Suggest some fretless...

[Booooooom]

So after nearly 30 years of playing frets, I've taken the plunge and bought myself a fretless for no other reason than fancying noodling around making 'mwah' sounds!

What I'd like are a few fretless tune suggestions that I can learn to play. I'm not bothered about genre but preferably fairly simple tunes to start with.

Over to you...

[lobematt]

I'd say just start with anything you can already play on a fretted!

[Booooooom]

I've done that allready but am looking to use it as a way of broadening my repertoire

[Bilbo]

Weather Report 'A Remark You Made' is the great fretelss 'entry level' tune.

Pat Metheny Group 'Jaco' (in fact, look for the first two Pat Metheny Group albums 'PMG' and 'American Garage' and Pat Metheny's first solo LP 'Bright Size Life' - they are all chock full of great fretless lines that are generally pretty easy to play).

Weather Report's 'Black MArket' album is also get some great fretless stuff on it; Jaco and Alphonso Johnson.

Johnson is also the bass player on Phil Collins's 'This Must Be Love' off his Face Value cd.

[mep]

Anything by Pino with Paul Young.

[andyonbass]

Sorry to hijack, but how do you fretless guys monitor your playing in a live situation? Often as not I struggle to hear myself playing fretted bass in the band where intonation isn't an issue (as long as you hit the correct fret )

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1337345047' post='1658524']
Sorry to hijack, but how do you fretless guys monitor your playing in a live situation? Often as not I struggle to hear myself playing fretted bass in the band where intonation isn't an issue (as long as you hit the correct fret )
[/quote]

I have a big amp.
Or a decent monitor
Or I sound shockingly awful....

If you are struggling to hear yourself then you need to do some eqing, buy a bigger amp or tell the rest of your band to turn the **** down.

[wal4string]

Was gonna post some Pino transcriptions but since site updated nothing is working right. If you email me I can send them.

[Booooooom]

Bilbo and mep - I didn't expect bass-god suggestions as starters! Revisiting Pino/Paul Young is what made me decide to get a fretless. What I know of Jaco's stuff is the seemingly more complex highlights but I'll check out the songs you've mentioned. Thanks.

Wal4string - thanks, pm'd

[blamelouis]

[quote name='wal4string' timestamp='1337354666' post='1658754']
Was gonna post some Pino transcriptions but since site updated nothing is working right. If you email me I can send them.
[/quote]

Sounds good

[Netballman]

Gabriel's "sledgehammer" (and several others, like Big Time) are good fretless fun

Wal4sting - I'd be in in for a copy of your Pino transcriptions if you;re feeling generous!

[ezbass]

This
[quote name='lobematt' timestamp='1337340541' post='1658407']
I'd say just start with anything you can already play on a fretted!
[/quote]

And this

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1337344213' post='1658500']
Anything by Pino with Paul Young.
[/quote]

[ezbass]

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1337345047' post='1658524']
Sorry to hijack, but how do you fretless guys monitor your playing in a live situation? Often as not I struggle to hear myself playing fretted bass in the band where intonation isn't an issue (as long as you hit the correct fret )
[/quote] More midrange.

[Booooooom]

Thanks to wal4string for supplying these transcriptions and posting them here on his behalf.

Edited May 20, 2012 by Booooooom

[Booooooom]

and another from wal4string...

Edited May 20, 2012 by Booooooom

[Booooooom]

and some more...

[Booooooom]

and the rest...

big thanks to wal4string

[Netballman]

Big it up for Wal4string! Cheers mate

[yepmop]

A good starting one I think is Weather Report's (Jaco) - A Remark You Made, just love this song.

[wal4string]

[quote name='Booooooom' timestamp='1337542891' post='1661735']
and some more...
[/quote]

Cheers Booooooooooooooooooom for posting for me. Just to clarify as Basschat upload renames the files for some reason.

The 3 files are:-

Phil Collins - I wish it would rain down
Don Henley - New York Minute
Gary Numan - Music for Chameleons

Edited May 23, 2012 by wal4string

[GonzoBass]

I could suggest Tony Franklin- [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Franklin_(musician"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Franklin_(musician[/url]),
especially with "Blue Murder", for some great R&R fretless
or any Boz Burrell- [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boz_Burrell"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boz_Burrell[/url]
with "Bad Company" or "King Crimson".

Edited May 23, 2012 by GonzoBass

[Joshua Higginson]

At the lefty bass bash a couple of months back, Patch mentioned to listen to Paul Simon's Graceland. Fantastic fretless work on that album!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1337345047' post='1658524']
Sorry to hijack, but how do you fretless guys monitor your playing in a live situation? Often as not I struggle to hear myself playing fretted bass in the band where intonation isn't an issue (as long as you hit the correct fret )
[/quote]
You've got to be able to hear yourself or all is lost so, if you really are having trouble hearing ...

... get a powered PA speaker on a stand right next to your ear.

[Hagar]

Get the dvd of Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia Live 2005 Stuttgart gig. Dave Ball's playing is a great example of solid, effective fretless without loads of flash. It's very instructive being able to watch his technique whilst listening to the basslines.

[ead]

For plebs like me that don't have a smartphone, let alone an iphone could these files be converted to something like a jpeg please?