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Fretless doubts... Should I continue?
- Thread starter gregouille23
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Nailed it.
Keep the bass, and don't rush it into the band. I wish I could have the same situation here, the people I play with hates fretless...
Alternate, or leave the fretless at home if you're too self conscious. If you hated fretless I'd say sell it but that doesn't sound like it is the case. Keep working what you love. Im looking forward to an unlined stingray slo late spring, in the meanwhile my converted precision deluxe still gets lots of love.
Good on you for asking the band for feedback.
Good on you for asking the band for feedback.
Mr.Ace
Bass players rule!
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I played upright acoustic for years. I thought it would help me get gigs. I ended up selling it. I personally don’t miss it. I play 5 string fretted electric exclusively. If it’s not for you then send it on down the road.
You enjoy and appreciate the fretless which is why you've come this far. We will always have problems as we progress, there's no getting around having problems. That's the good news. It means we need the resistance to carve out our creativity. So step back, reevaluate, and make a new plan. If the new plan works, great. If not, modify or make a new plan.
For now perhaps lower the barriers to entry. Take some of the heat off. There is no urgency. Make the challenge more manageable. Maybe practice fretless with the band on just one song and add more over time as your familiarity and skills develop.
In that regard use a very small portion of your practice time at home with the fretless and incrementally increase that over time. It will also contribute to your fretted playing technique as others have mentioned.
Give yourself a longer period of time with incremental steps, months and years. We find out who we become rather than to manage an image in our head of who we are or who me might be. It's a more fruitful and satisfying experience.
Wish you all the best.
For now perhaps lower the barriers to entry. Take some of the heat off. There is no urgency. Make the challenge more manageable. Maybe practice fretless with the band on just one song and add more over time as your familiarity and skills develop.
In that regard use a very small portion of your practice time at home with the fretless and incrementally increase that over time. It will also contribute to your fretted playing technique as others have mentioned.
Give yourself a longer period of time with incremental steps, months and years. We find out who we become rather than to manage an image in our head of who we are or who me might be. It's a more fruitful and satisfying experience.
Wish you all the best.
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Thanks folks for the helpful replies. I think I will be patient and continue working on the fretless. I went fretless only for a few weeks before these band practice, so maybe I put the bar too high. I will try to alternate more fretted and fretless to work and progress with both. Cheers!
There might be a third option that helps you transition...
Have you considered a lined fretless? I have a fretless Michael Kelly acoustic--Dragonfly 5 string. No lines. I agree that it takes a bit more attention than my fretted electric. But I'm planning on getting a lined fretless AC50 from Keisel this year. The inlaid fret lines should make the transition a little more "normal" feeling, IMO, because they give you the same visual reference as frets do.
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I'm sure there are other options that won't cost you $1500 to order.
Have you considered a lined fretless? I have a fretless Michael Kelly acoustic--Dragonfly 5 string. No lines. I agree that it takes a bit more attention than my fretted electric. But I'm planning on getting a lined fretless AC50 from Keisel this year. The inlaid fret lines should make the transition a little more "normal" feeling, IMO, because they give you the same visual reference as frets do.
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I'm sure there are other options that won't cost you $1500 to order.
I would pick a song or 2 for the fretless and and than add a song as you move along.
I don't know what to say to this.............except........Pack your bags, you're going on a self induced guilt trip!
I love the look of a fretless. I love to see fretless in any musical genre. Not crazy bout mwaaaa all nite long tho, but any time I see a fretless player on stage, my respect for them goes up. If you can play fretless without sliding from note to note and play rocknroll without sounding fretless, that is the greatest skill of all.
You're worried about your stage presence? You made it thru rehearsal with no complaints. But you looked at the neck more than you liked because it interfered with your stage show? Are you playing Madison Square Garden?
If you stay with it, within a month, you would be playing the TF without a second thought and looking cool as all get out.
I love the look of a fretless. I love to see fretless in any musical genre. Not crazy bout mwaaaa all nite long tho, but any time I see a fretless player on stage, my respect for them goes up. If you can play fretless without sliding from note to note and play rocknroll without sounding fretless, that is the greatest skill of all.
You're worried about your stage presence? You made it thru rehearsal with no complaints. But you looked at the neck more than you liked because it interfered with your stage show? Are you playing Madison Square Garden?
If you stay with it, within a month, you would be playing the TF without a second thought and looking cool as all get out.
That, right there. Simply more and more time on the bass to be used to where your hands (and ears) are.
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Somehow, even though I've been primarily a guitarist since I was a kid, I made the switch to fretless pretty easily during my first year gigging on bass. I took it to band practice the first week, in fact, without a hitch.
Considering that I'm quite possibly borderline ******** and was still able to do it ... anyone should be able to pull it off with practice and perseverance.
Considering that I'm quite possibly borderline ******** and was still able to do it ... anyone should be able to pull it off with practice and perseverance.
Hi there,
Earlier this year I ended up getting a Tony Franklin fretless bass, a bit by accident. The deal was just too good to pass up. I never was too much of a fretless fan and besides I play 5 strings basses exclusively but this bass is different. I suddenly enjoyed playing fretless and became better at it. It was a challenge, but I enjoyed putting the work and noticing the improvements. My ears got much better as well in the process.
A couple of months ago, I decided to take it to band practice just to give it a shot. I ended up playing the whole evening with it. It went awesome, and the other band members seemed to enjoy it as well. I asked them to tell me the minute I am sounding off, and despite asking again a few times, they said it sounded great
2 weeks later, next band practice. This time I played much less with the fretless. I felt it was getting in the way of the "performance". By that I mean my eyes were almost glued to the fretboard and as such, I felt that I had to put too much effort to play in tune (including looking at the fretboard) and that this was to the detriment of playing together as a band. I felt the fretless did not add enough to the band as a whole compared to the efforts I had to put in. I felt selfish basically because for my pleasur (playing fretless), I was hurting the band by being less present, making less eye contact with the others and so on...
Since then, I kind of went back to fretted only and felt much better the next rehearsal. I even decided to sell the fretless and get a regular 4 string P. But now I am starting to doubt... On the one hand I like fretless, on the other hand there is so much I feel I should learn and having 2 young kids and a full time job doesn't give me much practice time in the evening. So I cannot do everything at once...
Anyone had a similar experience? I am sure practice is the way out from this situation, but still I would like to hear from fellow fretless players how it went for you.
Cheers!
You were shocked and a bit scared by your success, and now you are retreating to your comfort zone. Look for deals on a fretless five. They are often cheap because of the limited demand for fretless. Personally, I am picking up Pedulla Pentabuzz that I got for $995 plus tax. New, it would be $5-6,000.
I remember playing fretless bass at the store. Oh man I sucked at it but really enjoyed it. I don’t know if one of the employees was being sarcastic or not by asked me if I needed a tuner.
It took a lot of work to get where you are now, so don't ditch the fretless. Keep playing it every day, even if only for ten minutes! If you feel you must use a fretted for gigging, go right ahead - but keep up your practicing on the fretless. One day you will be able to play fretless "with your eyes closed" - it just takes an investment in time
Practice the fretless with the lights off or with a blindfold on. Do the same with the fretted.
Jose Feliciano is not known for looking at the neck of his guitar.
Jose Feliciano is not known for looking at the neck of his guitar.
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Hi there,
Earlier this year I ended up getting a Tony Franklin fretless bass, a bit by accident. The deal was just too good to pass up. I never was too much of a fretless fan and besides I play 5 strings basses exclusively but this bass is different. I suddenly enjoyed playing fretless and became better at it. It was a challenge, but I enjoyed putting the work and noticing the improvements. My ears got much better as well in the process.
A couple of months ago, I decided to take it to band practice just to give it a shot. I ended up playing the whole evening with it. It went awesome, and the other band members seemed to enjoy it as well. I asked them to tell me the minute I am sounding off, and despite asking again a few times, they said it sounded great
2 weeks later, next band practice. This time I played much less with the fretless. I felt it was getting in the way of the "performance". By that I mean my eyes were almost glued to the fretboard and as such, I felt that I had to put too much effort to play in tune (including looking at the fretboard) and that this was to the detriment of playing together as a band. I felt the fretless did not add enough to the band as a whole compared to the efforts I had to put in. I felt selfish basically because for my pleasur (playing fretless), I was hurting the band by being less present, making less eye contact with the others and so on...
Since then, I kind of went back to fretted only and felt much better the next rehearsal. I even decided to sell the fretless and get a regular 4 string P. But now I am starting to doubt... On the one hand I like fretless, on the other hand there is so much I feel I should learn and having 2 young kids and a full time job doesn't give me much practice time in the evening. So I cannot do everything at once...
Anyone had a similar experience? I am sure practice is the way out from this situation, but still I would like to hear from fellow fretless players how it went for you.
Cheers!
bolded: It was probably adding more than you thought.
In any case, years ago i had an Alembic Elan Fretless which I foolishly sold. I forget exactly why i sold it, but it was probably a combination of needing the money and the type of thinking in your post, that the effort to play it well probably wasn't worth it considering that there was (and still is) a ton of stuff on fretted bass I need to learn to play well (and thats still the case).
Personally I think you should stick with it.
I'll probably pick up a fretless again in 2018 and I've got my eye on the Tony Franklin P bass though Im not sure I want that wide of a neck.
It took me months to get used to a fretless and dare play it at gigs. Practicing with the band was OK, but my self-confidence for gigs had ups and downs.
My playing and my intonation progressed greatly and quickly once I did what you see on the side of the neck on the picture below:
Now, since a year, I have been taking a fretted and a fretless at each gig, and there, mostly play the fretless (I play in a Jazz band).
I have a 4 FL and a 5 FL (see below), plus one fretted 5 (L2500) and three fretted 4 ('62 P, '62 J and SB-2). I strive to play the 6 of them equally, each its turn.
My playing and my intonation progressed greatly and quickly once I did what you see on the side of the neck on the picture below:
Now, since a year, I have been taking a fretted and a fretless at each gig, and there, mostly play the fretless (I play in a Jazz band).
I have a 4 FL and a 5 FL (see below), plus one fretted 5 (L2500) and three fretted 4 ('62 P, '62 J and SB-2). I strive to play the 6 of them equally, each its turn.
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Just use the fretless on a couple of songs where it really contributes to the whole. Then simply switch when you want to make more connection with your band and audience. Good luck!
