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Fingered notes vs. open strings

brianerwin

brianerwin

Oct 21, 2012
120
0
#1
I have been practicing songs on the my bass and I am finding that some of the notes sound the same open as they do fingered.
I know that this is a matter of personal preferences but I know that there must be a reason that bass players do this but I am wondering if it is technique of if it is resonance.
I guess the real question is why do we do this?
 
#4
It may depend on your bass, strings, technique, and how you approach a piece of music. *I* tend to stay near the nut and use open strings to my advantage. It's a preference for playing more horizontally than vertically for me...and no small surprise - I find it easier (the least path of resistance) :p
 
#5
I use fretted notes whenever I reasonably can. You have more control over it. A fretted note can be manipulated many ways through the bass's settup, your attack, ect. An open note is uniform. As my old sig said, fretted notes are you speaking, open notes are the instrument speaking.
 
#7
Open strings when necessary, or as part of a multi-string pedal for depth. Otherwise, I stop the note - you can't really make an open note speak as you can with a stopped note. Yes, fretless matters in this context.
 
#8
I generally use open strings based on the position I am on the neck. If I'm down on the first fret, there's not much point in reaching for the A, D, or G on the 5th fret if all I have to do is use an open string. My riffs and runs are faster without reaching.
 
#10
Only open string I play is the E.
I play a lot of extended / diagonal fingerlings and its never a problem finding an ADG on the finger board.
Also to be honest fingered notes just sound better on fretless.
If your practicing intonation then you sorta have to finger those notes.
 
#11
ok. I think it sounds like a good thing to use fingered notes instead of open strings all the time. I can see where you can use a fingered tone and get to something quicker even if it means going to an open string at times where it works with the music AND technique. But let me ask another question...

If you have the opportunity to play a note say somewhere around the 1st or 2nd strings and the same notes can be played on the 3rd or 4th strings, which strings would you use and why?
 
#12
brianerwin said:
ok. I think it sounds like a good thing to use fingered notes instead of open strings all the time. I can see where you can use a fingered tone and get to something quicker even if it means going to an open string at times where it works with the music AND technique. But let me ask another question...

If you have the opportunity to play a note say somewhere around the 1st or 2nd strings and the same notes can be played on the 3rd or 4th strings, which strings would you use and why?
Click to expand...

Going to higher strings results in a thinner/different sounding note than going to the same note on a lower string. You really have to listen to the music and go for what sounds best to your ears. Try it both ways and see what happens!
 
#14
brianerwin said:
ok. I think it sounds like a good thing to use fingered notes instead of open strings all the time. I can see where you can use a fingered tone and get to something quicker even if it means going to an open string at times where it works with the music AND technique. But let me ask another question...

If you have the opportunity to play a note say somewhere around the 1st or 2nd strings and the same notes can be played on the 3rd or 4th strings, which strings would you use and why?
Click to expand...

I avoid open strings. I don't feel they sound as full, but the main reason is its a lot harder to transpose on the fly when using open strings.

I like to keep my roots on the E and A string. They tend to sound much fuller than the other strings. I prefer to save the B, D, and G for playing around my roots and fills/runs. This also helps with transposing.
 
#15
I love open strings, they sound a lot like piano strings to me, straight and bright, which I like. So I use them as much as possible. The A on the E string is sometimes a little floppy for my tastes. Plus they make me play faster up and down in the first frets. But I agree that transposition becomes a little harder, thus.
 
#16
I agree with everyone 's points on using fretted notes where possible. Unfortunately, I have extreme weakness in my fretting hand due to ulnar nerve issues and surgery, and I'll use an open string wherever I can. Practically speaking, neither my band nor the audience can tell the difference during a performance. (I probably only have about six months to a year of playing left in that hand, and I'll do anything reasonable to make that last as long as possible.)
 
#17
brianerwin said:
I have been practicing songs on the my bass and I am finding that some of the notes sound the same open as they do fingered.
I know that this is a matter of personal preferences but I know that there must be a reason that bass players do this but I am wondering if it is technique of if it is resonance.
I guess the real question is why do we do this?
Click to expand...

I remember a long time ago my bass teacher said never play open notes. Well I pretty much violate that rule every time I play.
 
#18
I use a string dampener wrapped lightly around the first fret. This takes out the overtones that open strings have. Sometimes I apply it, sometimes I don't. Been using it for a while now and I really like it!
 
#19
It depends on the song, but generally I prefer fingering the notes. It allows for a lot more expression in my opinion, in that it makes it easier to play staccato, slides, fills etc. I also find the resonance of the 5th fret on the E string far preferable to that of an open A, if I'm playing with a pick, which I usually do.

But on the other hand, tell me this run isn't far more comfortable and easier to get into the groove of with open strings rather than fingered:


|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|-------0-----------0-2--4-2-|
|-0-2-4----4-0-2--4----------|

That's I Believe In A Thing Called Love by The Darkness, by the way, but the general idea applies to countless songs.

There's also the argument that if you're thrashing your way through a Blink 182 song, it's better to use open strings where possible to allow you to use your other hand for pointing at members of the audience, having a beer, or flipping people off :p

So in short: both have their uses.
 

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