Richard B Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Hi! After years of being curious about fretless basses, I finally summoned the courage to buy one, and I'm in love! Its mwoaars and its thuds! I had no idea the variety of sounds that are available at your fingertips! I'm lucky to have a very lovely Ibanez Gary Willis 5 - it's a dream to play, light, low action, thin neck, beautifully designed....great sound for recording. I quickly realised that harmonics ring out very strongly on this instrument - I guess that there is minimal treble component in usual fleshy finger-style playing, so harmonics stand out very strongly.... I've had it about 9 months now and have started to explore other sounds that I can make with it....and try to incorporate them into my bass lines... So far, I've been experimenting with the techniques on the list below...I use roundwounds, btw and don't use a plectrum. I avoid using fx pedals, just a bit of light compression. Please can you experienced electric fretless/DB players supply any other ideas to experiment with? 1. Slid harmonics - ghostly wails! 2. Finger picking near and away from the bridge. 3. Open string harmonics and (gently) bending the neck. Saw Adrian Belew grinning whilst doing this on a Strat and had to give it a go! 4. Two handed tap/sliding on two notes (a root and a third) in opposite directions, like sliding from F major to A minor. Sounds great, but I find it hard to do quickly! 5. Right hand hammering the strings with my finger tips on the fretboard end to make a harsh, punchy sound. 6. Scratching my fingernails on the (round wound) strings near the bridge. Not sure how useful this really is, a strong sound, but hard to get a note value. 7. Rapid, strong vibrato at the end of a low slide to make an angry moany roar. I know that only 1.,4. and 7. are truly unique to the fretless.... I've never learnt how to play slap bass, I guess that's another? Thanks in advance, Cheers! Richard B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Intonation, intonation, intonation. Everything else is just frippery. Sliding harmonics are a whole bundle of fun though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 I've got nothing to add except " Greetings from one Richard B to another". Welcome to BassChat Cheers Richard B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Listen to Percy Jones. It's all in there. Slinding octaves is nice on a fretless. Because you are playing the same note but not exactly in tune (as it would be on a fretted bass), it has a lovely chorusing effect. You can actually play the higher note slightly flat on purpose to create the effect. I have to say, though, as a fretless player for nearly 30 years, I don't play with 'fretless effects', I just play bass. It is surprising how many of the tricks you are describing can sound derivative. I guess it's how and where you use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1433315855' post='2789910'] I have to say, though, as a fretless player for nearly 30 years, I don't play with 'fretless effects', I just play bass. It is surprising how many of the tricks you are describing can sound derivative. I guess it's how and where you use them. [/quote] This. I like my fretless because of it's basic sound. Deep and plummy and it sits in the mix wonderfully. Overuse of slides and vibrato is grating to me. And I have no idea why so many fretless players seem to insist on layering a metric sh*t-ton of chorus on it, hiding the lovely natural sound of the instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 AW, thanks for all your many and various replies, guys! Intonation's not really an issue here as long as keep practising! I've always regarded my fretted playing ethos as being a bridge between rhythm and melody, as a support for the melody and an enhancement for the rhythm. What fascinates me about fretless is that it has a vocal quality that pushes me more towards the vocal/melodic side of support and enhancement, so I'll keep pushing my limits there... 'Deep and plummy' is a beautiful description! 'Sinister and animalistic' is the side that I am exploring for the time being! Cheers! Richard B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero9 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Chords Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Someone will no doubt mention a very famous fretless Jazz bass player so I will suggest listening to Boz Burrell and Jack Bruce. Plucking strings with side of finger double bass style is another useful technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Should I mention Michael Manring If you haven't already, you tube him. If you're looking for different influences and other worldly techniques then you need to take a look. However fitting this kind of playing into a 'band' setting is something else. Less is often more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 [quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1434216353' post='2797743'] Should I mention Michael Manring If you haven't already, you tube him. If you're looking for different influences and other worldly techniques then you need to take a look. [/quote] Or Les Claypool's early work with Primus. Bonkers stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enricogaletta Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 (edited) Agree with some previous comments, intonation and finger tone. Plus there are a couple of other bass heros amazing on fretless, Mark Egan and surprise Marcus Miller too, guys let's listen the ballad from the first and second album plus some side works he did as fretless player, tone and phrasing are just amazing! Cheers!! Edited June 22, 2015 by enricogaletta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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