Fretwraps: Cheating?

[Fun With Dirt]

Totally cheating.

I'm reporting you to the Bass Player's Ethics Association immediately

Not the... BPEA!

 

[Anatosuchus]

If the bass has an active/passive switch is there a big difference in volume between the two? If so, does it ring out as much in passive mode? If the bass has an internal trim pot, lower that and see if the results are the same. Aside from that, the bass may produce more harmonics which will require an improved muting technique. You can try an LPF or turn down your tone knob and see if that helps.

Haven't had a great deal of luck with active/passive options and tone management. I can slightly take the edge off but the harmonics are still really blatant.

 

[mrcbass]

There's no such thing as cheating in music - whatever it takes to get the job done. Obviously, this an opportunity for you to work on muting techniques, but if a wrap gets you by for a while, then why not?

 

[Surly]

I was experimenting with wraps for tapping, on guitar and bass. When you’re tapping on 3 different strings with gain things get quite noisy. Some artists during recording will tape strings which are not being used so I see no problem with experimenting with string wraps as a hobbyist.

 

[dougjwray]

Is it cheating? Let’s say you’re out at a party and someone has a bass and they say, hey, Tommy plays bass. (Not sure what your name is, so substitute as needed.) They hand you a bass and your response is, nah, I don’t have my fret wrap. Yes, it’s cheating, but sometimes cheating is perfectly fine. But if you’re reliant on a thingy, then you’re just hurting yourself.

Exactly, great point. This is why I don't understand people who choose a particular bass because the pickup location gives them a good place to rest their thumb.
Similarly, palm muting is superior to the foam mute because when you hit a passage in the music where you'd like a little sustain, you simply lift your palm off.
You want to increase your options, not decrease them.
It's not a "cheating" or "not cheating" moral issue; it's being pragmatic.

 

[getBAK]

What if I Told You ​

There is No Such Thing as Cheating​

 

[bassrique]

Unless one is tapping, it's a shortcut that cheats the user of learning proper technique.

 

[Bassmunnky]

You could just do what FENDER did with original bridge covers...put some foam over the strings.

 

[Lava]

Not cheating, it's just another tool. People have been using them for quite some time. If it works for you, power to you.

 

[Spectre Gunner]

My suggestion is to simply use the fretwrap when you perform or feel you need to sound your best. Slide it beyond the nut whenever your working on your muting technique.

A tool to help mute open strings has been around since the first electric bass.
Fenders originally came with foam mutes over the bridge and some MusicMan models still have adjustable mutes built into the bridge. If using something besides your fingers to mute is a crime then there are a lot of famous bass players who are guilty. And that includes Carol Kaye who shoved an ugly piece of foam under her strings and Victor Wooten who uses a hair scrunchy.

 

[Tom Baker]

there is no such thing as cheating, there are only choices in how you approach a problem.

 

[zubrycky]

There's no cheating. A tool exists to be used, if necessary.

 

[micguy]

If you play fretless, and want to use one of those things, what do you call it? It's can't be a fret wrap if there are no frets to wrap.

If you're using it as an excuse to not figure out how to do muting on a 5 or 6, I'd avoid it and learn to mute. I moved to 5'er recently, and at the beginning, I had muting issues (plus the occasional lost on the fretboard thing). Just by practicing for gigs on a 5'er (without any additional aids), a few months later - no muting issues, and I don't really know how - I never specifically did muting exercises - my ears and fingers just figured it out.

If, however, you're using it because there is some challenging piece here or there where it allows you to do things you couldn't otherwise do, then go for it.

I used a chunk of foam a couple weeks ago for a gig - never did that before in 40 years of playing, but that tune just screamed for that sound.

 

[Bonafide]

Unless one is tapping, it's a shortcut that cheats the user of learning proper technique.

?? This isn't true in least in my experience. I have great palm muting technique, years of switching professionally between bass and guitar. On my Yamaha JP2 6 strings (35" 19mm) its not physically possible to mute sympathetic tones, all the time...even with accurate playing across 6 strings This includes left and right hand muting. If I am recording or playing higher dynamic lower volume music, a fret wrap is a bonafide solution and one of my JP2 will have one on it 100% of the time, even if it is usually above the nut.

 

[singlemalt]

Purple! Great color choice. Congrats on the Dingwall!

I’m wondering how many of the, “No fret wrap for me, it’s a crutch!” guys are playing six string all the time?

Fret wraps do a nice job and give you options for different sounds for a lot less than a stomp box. Really cleans up slap.

 

[bass12]

I wouldn’t be thinking about whether or not using a fret wrap is cheating, I’d be thinking about the experience you might be missing out on if you use a fret wrap as a substitute for working on technique. Spending time on your bass trying to solve problems may lead you to discover things that you otherwise might not.

As someone mentioned above, muting harmonics with your fretting hand can be very difficult. This is one area where the floating thumb technique can be really useful.

 

[Anatosuchus]

As someone mentioned above, muting harmonics with your fretting hand can be very difficult. This is one area where the floating thumb technique can be really useful.

Yes, I've just started working on that - currently in that weird limbo space between floating thumb and accidentally dropping back into moving anchor when I'm not concentrating enough. I suspect the right hand mute for the harmonics is going to be really hard, but that's what practice is for.

 

[Bonafide]

I wouldn’t be thinking about whether or not using a fret wrap is cheating, I’d be thinking about the experience you might be missing out on if you use a fret wrap as a substitute for working on technique. Spending time on your bass trying to solve problems may lead you to discover things that you otherwise might not.

As someone mentioned above, muting harmonics with your fretting hand can be very difficult. This is one area where the floating thumb technique can be really useful.

I agree about spending time on technique as well the natural discovery process. Floating thumb is an essential though (IMO) a natural consequence of playing clean finger style and is very supportive if it is part of your playing. It is a natural hand function to gravitate towards. That said, with a 6 string with a wide neck like the Dingwall, floating thumb is not possible to maintain if you are switching between finger, thumb, double thumb, tapping etc. simply due to the fact that your thumb is no longer available to use. Patitucci on the other hand uses his fingers only (to mute) and keeps his thumb anchored on the low B. At least he did years ago when he taught it in his instructional vid. But he is playing finger style jazz. Personally, IMO learning to use a fret wrap ..is.. a technique. Its not a set and forget, its a dynamic process. I appreciate the idea of having a mute close at hand.

 

[bassrique]

?? This isn't true in least in my experience. I have great palm muting technique, years of switching professionally between bass and guitar. On my Yamaha JP2 6 strings (35" 19mm) its not physically possible to mute sympathetic tones, all the time...even with accurate playing across 6 strings This includes left and right hand muting. If I am recording or playing higher dynamic lower volume music, a fret wrap is a bonafide solution and one of my JP2 will have one on it 100% of the time, even if it is usually above the nut.

I have a 6 and it can be done. Perfect? No, but way good enough. Play the bass high. Use left hand obviously, then use pinky and ring like fingerstlyle guitarists do. And for the denuemont so to speak, use your right forearm as a third muter.

 

[Bonafide]

I have a 6 and it can be done. Perfect? No, but way good enough. Play the bass high. Use left hand obviously, then use pinky and ring like fingerstlyle guitarists do. And for the denuemont so to speak, use your right forearm as a third muter.

LOL, and chew gum while standing on one leg? If you can sustain that sequence of playing position for even one recording session (shoot even one song 'way good enough') you are a rare quality of player and I would love to see a demonstration.