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Open strings or not?

kencasino

kencasino

Apr 20, 2008
419
4
83
palominas, arizona
www.gminet.com
#1
I am self-taught, and have been playing for about 25 years. A new player came up to me at a gig the other night and asked me why I never used open strings.

I can truly say that the question has never come up or even a comment about it.

Am I alone in not using open strings, or are there others out there like me who just never used them from the start.

My first cheapo bass didn't sound anywhere the same open as closed so I think that is where I got off on that foot.
 
#2
I use open strings all the time if I'm playing in the lower positions. They're there, if convenient I'll use them.
They are also good for long whole note passages and drones.Open strings have such a nice rich tone and long sustain.
I tend to use them less in passages with a lot of notes to keep the tones sounding similar.
 
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#3
Don't let anyone else tell you how to play! :)

I use a mix of open and fretted or "closed" fingerings. The nice thing about using closed fingerings like you do is that they are intuitive and easy to move around the fretboard. It is a very natural and comfortable way to play the instrument.

Obviously, you need to use open strings sometimes if you want to play songs in E. :)
 
#5
Open strings are great for writing lines with a lot of octaves or lower notes...playing with my index on the fifth fret and throwing in some open strings is a great way to get a good range in fast passages and opens up a lot of options...There are some really great lines IMO that use open strings really well.... Schism and 46&2 by Tool are great examples of this.
 
#6
I use open strings very little with the exception of the low E. It messes up the patterns I'm used to play, it's easier to control the notes and I also prefer the sound higher up the neck.

I've been told the late great Mr. Jamerson utilized open strings a lot...
 
#7
A true craftsman learns to use every aspect of their tools to their advantage. Of coursse use open strings, if they sound different to you then practice and figure out how to use that difference.

As Marcus Miller said once... My Jbass isn't the best one ever made it has good notes and bad notes, some sound different than others. I learn how to use the good and bad, I use all those sounds.
 
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#8
i notice the open string has a bit more growl and punch compare to fretted. they sustain longer. so i use them when i want such sound..... other times, i play them because they are there and convinient
 
#9
I use them often as part of the toolkit.

I sometimes mute the open string slightly to vary the tone
or harmonic content.

A light and lazy finger mute can give you the fundamental open
string tone. Try varying where you place your finger up and down
the fretboard and notice the tonal difference, especially at
full band volume.

Jack Casady has some good tips on his instructional DVD as
well on tone detailing by playing the same riff in different
postions and how further up the fretboard has a bit fatter
tone versus open positions with thinner edgier tone with
a nice discussion on how one can exploit the differences.
He is big on 'performance detailing'.

If you are happy with what you do and how you do it, don't
worry about it. OTOH if you are like me and you are never
satisfied with where you are at then you may want to experiment
with some different techniques to spice your
playing up. I tend to be on a lifelong quest for constant
self-improvement. That is not always the happiest path to be
on, believe me. :bawl: :help: :cool:
 
#10
ive had this conversation before. i used to very rarely use open strings, then i studied jacos playing a lot more closely. look at how HE used open strings. why not use something thats so usefull..

also, look at how much upright players use open strings..
 
#11
I use open strings a lot. There are times though when it makes muting a little more difficult, i.e., when the open string will continue to vibrate (if you don't you mute) while the next note is played on a different string - in that case I change the pattern if possible to avoid the open string.
 
#12
I think open strings work better on a Fender-style bass with flats than a neck-through modern bass with rounds where they can ring uncontrollably. I tend to use fretted notes whenever possible on any bass, but I can tolerate them a lot more if the bass isn't a high end monster.
 
#13
kencasino said:
Am I alone in not using open strings, or are there others out there like me who just never used them from the start.
Click to expand...

You're certainly not alone in not using open strings, although if you're now playing quality instruments that sound good, there's really no good reason to continue to not use them...

I play the open strings just about as readily as I do the fretted ones - particularly when I play fretless, in order to give myself that constant reference pitch for intonation purposes...

Occasionally someone will express surprise that I've chosen to play this way. Just as they're surprised that I fret with my little finger as readily as I do with the other three fingers. Or that I'm just as comfortable using a pick as I am playing fingerstyle. When I venture (soon) into the world of ERB, then there will be those who are surprised at that too... :rolleyes:

The point is, it's never a bad idea to think outside the box in terms of broadening one's technique and playing style. And if you can justify integrating the new technique or style on musical grounds, it can be a very good thing.

I guess we're all "in the box" to a certain extent. It's just that some of us have much larger - or smaller - boxes than others...

MM
 
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#16
I started by emulating upright bass players, and was dee-lighted to use open strings. They go so nicely with rockabilly style, which is mostly what we do (I should probably switch to playing washboard). You can get plunk from them, yes, you do have to learn to mute them but I think it's really fun.
 
#19
Lobster11 said:
Another five-string candidate! You can play your low E on the fifth fret of the B-string, use all your favorite patterns from there, and get all that fat mid-neck tone in any key whenever you want.
Click to expand...

Yes, a five string would make a lot of sense...but then I would use the open low B...and also, there's something about 4 strings, they have more tradition. I am so conservative.
 
#20
When I started out, I would use fretted notes exclusively. But as I started transcribing songs and studying bass lines, I saw the various ways that open notes can add flavor to a bass line. I know practice my lines in different ways, mixing up the fretted and open notes.

It has made a nice addition to my repertoire.
 

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