Singing through fretless? Thoughts.

[Bocete]

Hey

I've been practicing and playing fretless exclusively. My intonation has become very good, acceptable at least.

An instrument is, in some way, an extension of you. Instead of speaking though your mouth, you "sing through your bass". At least that's what I try to do, and think that most pros do it that way: you don't think of positions, you think of a melody. And the better you are, the more detail is in that melody: first it's just the notes, and with time come dynamics, articulation etc.

I've found that, when I really enjoy myself and go into the "singing through fretless" mode, my intonation becomes very, very bad. I think of a line and sing it through the bass: however, I listen to what I've imagined, not what my hands have done. When I go back to "directly playing" the bass, not using it as a medium, my intonation goes back because I start listening to myself.

I hope at least some of you will understand what I'm talking about. Discuss similar experiences, and help me find a way to solve this problem.

Regards,
Bo

 

[Chris K]

I also play fretless exclusively. What you try to do, singing through your bass, is good, because you make use of your internal ear. But you have to understand that the expression of all musical imagination will always have to pass through some stubborn medium, even if it is the human voice.

The question that struck me right away: can you sing in tune? Is your hearing of intervals/chords ok? Can you sing do -re -do - mi - do - fa etc. in tune? If not, take solfege lessons. They are a major investment in your development.

And for the rest: Steve Bailey - The Ultimate Fretless Workout.

 

[Bocete]

I also play fretless exclusively. What you try to do, singing through your bass, is good, because you make use of your internal ear. But you have to understand that the expression of all musical imagination will always have to pass through some stubborn medium, even if it is the human voice.

The question that struck me right away: can you sing in tune? Is your hearing of intervals/chords ok? Can you sing do -re -do - mi - do - fa etc. in tune? If not, take solfege lessons. They are a major investment in your development.

And for the rest: Steve Bailey - The Ultimate Fretless Workout.

Hey Chris,

I'm very good with solfege. It's the only thing stuck on me from music school when I was a kid. I can also spot slight intonation errors when I'm focused at doing so. You know, those that are fixed by slightly rotating the "fretting" finger. And I've been told I have a good ear.

However, when I start "singing through fretless" it all goes away, because everything is okay in my mind, while my fingers are off. For example, if I'm practicing scales I'm okay; but if I discover a fine lick and start jamming with myself around it, I will soon find that I've been playing sharp a quarter step for a while without noticing. For example. It's a different story if I play with a tonic/mediant/dominant playing in the background or with my band/along some music.

 

[Chris K]

So it could be a focusing issue... Does it also happen when you play slowly? You know, when you play on your own, without your band, a playalong track or a metronome, things easily tend to get sloppy. Not just intonation, but general control as well. That happens to all of us, I guess.