Fretless Bass

[Brad Johnson]

Within a few weeks of starting out I had pulled the frets and have remained almost exclusively fretless ever since. These days I do play fretted bass also, probably about 20%.

IMO/E there is no reason on this earth for a 'beginner' or 'novice' to shy away from fretless. Making out like it is impossibly difficult or intimidating only makes things worse. Approach it with confidence and it is no more difficult than any other instrument. In fact I might even go so far as to say that it is good for beginners as you really do have to learn good left-hand discipline which will always be of benefit whatever the future holds.

I agree. As a longtime fretless player I've witnessed the genuine fear in some folks eyes at the mere mention of fretless. And sadly a lot of those people, inadvertent or not, seem to pass that fear onto others.

I don't even think you have to have a particularly good set of ears, just trust the ones you have. The key IMO is being able to hear yourself clearly in whatever situation you're in. Far more critical than on a fretted bass. But that doesn't mean it's hard either. I see no reason not to start on a fretless... little kids start on unfretted violins.

Fretli, if you don't overthink them, can be ridiculously fun. I can do pretty much any gig I do on a fretless instead of a fretted, I interchange them without giving it much thought. I do recommend learning to play the fretless with the same accuracy that frets automatically give you and only do the things fretless basses can do when YOU want to.

I prefer two pickup fretlesses. Generally speaking you can solo the bridge pickup for a nice punchy round sound, solo the neck for a more P bass vibe or use both pickups if you want to slap or sound more like a fretted. If you don't bend strings across the neck and instead use a parallel to the neck vibrato then you'll likely not cause much if any wear and have way more flexibility than bending could allow. I use Nickel roundwound strings on all of my fretlesses and they aid in the versatility that I get. Mine are unlined, with side dots at 3/5/7/9/12 etc. The dots are just for general reference, don't fight what your ears are telling you. Practice playing songs that you're familiar with whether they have fretless in them or not. That can speed up familiarity and above all else, don't quit as soon as things seem tough. I'd be willing to bet that that's why a lot of people don't have success with it. But what else can you stop doing when you start and still gain proficiency at it?


Advice is cool, just don't let people scare you away from something you want to try. You might find that it doesn't have to be any harder than you make it. So yes to fretless, yes to roundwounds, yes to bass in general. It's a great instrument that can be a ton of fun if you put in the time and let it.

Good luck. Here's one of my favorites that I gig with often. Just did a gig playing old school Rock, R&B, Pop and Jazz running this through a Boss GT-10B for synth bass, octave and touchwah effects. Between the touch sensitivity of both the bass and the effects the expressiveness factor is off the charts.

 

[Billybladez66]

I agree. As a longtime fretless player I've witnessed the genuine fear in some folks eyes at the mere mention of fretless. And sadly a lot of those people, inadvertent or not, seem to pass that fear onto others.

I don't even think you have to have a particularly good set of ears, just trust the ones you have. The key IMO is being able to hear yourself clearly in whatever situation you're in. Far more critical than on a fretted bass. But that doesn't mean it's hard either. I see no reason not to start on a fretless... little kids start on unfretted violins.

Fretli, if you don't overthink them, can be ridiculously fun. I can do pretty much any gig I do on a fretless instead of a fretted, I interchange them without giving it much thought. I do recommend learning to play the fretless with the same accuracy that frets automatically give you and only do the things fretless basses can do when YOU want to.

I prefer two pickup fretlesses. Generally speaking you can solo the bridge pickup for a nice punchy round sound, solo the neck for a more P bass vibe or use both pickups if you want to slap or sound more like a fretted. If you don't bend strings across the neck and instead use a parallel to the neck vibrato then you'll likely not cause much if any wear and have way more flexibility than bending could allow. I use Nickel roundwound strings on all of my fretlesses and they aid in the versatility that I get. Mine are unlined, with side dots at 3/5/7/9/12 etc. The dots are just for general reference, don't fight what your ears are telling you. Practice playing songs that you're familiar with whether they have fretless in them or not. That can speed up familiarity and above all else, don't quit as soon as things seem tough. I'd be willing to bet that that's why a lot of people don't have success with it. But what else can you stop doing when you start and still gain proficiency at it?


Advice is cool, just don't let people scare you away from something you want to try. You might find that it doesn't have to be any harder than you make it. So yes to fretless, yes to roundwounds, yes to bass in general. It's a great instrument that can be a ton of fun if you put in the time and let it.

Good luck. Here's one of my favorites that I gig with often. Just did a gig playing old school Rock, R&B, Pop and Jazz running this through a Boss GT-10B for synth bass, octave and touchwah effects. Between the touch sensitivity of both the bass and the effects the expressiveness factor is off the charts.

View attachment 820186

Beautiful axe man...looks very fun to play.

 

[spade2you]

As a longtime fretless player I've witnessed the genuine fear in some folks eyes at the mere mention of fretless. And sadly a lot of those people, inadvertent or not, seem to pass that fear onto others.

File that under Things That Never Change.

Guys who rarely touch fretless have strong opinions on the whole lined vs. unlined thing as well as being worried about fingerboard wear on the bass they don't even play. I still chuckle at the idea that something like an unlined fretless 6 is an intimidating beast.

Initially there is some additional practice to get comfortable and maintaining fretless chops requires a little additional practice. Extra practice is never a bad thing.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Beautiful axe man...looks very fun to play.

Thanks.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Have played in many bands that start or end tunes in the dark for dramatic effect. Lines, dots, markers, whatever, are irrelevant in these situations.

Also, when I play fretless or fretted, the fingerboard is typically out of sight. I don't crane my neck to watch my fingers on a fingerboard. I don't look at lines or frets. I look at other band mates, make eye contact with the audience, close my eyes, or glance at a chart if I'm using one.

A helpful aid for learning fretless, especially when intonation is an issue, is to simply place a tuner on the headstock while practicing. First, play the note that you think is correct. Then, check the tuner. Adjust as needed.

While using cellist-style vibrato on fretless bass, beautiful expressiveness occurs when the target note is varied microtonally: sharp, in tune, flat, in tune. Said expressiveness varies according to vibrato speed. Finally, drops and raises to notes are another technique whereby board markers are useless.

The best for last: The more one plays fretless, the more one relies on their ears than eyes, and that's a great characteristic for a musician.

This is why I prefer unlined boards... if I had them I'd just ignore them. So when I ended up with a lined fretless I took the advice of F. Zappa and shut up and played my guitar.

Whatever floats your boat as far as im concerned.

 

[zontar]

Fretless isn't for everybody--and that's okay.
The idea of fretless bass used to scare me--until I tried it--and found out I liked it.

 

[Mark Sacchetti]

Came across Tony Grey playing a Skjold fretless.

 

[Skokiaan]

Within a few weeks of starting out I had pulled the frets and have remained almost exclusively fretless ever since. These days I do play fretted bass also, probably about 20%.

IMO/E there is no reason on this earth for a 'beginner' or 'novice' to shy away from fretless. Making out like it is impossibly difficult or intimidating only makes things worse. Approach it with confidence and it is no more difficult than any other instrument. In fact I might even go so far as to say that it is good for beginners as you really do have to learn good left-hand discipline which will always be of benefit whatever the future holds.

Agreed. Players of violin, viola, cello and upright bass do not start on fretted versions. There is absolutely no reason to start on a fretted bass and convert later. The fundamentals have to be learned, no matter which type of bass you start on.

Jump in, learn, and have fun.

 

[Cliff Bordwell]

Im interested on my next purchase to maybe get a fretless, are they a lot harder to play? By being fretless dose it give you endless play position or is it critical to place your fingers in the exact place? Thank you all in advance for your advice, oh and I'm very new at bass.

I love fretless, I was "forced" to learn on an upright in college. It is probably the best thing anyone has ever made me do.

 

[Marial]

I still chuckle at the idea that something like an unlined fretless 6 is an intimidating beast.

Initially there is some additional practice to get comfortable and maintaining fretless chops requires a little additional practice. Extra practice is never a bad thing.

Well, it's a matter of my hands when it comes to fivers, let alone sixers. Granted, I could work out my technique to make those instruments work for me, but I don't have the time or inclination. For what I do I don't need the range, but I agree, anyone who is curious should give them a shot!

 

[west al]

Fretless are great! I do well with a Fender Am. Std. Fretless Jazz, strung with D'Addario ETB92 Nylon Tapewounds.

 

[kkaarrll]

Playing Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man on fretless is the closest thing to a musical religious experience I've ever had.

I will try that out here soon. Why that song for you in this way?

 

[drumsnbass]

As a no talent bass hacker, but a lover of fretless I'll say:

By all means start with a LINED fretless if that's your desire. Understand that, unless you already read music well, you will be forced to focus on 'one more thing' as you are learning. And that one thing may slow you down quite a bit.

That said, if I was good enough all I would wish to play would be fretless.

 

[kkaarrll]

I use Nickel roundwound strings on all of my fretlesses

View attachment 820186

lo rider or sunbeam?

 

[BAG]

I'm now in the market for my first fretless. I can't decide on lined or unlined however I really prefer the look of an unlined neck. It'll take me a while as I want to get something decent at a bargain price like all my other basses. I've let a few options of Warwick go by on Ebay as shipping was a concern, as was weight. I'm sure something will come up sooner or later however i'm still kicking myself over not bidding on an LTD B-204 that went for just over $200

I have a question for the more experienced. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to gloss v uncoated fretboards. This came up on Ebay (check the second photo) and the fretboard looks weird being so shiny.

 

[micguy]

I played in a blues trio once. On one tune, it was me on fretless, guitarist playing slide, and the drummer singing. one night at rehearsal the guitarist and I decided to slowly slide up in pitch. After a few times through the song, we ran the drummer out of his vocal range. Something fun you can't do with frets!

 

[Brad Johnson]

lo rider or sunbeam?

DR Sunbeams. I love them on fretless.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I'm now in the market for my first fretless. I can't decide on lined or unlined however I really prefer the look of an unlined neck. It'll take me a while as I want to get something decent at a bargain price like all my other basses. I've let a few options of Warwick go by on Ebay as shipping was a concern, as was weight. I'm sure something will come up sooner or later however i'm still kicking myself over not bidding on an LTD B-204 that went for just over $200

I have a question for the more experienced. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to gloss v uncoated fretboards. This came up on Ebay (check the second photo) and the fretboard looks weird being so shiny.

I personally prefer finished boards, they seem to have a more precise attack and aid in my fretlesses sounding fretted when I want them to. My untreated boards have a woolier disposition to them and the notes don't cut as cleanly. That's all about personal preference.

If I were starting on fretless today I'd most likely do what I originally did... start on an unlined bass. I ended up playing the same shapes that I did on fretted and I didn't need to stare at every position, dots at 3/5/7/9/12/etc. was plenty. And I didn't stick to only playing songs that had fretless in them. I played anything I'd play on a fretted on fretless. The more you play it, the easier it becomes.

 

[bassbenj]

I personally prefer finished boards, they seem to have a more precise attack and aid in my fretlesses sounding fretted when I want them to. My untreated boards have a woolier disposition to them and the notes don't cut as cleanly. That's all about personal preference.

If I were starting on fretless today I'd most likely do what I originally did... start on an unlined bass. I ended up playing the same shapes that I did on fretted and I didn't need to stare at every position, dots at 3/5/7/9/12/etc. was plenty. And I didn't stick to only playing songs that had fretless in them. I played anything I'd play on a fretted on fretless. The more you play it, the easier it becomes.

Personally I don't prefer finished boards, but do prefer ebony boards. And I don't prefer neck chews so all my fretless basses have either flats, nylon wrapped or ground wounds on them. Mostly grounds. Rounds are not big deal if you want that, though. Grounds seem bright enough for me.

Were I starting out today I would not do what I did. I got a lined neck thinking "training wheels" would help. I really should have known better since I started bass playing on an upright, but I was just swayed by all the talk. Well, the lines did help a little but not in the way I thought. What happens is you have a tendency to play fretless at an angle across the strings which leads to bad intonation. The lines are good training to keep your fingering at right angles to the neck (note this problem does not occur on an upright). BUT you can only see the lines playing seated! So there go your "training wheels"! So if I were starting again I'd go right for blank plank with side dots and just dig in. As Brad says, the more you play the easier it gets.

For me the big question was "is fretless bass something?" I mean, it seemed like a novelty and probably not suited to tasteful music with "mwah" all over-done and all. But what I discovered was that yes, fretless is something, but setup is crucial. I found in playing with the setups on mine that if you want the full range of versatility without the thing sounding like a gimmick you've got to get that setup just right. But once it is right, like Brad says, there is pretty much little you can't do on a fretless.

And as it turns out I'm still playing lined because my main 5er axe is a USA G&L L2500 that is lined. I'd much prefer the look of unlined, but hey, I got it used at a good price and lines were the previous owner's choice. But it's a killer bass so...you shut up and play your bass!

 

[BAG]

Thanks for the feedback folks. So, lined is good, and unlined is good. Finished is good, and unfinished is good.

In that case I'll pick up the best fretless I can for the least money and not worry about too much else. You've both made it easier for me to move towards fretless.