Open or not?

[Alivefor5]

Meh, they're there and I use them when I need them.

 

[Element Zero]

I play a fair amount of metal. Open strings are the usual for riffage.

 

[Philip McAdam]

What is, or why is the attitude towards playing open strings such a debated topic?
If you watch some of the so called “ Bass Lesson Videos” on the Your Screwed, they treat playing open strings as bad technique. Really?
Why do the upright players use them to check tuning?
Why did Motown Master like James, or even Sir Bob use them all the time?
If you are playing the song and you can build a good bass line using open strings in what ever capacity; what is the issue?

I started using fretted notes and my bass teacher told me to use open strings whenever I could because, it's faster, more efficient and according to him, the tone is preferable. That's my experience.

 

[AboutSweetSue]

I’ve never heard of open strings being an issue.

 

[friend33]

Well then, it’s about time we made it one, right?!

 

[OOD]

I love open strings for some songs and hate them for others. They sound different. That can be good or bad. A lot of times I’ll switch up in different parts of a song or for certain passages.

 

[fdeck]

The rule on the cello is, never play a note on an open string. Instead, play it out of tune and glare at your stand partner.

 

[lfmn16]

I agree with a lot of the others - your premise is flawed because this is not a hotly debated topic. Use them if you want, don't use them if you don't want.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

What is, or why is the attitude towards playing open strings such a debated topic?
If you watch some of the so called “ Bass Lesson Videos” on the Your Screwed, they treat playing open strings as bad technique. Really?
Why do the upright players use them to check tuning?
Why did Motown Master like James, or even Sir Bob use them all the time?
If you are playing the song and you can build a good bass line using open strings in what ever capacity; what is the issue?

If there is a debate, I sure wouldn’t participate. I’n not sure about this but maybe there is a carry over from the DB players where technique is much more critical than playing a fretted electric.

 

[GreyBeard]

I've never had a band leader or club owner complain about my using open strings

 

[micguy]

On fretless, yes they can sound different. On fretted, if they sound different, something may be amiss with your bass. I tend not to play lots of open notes on a fretted bass, but not because there's anything wrong with them - the timbre of notes played higher on the neck works better for most of what I play than playing low on the neck. However, I do play a lot of octaves, and will often play a B on the E string (7th fret) and add in the open B an octave below - or the corresponding E's one string higher.

 

[Boomhowertx]

I play a 5 string and usually try to avoid open notes unless they work in a fast riff or doing pretty woman or fast as you. We had an acoustic guitar player for a while in our classic rock band and he asked me why I don't play open notes. I said I play open notes rarely. It does make it easier to transpose when you don't use open notes.

You and Holmebass make excellent points now, at least in my head. But I've conditioned myself to use them to my advantage, just as you've both suggested.
Funny, I never thought of it that way, and stay some what frustrated when my bandmates transpose on the fly. Sometimes at a gig.
I'm a 4 stringer all my life, yet I've always hated songs in B. Guess a 5 string would fix that.

 

[Boomhowertx]

I love open strings for some songs and hate them for others. They sound different. That can be good or bad. A lot of times I’ll switch up in different parts of a song or for certain passages.

I do that too!

 

[Killing Floor]

Take lessons from a proper bass teacher and they won't tell you not to play opens. They'll teach you to play the most efficient position and sometimes that involves an open, sometimes not. Up your lesson game.

 

[BassGH]

No open strings (+ a 5 stringer) make it easier for a shaky musician like me to transpose quickly. I play in one band where that is a regular feature of my existence.

 

[2cooltoolz]

I never heard of it being an issue, but I agree with the five-string guys who've chimed in. On five string, I naturally gravitate up the neck a bit. I've recently (temporarily) moved back to four strings and use open strings a lot. It's not that conscious, but I find myself "needing" the notes in open, 1st, etc, positions on four. Not so much on five.

And, as BassGH said, non-open fingerings transpose easier.

 

[cassanova]

33 years playing, and never heard of a debate about using open strings. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't. It all depends on which tone I think is better for the song, or if I want to play a particular finger position to work across the board instead of up and down it.

 

[james condino]

Nope. None of the naysayers can ever use that open low B again....

 

[logdrum]

This is the first time I am hearing this. In my opinion all the reasons to not use open strings are lame. I play guitar too and a jazz oriented person and I do not purposely avoid using open strings. Tell Tuck Andress and Pat Metheny that they have been doing it wrong using open strings.

And I play upright plucked and bowed, so there is that. Use open strings if that's the only way to get to a passage efficiently.

 

[AaronVonRock]

Playing open strings is a must for me when I point at audience members mid-song with my left hand.