ProfJames Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Would you recommend to learn on a fretless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 (edited) I did , but that shouldn't inspire you Jesting aside , I don't see why not , but it depends on what you are learning and what you want to sound like . You learning theory or just some songs ? What music you into ? Edited May 9, 2016 by lojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 How about some context to place that part of a question in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 It's possible but without an experienced ear in the form of a teacher, it might be difficult to correct pitch problems. Consider a violin and the years people spend just getting a decent tone out of it... I think more so than a fretted, a teacher would help. Just a view... no evidence to back that up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Can't see why not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 10, 000, 000 violinists, cellists and double bass players can't be wrong. The idea that fretless is harder than fretted is entirely mythological. It is merely different. PS ha[font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#141823"][size=3]ve been playing fretless for over 30 years[/size][/color][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Get one with lines on it. Then you'll know where you are. Lovely instruments with a great sound when you nail the intonation. As with anything a teacher will help but I learnt fretless without one. I'm sure some will say it shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I'm a mediocre bass player - and yet I manage to play an unlined fretless (with side dots) with a surprising degree of ease. It's really not as difficult as you might think. And it's much more expressive that fretted. Go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 It's great, I love the fretless playing of Steve Lawson and Michael Manring. It's good to get some transcriptions of walking lines, and use them to practice with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 (edited) Our youngest started off with a Cort fiver, fretted, but when I got my fretless sixer a few months later (a surprise birthday gift from our eldest...) he 'snaffled' it (a technical term...), and has been playing it exclusively since. He's the official bassist for our band, playing rock/pop covers (RATM, SOAD, Chris Cornell, REM, Muse etc...), and no-one notices that it's fretless. No, it's not [i]that [/i]hard; it helps if one has a patient disposition, though, as it's a bit less of an immediate 'Oh, this is easy' buzz like a fretted bass. Edited May 9, 2016 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 It takes practice, but it's worth it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 My first bass was a fretless, 6 months later I was gigging it. I say go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I got a fretless about a year ago. It is lined. I think I might prefer it to fretted. Lots of people say that fretless is more expressive or natural-sounding than fretted. I found that I started seeing it from the other angle - fretted sounded less expressive and less natural than the fretless. Similarly, I do not like playing with a plectrum, as all I hear is the click of plastic on string (just when I play, though). My fretless has totally changed how I view the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 [quote name='ProfJames' timestamp='1462823964' post='3046083'] Would you recommend to learn on a fretless? [/quote] As mentioned already, try and provide some context to your question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 (edited) I like both fretted and fretless, both have a place takes a bit of practice to get your intonation right up the dusty end though... and I don't even attempt chords IME lined or unlined makes little difference... you can't see the lines from the playing position anyway, as long as it has side dots in the right place you're fine. Edited May 10, 2016 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1462824971' post='3046100'] 10, 000, 000 violinists, cellists and double bass players can't be wrong. The idea that fretless is harder than fretted is entirely mythological. It is merely different. [/quote] I noticed you didn't mention Viola players. Muscle memory and ears. Intonation is the big thing to master. You may think you sound great at home, but when out playing with other Instruments and players, things start to sound murky. But yer. go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japhet Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Fretless will make you play more accurately and will improve your ear so it's a good thing to learn. There are things you can only do on a fretless as well like sliding harmonics (waits to be corrected by more knowledgeable person). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Fretless is not as difficult as people think. Of course the more complex the tune, the more difficult it gets and correct intonation is always more demanding up the dusty end. However, getting by is quite feasible and I don't see any reason why it can't be a learning instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprocketflup Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 A fretless bass can do a passable impression of a fretted bass, but a fretted will struggle to sound like a fretless. IMO of course, YMMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I found it harder to control my plucking hand than get pitch right. Subtle differences in playing are magnified with fretless and I sounded horrible for a long time because I just couldn't get a consistent sound over all the strings. Wonderfully expressive. It's like a lot of things though; easy to pick up, hard to master! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1462861131' post='3046247'] ... and I don't even attempt chords [/quote] Oh yes, do try chords. That is one of the best ways to get the intonation right. They will sound horrible to begin with but stick at it and they can sound amazing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNum9VxhKds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 (edited) [quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1462868364' post='3046331'] Oh yes, do try chords. That is one of the best ways to get the intonation right. They will sound horrible to begin with but stick at it and they can sound amazing. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNum9VxhKds[/media] [/quote] oh I've tried but I'm terrible at it! I'm fine with two note chords, but with some extended chords like 1-b7-b11 you've got all your fingers in a line on the same fret and it's nigh on impossible to get your fingers and wrist position perfectly parallel... a fretted instrument lets you have your fingers that few mm from parallel and still get the clean chord.... that few mm off on fretless sounds terrible, especially up the dusty end. Edited May 10, 2016 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentalextra Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 [quote name='ProfJames' timestamp='1462823964' post='3046083'] Would you recommend to learn on a fretless? [/quote] I had an ex girlfriend that thought Mick Karn played a "boingy thing" not a bass? The average guy in the street probably doesn't get/understand the difference as much as the player does. I have heard some perfectly decent renditions of "wherever I lay my hat" and "tear your playhouse down" on fretted instruments, but.....? I am an average player, but I love playing my fretless and its good for my soul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 It's not at all necessary to play a 'boingy thing' just because it's fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 If you have been playing a while already the muscle memory should be there, so it's just a matter of using the ears and shifting a bit when ness. I'd say it would be harder than fretted if your just starting out, a good ear and a few lessons to know what to aim for would get you underway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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