wally8 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Hi all Bare with me on this, im a bit of a thicky when it comes to the tech stuff. I bought a cheapy fretless bass not so long ago without the fret lines/dots, just the dots on the edge of the neck. The guy i bought it of said most fretless basses are tuned just past the next dot, as is this. Now being a fretted lad its pretty easy finding the notes generally without looking apart from the odd riff, but you try doing that on a fretless when the notes on the 3rd, 5th etc are just past the neck dots, its weird. Ive tried retuning so its as a standard fretted bass but its a bit over the place time i get much past the 9th - i will continue to tinker as at the mo im always flat or sharp when im playing Anyone else heard of this "tuning just past the dot" thing? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 ON the dot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Depends where the dot is. On an unlined fretless the dots should be where the frets would be. However I have encountered several (cheaper) fretless basses where the dots are in the position they would be if the bass was fretted i.e. between the "frets". The easiest way to check on the position of the dots is the measure from the nut to the 12th fret dot. If the dot is on the fretline it will be at half the scale length (17" on a standard 34" scale bass) If it is less then that then the dots are in the fretted positions. In the end though the dots are for guidance only. You need to use your ears for tuning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 (edited) [quote name='wally8' timestamp='1344520562' post='1765863'] Hi all Bare with me on this, im a bit of a thicky when it comes to the tech stuff. I bought a cheapy fretless bass not so long ago without the fret lines/dots, just the dots on the edge of the neck. The guy i bought it of said most fretless basses are tuned just past the next dot, as is this. Now being a fretted lad its pretty easy finding the notes generally without looking apart from the odd riff, but you try doing that on a fretless when the notes on the 3rd, 5th etc are just past the neck dots, its weird. Ive tried retuning so its as a standard fretted bass but its a bit over the place time i get much past the 9th - i will continue to tinker as at the mo im always flat or sharp when im playing Anyone else heard of this "tuning just past the dot" thing? Cheers [/quote] I don't quite get what your problem is. A fretless bass is tuned the same as a fretted bass. On an unlined fretless the side dots will commonly be where the note is (although you still have to use your ear). Occasionally, expecially on cheap unlined fretless, as BRX said, the side dots will still be where they would be on a fretted bass, i.e. between the frets. Plus there are some that have no side dots at all like an upright bass. Edited August 9, 2012 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Using open drone notes along with fingered notes is a useful way to practice getting good intonation and make sure you're not wandering out of tune. Try plucking an open string (eg. low E) and letting it ring. While it's ringing play notes on other strings, using the ringing string as a tonal centre or harmonic anchor. Try to play scales and arpeggios along with the open string and see how in tune you are. This is a good way of training your ears to hear all the intervals (2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths, 8ves) which will help you to make adjustments and keep in tune when playing more freely. I should really do more of this myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Tune each open string to a decent tuner! That's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Thanks guys. Mine is like a fretted bass and the dot is between the frets. But on my tuner where the dot is for say the g on the e string its reading a f#. Need to sort the intonation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 on the warwick thumb fretless - the dots are ON the pitch but when you look down you'll see that when you're on the dot, it *looks* like the finger tip is slightly in front (well, it does to me anyway), so this might be what you're finding? At the end of the day it'll be down to experimentation and a good ear or tuner! Stick with it though, the sound is unique and very different to fretted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 [quote name='wally8' timestamp='1344537841' post='1766233'] Thanks guys. Mine is like a fretted bass and the dot is between the frets. But on my tuner where the dot is for say the g on the e string its reading a f#. Need to sort the intonation. [/quote] Is the open string octave harmonic very close to 17" from the nut? (I'm assuming it's a 34" scale bass.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Plug in to your tuner and check where the notes are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Basses can vary. Some people prefer their dots in the same place as where they would be on a fretted bass, some prefer them to be on the actual note, the quickest way to be sure would be to either play the note into a tuner, or even better, have a tuner in the loop of your amp whilst you're playing, so you can better hear what you're doing. Don't forget that your left hand technique has a lot to do with the note you produce too. If you're used to playing fretted basses, you can get into a lazy habit of just trapping the string down at the fret with the pad of your finger. You may find you get better results on the fretless if you keep your thumb on the back of the neck and fret with the tips of your fingers for a more accurate way of doing things. Have a close look at your fingers the next time you sit down and play fretless. See if the pressure you're exerting is going to the right place. You may be 'squashing' your finger down further than you think which can lead to sharps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I think fretless basses with the dots between the frets (as they are on a fretted bass) are basically unplayable. I played fretless exclusively for years and I now play double bass. Intonation on fretless bass is just as hard if not harder than double bass, and without any reliable visual cue it's much harder because the bass can move much more in relation to your body and thus fingers. Fretless bass is an effing hard instrument to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 This fret position calculator is useful if you want to check the position of your existing markers or add some temporary markers with masking tape: http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/fret-and-nut-calculators/fret-calculator/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornats Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 (edited) My unlined fretless Bass Collection SB320 has its dots right on the note so this isn't limited to just cheap basses. I actually find it harder to find the notes on the 10th and 11th fret positions as you can't just aim for the middle space between two dots. They are indeed tough basses to master. Edited August 10, 2012 by Mornats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Guys, you've been more than helpful. I will go through the tips and see what I can sort with it. I would like to get it sorted so its playable as I'm playing some pearl jam stuff in a band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornats Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Remember too that not quite getting the notes perfect may actually work in certain tracks too. Or maybe I just use that as an excuse... hehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 If you're out, just go crazy with the vibrato! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 lol they are a great tool in making you be a bit more exact with your playing and can open it up in ways a fretted can't. I'm still a bit nervous using mine with the band , tho I'm brave enough now to get it out for a song or 2 lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I did my first fretless gig in many decades last month and it was a nightmare. I was so conscious of getting my intonation right that by the end my brain actually hurt! I’m questioning if I really need to put myself through this for the small difference that playing a fretless brings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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