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So, i got me a fretless...

eukatheude

eukatheude

Apr 2, 2012
1,777
339
italy, pordenone
#1
I sort of inherited this thing from a friend who doesn't play anymore. It's a Fender body with a defretted Roytek neck stuck on it. It sounds nice and plays well, it could use new strings and new tuners but it's an alright bass. Thing is, the truss rod is really weak (an issue i've seen with all roytek necks) so i've tuned it to D in order to get something playable. I'm working hard on getting my intonation and technique right, but it can be really hard sometimes. So i wonder if there's some reading material i should check out, some bassists i should know about and especially some tunes to play, since besides Jaco i don't know many fretless tunes outside of death metal.
Here is it:
Link Removed
the photo is a couple of weeks old, i've painted the pups white and i'm about to get an actual pickguard, and i'm also considering building a new neck myself.
 
#3
Yes. The Steve Bailey video is great, as is his book, and you should get that. Very important point he makes is hearing octaves and fifths in tune. Not only are they the easiest to hear intonationwise, but they are the fundation of so much in harmony and chords.

Something that has helped me with intonation on fretless is playing warmup material around the circle of fifths rather than up and down the neck chromatically. In other words, play a C major scale, C major chord, C7 chord and move up the neck (or down) to F major scale, F major chord, F7 chord, and move to Bb etc etc. Start all of this on the E string until you've gone around the circle, then move the roots to the A string. By doing this you'll notice a difference in the distance between the notes on different places on the neck. Moving chromatically the distances are note as noticeable.

Get the octaves and fifths in tune and the rest will fall into place in time.

And get a new neck on that bass real soon so you can play to standard tuning.
 
#4
BassChuck said:
Yes. The Steve Bailey video is great, as is his book, and you should get that. Very important point he makes is hearing octaves and fifths in tune. Not only are they the easiest to hear intonationwise, but they are the fundation of so much in harmony and chords.

Something that has helped me with intonation on fretless is playing warmup material around the circle of fifths rather than up and down the neck chromatically. In other words, play a C major scale, C major chord, C7 chord and move up the neck (or down) to F major scale, F major chord, F7 chord, and move to Bb etc etc. Start all of this on the E string until you've gone around the circle, then move the roots to the A string. By doing this you'll notice a difference in the distance between the notes on different places on the neck. Moving chromatically the distances are note as noticeable.

Get the octaves and fifths in tune and the rest will fall into place in time.

And get a new neck on that bass real soon so you can play to standard tuning.
Click to expand...

Ron G said:
Check this out I hope it helps: [4 string starts at 6:50]

Click to expand...


Thanks, i already started working on octaves and fifths. As for your exercise, Basschuck, unfortunately i'm not so good at music theory though this might be a good place to start. I'd get a new neck now if i could afford it lol, and i have no experience in luthiery apart from some setup and repair work, but it guess this might be the way to start.
 
#5
Good advice above; also, play along with stuff you know well that's not overly complex and pay close attention to your intonation. Use open strings to check intonation when you can.

Also, you can play with a tuner if you have a tuner out on your amp or can play through it, but don't get stuck always looking at it; the more you work to develop your ear, the quicker you'll rely on that rather than watching your fingers or a tuner.

Really, when I started playing fretless, being meticulous about my intonation while playing stuff I knew was the most helpful for my development. Listening is key.
 
#6
Playing with a recording is a great way to teach your ear. The easiest notes to check are the roots and fifths. Playing octave and fifth double stops (two notes chords) helps, but most bass players don't routinely play double stops while playing. Playing scales in all positions with proper technique is an important way to build muscle memory. Muscle memory is important because you don't want to rely on fingerboard lines for positioning. You should be able to play in the dark. Start by playing closer to the nut. Playing in the higher register is tricky because your fingers have to be in exactly the right place. The bottom line is that fretless requires lots of practice. The good news is that all that practice builds more than just good intonation. Good luck!
 
#12
eukatheude said:
Are there any cool fretless tunes i should know about?
Click to expand...

I think more in terms of fretless players than fretless tunes. Jaco is the most famous. Pino is probably the most well known of the living. If you like fusion, check out Gary Willis of Tribal Tech. Also check out Percy Jones of Brand X (with a then unknown Phillip Collins on drums). Check out Michael Manring too.
 

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