hubrad Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 [quote name='fatback' post='1373236' date='Sep 14 2011, 02:03 PM']This is hugely important imo. If the dots on the edge of the neck are not on the 'fret' positions, get stick on paper dots and put them there. You could use a marker to dull down the original misplaced dots. Those dots are very very useful, especially when you're gigging and moving about the stage. You'll never regret the fretless. Your ears will improve immensely. Just make sure you learn to play with the correct left hand technique or you won't get reliably good intonation. And practice at least some of the time without looking at your hand. And that's the downside of fretless imo. if you are out of tune, you're worse than useless, you're a major liability. Intonation is all. [/quote] Intonation definitely helps, but as with any bass rhythm is king! You can be a bit out of tune if you're totally in the groove, but if you're out of time no level of intonation accuracy will save you. Good idea with the dots, mind.. you can rough-navigate by the side dots and let your ears get you into the right place. After a while muscle memory kicks in, so as long as the first note of a run is right you have a very good chance of staying on the path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I love fretless (I have three of them ) Practice and if you can record yourself, it helps! Well done for making the leap. I keep a fretted on hand because sometimes it's the sound required but the fretless is my go bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apa Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Just to reitirate the side dots on and off the frets Ive just bought a Harley Benton Fretless acoustic a few weeks ago and the dots are 'between' the fret! ala fretted basses. To save costs I suppose but that completely freaked me out!! I couldnt play the thing!! I quickly replaced the binding and put the dots where they should be ie 'on' the fret. Love playing it now. Im sure I could have gotten used to it but it just seems wrong to me! Oh and since everyones puttin thier four peneth in............. NO Fretlines is the only way. Looks so dam sexy too A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muttley Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 [quote name='janmaat' post='1373081' date='Sep 14 2011, 12:15 PM']I find that the fingering technique is rather different. On fretted, I use 4 fingers - 4 frets. On fretless, I use a fingering similar to double bass, in that I use index and pinkie much more and ring finger almost never; so a 1:1 transition between the two might be a misleading approach (and is certainly a reason for why guitar players find it hard). Anybody else has something to say about that, would be interesting.[/quote] I can't comment too much on fretted basses as I only (re)started on fretless a few months ago but I use double bass fingering exclusively. Initially it was a bit odd not using the 3rd finger at all for the lower positions but I quickly got used to it and it now comes naturally. I've been a violin player since the age of 10 so using all 4 fingers is natural. In fact lazy violin players can opt out of a lot of 4th finger action, something you cannot really do with DB fingering. I wouldn't have thought it difficult to use "guitar" type fingering on a fretted bass and "bass" type fingering on fretless. They're really different instruments after all. Many musicians play more than one stringed instrument and don't have problems flitting between them so I don't think it would be a problem here either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janmaat Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 [quote name='Jerry_B' post='1373253' date='Sep 14 2011, 02:15 PM']Yep, some people can get a bit silly about you can or can't do - or aren't 'supposed to do' - with a fretless. When I've tried to join several punk bands over the years, they said no to the fretless - this despite the fact that I prefer to play with a plectrum, and know that I can colour things with compression, overdrive, etc. Bigger fools them really - and it tends to ignore certain players who have done similar things in established bands over the years.[/quote] You got to tell them it's a sh*te bass you found in the sewer and all the frets popped out as you spilled too much lager on it - that should do the trick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Heh - well, when I found it, it was covered in nasty crud, dents and dust. Now it just has the dents, but that's part of the charm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 [quote name='janmaat' post='1373081' date='Sep 14 2011, 12:15 PM']I find that the fingering technique is rather different. On fretted, I use 4 fingers - 4 frets. On fretless, I use a fingering similar to double bass, in that I use index and pinkie much more and ring finger almost never; so a 1:1 transition between the two might be a misleading approach (and is certainly a reason for why guitar players find it hard). Anybody else has something to say about that, would be interesting.[/quote] On fretless I use one finger per fret in all positions and a thumb pivot. Having said that, if I'm feeling lazy and the part doesn't jump about too much, i'll use the Simandl double bass type fingering (third and fourth finger together) on the lowest positions. I have small hands btw. I think it's very useful to learn one finger per fret (with a thumb pivot) because you have to make fewer arm movements that way, and that means better intonation. If you end up using the other technique for the first couple of positions that doesn't much matter. I've found it really helps to think above all of thumb positions and keep those fixed and consistent rather than drifting about. If the thumb is right, the rest falls into place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 [quote name='apa' timestamp='1316023106' post='1373557'] Oh and since everyones puttin thier four peneth in............. NO Fretlines is the only way. Looks so dam sexy too A [/quote] Abso..lutely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 I have a lined (Jazz) and an unlined (PJ) fretless. After a while, you don't even notice the lines. I have only gigged the unlined one. It always gets comments from: You must be a fantastic player as you don't have frets.... to Hey mate, someones nicked your frets.... Play every day and enjoy the experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janmaat Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 [quote name='Jerry_B' timestamp='1316006137' post='1373253'] Yep, some people can get a bit silly about you can or can't do - or aren't 'supposed to do' - with a fretless. When I've tried to join several punk bands over the years, they said no to the fretless - this despite the fact that I prefer to play with a plectrum, and know that I can colour things with compression, overdrive, etc. Bigger fools them really - and it tends to ignore certain players who have done similar things in established bands over the years. [/quote] I always thought the only reason to have fretmarks on fretless would be to fool those kind of guys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrohelix Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Yesterday, I defretted my Yamaha RBX270j 'cus I've been dying to play fretless for ages. Best thing I've ever done, and it makes me wonder why people play fretted... vibrato sounds nicer, slides sound nicer, lower notes sound nicer - all to my ears, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 I love fretless basses. I never play them more than my fretted basses (though at one point I did) but they are always fun to have around. A fretless bass can make even the most dreary bassline infinitely more interesting, they are extremely good things to have around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothpugs Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 (edited) Well just to update, it was a "CRATE" amp that I got with my bass. I am loving the bass and the way it plays, it does have slight grooves but no lines for frets, and it was a made fretless, not one that someon's dug the frets out of I think the only thing I'm disagreeing with is actually the strings... I'm so used to the heavy as fooc, bent, bashed and mashed ANCIENT strings on my old yammy, that these smooth soft and responsive strings are throwing me off! I find them almost slippy! I'll try and get some pics up and put them in gear porn, but to whet your eager whistles, its a tobacco sunburst, with white scratchplate and all the tuning heads are on the one side of the headstock, unlike my old yammy that was a 2 left 2 right jobby Edited September 19, 2011 by gothpugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Glad it's a crate amp , or you'd be playing some really cheesy stuff.sounds like you're gonna adapt real quick.nice move Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 [quote name='gothpugs' timestamp='1315989724' post='1372863'] Good job I'm a girl then isn't it? [/quote] Well I ment the comment in "men vs boys" rather than "men vs women" kind of way ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 [quote name='gothpugs' timestamp='1315926831' post='1372050'] ...and from what I've read you play a fretless bass ON the fret markers as apposed to inbetween in the area you would play on a fretted... [/quote] Even on a fretted bass it is better to get your fingertip as close to the fret as possible. There's no reason a beginner can't learn on a fretless - double bassists, cellists, violists and violinists do it all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 [quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1315949772' post='1372639'] Fretless basses for men dont have markers [/quote] That does it for Jaco then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothpugs Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 [quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1316430167' post='1377831'] Glad it's a crate amp , or you'd be playing some really cheesy stuff.sounds like you're gonna adapt real quick.nice move [/quote] Haha yeah, love your bass btw in your profile pic! [quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1316449374' post='1378135'] Well I ment the comment in "men vs boys" rather than "men vs women" kind of way ... [/quote] Haha no worries I know that lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1316450494' post='1378157'] That does it for Jaco then. [/quote] Obviously a lightweight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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