there. Has nothing to do with "lead guitar" but rather different colors available. E.g. F on the 13th fret of the E string sounds different than on the 8 th fret of the A.

 

I'm more of a traditional player But traditional shouldn't mean "dull." I play whatever the song requires, but the stuff I play is mostly in lower, thumpier territory.

 

I like to play that low rumbling noise that makes women's knees quiver. Better than a bottle of pink gin.

 

Often while soloing, rarely while "laying it down".

 

Constantly. That's where chords sound best.

 

I consider myself traditional, finger style, can't slap worth a... ...but my playing has been improving quite a bit since I've been concentrating on playing all over the neck. Sometimes all at once.

 

Well, I'm way too old to be a modern player, but not too old to take a solo or play upper partials (e.g., a high 3rd-7th) on top of a low B or E. Gotta be the master of your entire instrument.

 

Too old to be modern? It takes decades to become young... really young!

 

I don't think I'm a traditional or modern player - If I'm anything, I'm a classically trained player, so I tend to pride myself on my technique. I do finger style, thumb, slap, but never play with a pick. Never felt the need and don't really like the sound. I do play up above the 12th for both fills and solos, both in popular and jazz genres, but I concentrate on the bass line being the most important bit. Yes, it can be embellished with fills and whatever else I like, but it's consistently the most important part of my playing.

More importantly, I think bass playing - like all music - is constantly evolving. People like Victor Wooten are pushing the envelope of what is possible. It's not right for us as bass players to be shoved to the back and to be told that we only learned bass because it was easier than guitar or some other idiocy. Every instrument has it's virtuosos and the bass is just as important as any other instrument. Maybe as bass players, we can be both solid and sparkling. Only ego maniac gui****s will disagree with us.

 

Nope, ain't no money beyond the fifth fret. Besides, I play bass not guitar.

 

I do sometimes play above the 12th fret on bass, and quite often on guitar.
Although most of my bass excursions up there are at home noodling with nobody else around.

 

I sure do.

I consider myself a bassist. I'm not sure about modern or traditional thing, I just try to lay it down no matter what I'm doing.

 

I play above the 12th fret fairly often and am tending to do so more often. Not sure what this has to do with classic or modern. Watch the string section of a symphony orchestra as they play music from the dawn of western music. They will play above the 12th "fret" a great deal of the time. It has nothing to do with how modern you are and everything to do with how comfortable you have become with using the full range of your instrument. People who view the BG as occupying a specific space in the sonic spectrum of a band will say in that space, up near the nut. People who have moved beyond that will use the full range of the instrument and gradually stop complaining about the keyboardist's left hand!