How do you play root/fifth/octave on fretless?

[JimmyM]

I do a barre, too, but it really doesn't matter how you get there as long as you get there.

 

[JRA]

everyone has to find a way that works for him/her.

i agree with this ^

the tough ones require accommodation.

 

[mc900ftj]

...When I played fretless, I would fret the root with my index finger and then bar the fifth and octave with my pinkie. It took more strength, but it prevents intonation problems because fretting two strings with a straight finger is better than fretting those two strings with two fingers.

As long as your finger is straight!

But seriously, this works for me.

 

[radioface]

Hello,

I just got myself a fretless and I really like it. I cannot play it well for sure, but it does not seem as incredibly difficult as I imagined it would be. However it does require some adjustments of my technique it seems.

Sometimes, if I need to do a quick run root/fifth/octave (in any order) I will tend to use some sort of "power chord fingering": index for the root, ring for the fifth and pinkie for the octave. If the song is not too fast I will typically use index and pinkie, where pinkie moves and plays fifth or octave.

Now I realize this "power chord shape" may not be proper technique, if so don't hesitate to let me know. But in any case, it does not work on fretless as I cannot place my pinkie exactly below my ring finger. So that's why I wanted to know: how do you play such a root/fifth/octave on a fretless?

Thanks! If you have to change your left hand technique, going from a fretted bass to a fretless bass, there is something wrong unless, it's and upright.
Greg

 

[gtrbasser]

I'm with JimmyM.... You get there how you get there.
I absolutely LUV my non frets and will never go back.

 

[Interceptor]

I play a fretless 5 as my primary instrument.

Best advice I can give is to be aware of wrist positition. Wrist position fostering fingers perpendicular is the target. Practice looking in a mirror until the position is natural feeling. Once you get squared up to the fretboard the 5 8 is easy.

 

[Bass'd on a true story]

I usually just play with poor intonation. Especially live

 

[RustyAxe]

This is what I do on "not too fast" songs. I guess I should practice more to do so on all songs. When barring the fifth and octave, you may have one of the notes ringing out if you don't lift the pressure between notes and I personally don't like this sound.

But I'm NOT barring the 5 and octave. I'm rolling my pinky across the strings, muting the 5 as I leave it. It's good technique to learn how to mute a note ... with the left hand as well as the right.

 

[RustyAxe]

I usually just play with poor intonation. Especially live

I'm sure you're not alone ...

 

[lokikallas]

It's odd, I've never thought to much about it, but I use my pointer on the root and bridge the 5th and octave with the ring finger. I guess I have a good finger span.

 

[GnomishViking]

Fifth and octave with my pinky

 

[gsquare]

I turn my hand slightly and play with fingertips, fingers are more next to each other, not on top of each other. That's what works for me, but my fingers are pretty thin so maybe I can just get away with it. Like others have said, gotta find what works for you.

 

[Mahcks]

This might be more work than you're looking for, but I doubt I'll ever come up with a more comfortable method. I'd use the first harmonic of the root for the octave instead of fretting the note. Play the root with the thumb, play the fifth with the middle finger, rest your thumb halfway between the root and the bridge, and pluck with your index finger.

The big obstacle is blending the harmonic with the plucked notes.

 

[Carl Hillman]

Hello,

I just got myself a fretless and I really like it. I cannot play it well for sure, but it does not seem as incredibly difficult as I imagined it would be. However it does require some adjustments of my technique it seems.

Sometimes, if I need to do a quick run root/fifth/octave (in any order) I will tend to use some sort of "power chord fingering": index for the root, ring for the fifth and pinkie for the octave. If the song is not too fast I will typically use index and pinkie, where pinkie moves and plays fifth or octave.

Now I realize this "power chord shape" may not be proper technique, if so don't hesitate to let me know. But in any case, it does not work on fretless as I cannot place my pinkie exactly below my ring finger. So that's why I wanted to know: how do you play such a root/fifth/octave on a fretless?

Thanks!
Greg

In the lower positions, if it is ascending root, 5th, octave, I'll play it 1,4 ,4 or 1, 3, 3, or 1, 3, 4. Descending, it's usually 4, 3, 1.

Up higher on the neck It's usually either 1, 3, 3 or 1, 2, 3.

 

[tfer]

I also roll my pinky. I'll finger the 5th with the tip, and the octave with the first knuckle, raising the tip of my finger which mutes the 5th.

I've tried using my ring finger, but I've always had trouble keeping the 5th from being flat.

 

[bucephylus]

OP is a good question. Fingering matters a lot, especially on fretless.

I also play upright; so, when I started on fretless bass guitar way back when, the first thing I did was use the fingering technique taught in the Simandl upright book. That technique does not use the ring finger in the lower positions. That apparent limitation more naturally places the string stops near to good intonation, due to the ergonomics of the human hand. Of course, that only allows the hand to cover three "frets" without shifting. So, shifting becomes somewhat of an art that has to be studied and learned (my first upright teacher was appropriately way past obsessive about shifting) A useful guideline is to work out your shifts such that you play at least two notes per shift.

Once you are playing above maybe the 8th "fret," you can go back to using all four fingers on bass guitar.

Rules are meant to be broken; so, certain lines can require fingering extensions.

Anyhow, long answer to the OP: yes, fingering root - V - octave with the pinky barred in lower positions is entirely correct technique.

IMO

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I am primarily a fretless player these days but my technique is pretty much the same on both instruments. I may use the pads of my fingers for more mwah but I would still voice a chord/triad with three fingers. I think it comes down to you needing practice on your fretting OP. I struggled with chords when I first switched to fretless. You don't realize how much you let the frets correct for you until they are not there. Nothing wrong with barring either. I think @Jloch86 has a point when he says there really isn't "correct" technique.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I fail to see why it would be different for fretless than fretted.

I usually use first finder on root, ring finger on 5th, and little finger on octave, but it's not a critical thing and I may decide to bar the 5th and octave just to change it up (different muscles). Or, I may end up using my index finger on both the root and the octave if it makes more sense to do so as I'm moving to the next chord. Do whatever works consistently well for you and makes the most notes easily reachable.

 

[gregouille23]

Thanks for all the replies! I will try different things out and see what works best for me Looking forward for some more practice on the fretless!!!

 

[vin97]

always middle finger on root, pinky on fifth/octave for me.
in the lower registers, I find it much more comfortable than index-ring.