I play in an all-originals local band, (we pretty much only do showcase shows, if that matters?). I joined the band last summer, and I have been using a fretless bass as my main bass for about 7 years now, which is all well and good as the BL prefers I play the fretless. But I’m only human, and suffer from GAS like anyone else.
The couple of times I’m tried out different (fretted) basses at practice, it feels like I’m running on the beach. It’s just a little harder to do everything, almost like the frets are getting in the way. It also makes my fretting finger feel like it’s too far away from the fretboard, and I’ve had the issue of slipping off the string into the spaces in between strings a time or two (though, switching to flats has helped remedy that).
Talking with the BL about it at our last gig, they’re saying how they can really tell the difference when I’m on frets, both in tone and feel, and it actually kinda messes them up because the parts don’t fit together like they should. Point taken; for this project, no frets. But it also highlights that there’s a SERIOUS discrepancy between my ability on a fretless vs fretted bass, the latter being lacking.
Is this a problem others have encountered, if so what are some good exercises to improve? How do I get past this feeling of a neck covered in speed bumps? Aren’t frets supposed to make it easier? It’d be nice to be well rounded in ability, even if I’m not using it in my current setting, for whatever may come in the future.
The couple of times I’m tried out different (fretted) basses at practice, it feels like I’m running on the beach. It’s just a little harder to do everything, almost like the frets are getting in the way. It also makes my fretting finger feel like it’s too far away from the fretboard, and I’ve had the issue of slipping off the string into the spaces in between strings a time or two (though, switching to flats has helped remedy that).
Talking with the BL about it at our last gig, they’re saying how they can really tell the difference when I’m on frets, both in tone and feel, and it actually kinda messes them up because the parts don’t fit together like they should. Point taken; for this project, no frets. But it also highlights that there’s a SERIOUS discrepancy between my ability on a fretless vs fretted bass, the latter being lacking.
Is this a problem others have encountered, if so what are some good exercises to improve? How do I get past this feeling of a neck covered in speed bumps? Aren’t frets supposed to make it easier? It’d be nice to be well rounded in ability, even if I’m not using it in my current setting, for whatever may come in the future.
