How does radius effect playing

[Twincam]

Now i know that radius can effect string bending, but how else does it effect playing.
Iv'e been playing very flat radius basses but im thinking a smaller radius might make some techniques easier, say because of the greater radius other strings not catching on fingers when not intentionally muting them. Does that make sense?.

[jonnythenotes]

I have very large hands, and also very long fingers. If I play a bass that has a realy slim neck, I find that all the finger joints on my fretting hand are bunching up or 'crabbing ' making any sort of fluency over the neck very difficult. It's hard to explain, but if you clench your fist so your finger tips are touching the palm of your hand, and then look at all of the joints that are turning through 90 degrees, it might make sense. If you then open your hand out into the shape it would make as if you were holding a grapefruit, or just let your hand fall into its naturally relaxed state, the difference is obvious. With a larger neck forcing my palm and fingers into a more open shape, it saves me having to put all of my finger joints into the 90 degree positions, using the muscles, and the time it takes to tense and relax these muscles for every note you wish to fret, instead of almost floating the more open hand over the fretboard.

[Roland Rock]

Just for clarity, the larger the radius, the more flat the board will be.


A fretboard would have to have a pretty small radius for fingers to start 'catching'.
To a certain degree, the up and down movement of your fretting fingertips will be arcing anyway, as they pivot on the wrist and where the thumb rests on the back of the neck (depending on how you play)

Saying that, I've played a 'zero radius' (flat) board and it felt really nice to play.

In short, stop pissing about and just play the bloody thing 😉😀

Edited June 19, 2015 by Roland Rock

[Bradwell]

Much more relevant to guitarists - a tighter radius makes fretting chords easier whereas a larger (flatter) radius is better for playing lead solos with string bends and quick runs of individual notes.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1434664461' post='2801745']
a smaller radius might make some techniques easier, say because of the greater radius other strings not catching on fingers when not intentionally muting them. Does that make sense?.
[/quote]

I would have though string spacing has a greater effect on accidentally catching strings, recently found I can play slap a lot more cleanly on a P-width neck when compared to J-width. One technique that tighter radius (and a thin neck) will help with is fretting the low E string by hooking your thumb over the top of the fingerboard.

I wouldn't get too hung up on it though, go with whatever feels most comfortable to play.

[Twincam]

Yes very probably the narrow necks i play rather than radius.

[BigRedX]

Two reasons for having a radiused fingerboard.

1. On a bowed stringed instrument the strings have to be set in a radius to make it possible to bow each one individually. Therefore the fingerboard has to be radiused to match.

2. They supposedly make playing chords easier on a guitar - especially barre chords, although TBH I've never really had a problem playing chords on a classical guitar with a flat fingerboard.

A flat fingerboard is generally thought to be be better for string string work - which is what most bass playing is.

Personally I don't really take much notice of fingerboard radius. I just get on an play.

Incidentally I don't get the obsession with measuring the string spacing just at the bridge because it only shows part of the picture since unless you only ever pluck the string very close to the bridge, the string spacing at the point where you actually play will also be dependent on the spacing at the nut and the scale length. My basses all have different string spacing at the bridge, but at the point where I mostly pluck the strings they are all very similar, so for me the bridge measurement is mostly meaningless.