Fretless Bass Philosophy

[Acoustic356]

To me... playing fretless bass is a lot like this video.

With a fretted instrument, I think way more about patterns, on a fretless, I think more about pitches...

What say the masses?

 

[MalcolmAmos]

The fretless for me has proven to be fun to play and a challenge to play, and something I have had to stop playing in public and spend time at home learning how to play it - before taking it back out in public.

Yes walking out of tune is very easy to do, especially as I was playing a no line fretless. That was a mistake and I have since put fret decals on my fingerboard.

I'm a pattern guy and always will be. Not sure fretless and I are going to stay together long enough to build a relationship.

 

[mambo4]

On a fretless, You have no choice but to think in pitches.
you will be as good as your ear and no better.

 

[Mushroo]

Fretless forces you to use your ears, but good fretted players do this too.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Fretless makes me play melodically.
Slower and melodically.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I approach the instrument the same as a fretted bass, play the same, it just a little harder because you have to watch your intonation. Otherwise I play the same as I always been playing.

 

[Scoops]

I'll play the patterns to make the grove thing happen
When I'm soloing, I play more melodically

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I never ever think about patterns on the bass- because now you're stuck in those patterns. It's better to think in terms of actual notes or better still...don't think at all- KNOW

 

[Cup]

I hadn't thought of it that way before but I can relate to what you're saying. Ive never owned a fretless bass but I did fool around on the upright bass a bit last year. I remember noticing that the bass lines I came up with on the upright were much better and more original than those I made on electric. This must be because I was thinking of pitches and what would sound good to my ear rather than patterns and what makes sense to my eyes.

 

[LowNloud1]

I approach the instrument the same as a fretted bass, play the same, it just a little harder because you have to watch your intonation. Otherwise I play the same as I always been playing.

The only thing I would add to this is that I finger more precisely and slide a lot more. Just a matter of developing a technique that takes advantage of its uniqueness.