Moving to Fretless from Fretted
Lots of the newer bassists who come to chat end up asking about fretless. I was interested in fretless bass from the earliest days of my playing. Partly because of the Jaco influence, but also because when I started playing there were a number of bands in vogue that featured fretless (Japan, Paul Simon, The Christians and tracks featuring Pino Palladino and Sting were in force too).
There are many reasons to play fretless, from the instrument’s unique tone, to the ability to slide gracefully between notes. Ultimately it is a matter of personal preference. Recently I asked Steve Lawson about going fretless. Steve is well known as a teacher of fretless bass, on top of his Solo Bass career.
“It’s probably not as hard as you think, particularly if your technique is decent, and assuming you’re going to get a lined fretless. There’s no law against getting an unlined one, but that just seems to be making life difficult! …Anything that is going to help me play in tune, I’m going to do!”
There are some differences in frethand technique and finger placement in moving from fretted to fretless too:
“On a fretted you play behind the fret, but on a lined fretless you are going to be about 2/3 of the way behind the line, so that the contact point of your finger onto the fretboard is on the line.”
Steve picked out one of my bad habits, which turns out to be quite a common one:
“The biggest mistake that people learning to play fretless make is learning to auto correct – sliding in to the notes [rather than getting them on pitch at the start]. The most important practice is learning to hit the notes without any vibrato, bang on. When you get it wrong, don’t correct, look at where your hand is. Try and feel how it was wrong.”
“You have to practice what you ultimately want to have happen – which is that you don’t want to have to correct, you want to be playing in tune from the start… …I spend a lot of time [practising] getting my fingers in exactly the right place. The trick is to start slow, work on accuracy from the beginning. If you play out of tune, it just isn’t going to work.”
Keying against something (like an open string) to make sure your intonation is correct is another neat tip.
“Intonation is the beginning, middle and end of getting fretless playing right.”
It is worth the patience needed to master it, as Steve says:
“If you do, you are opening yourself up to a whole load of expressive potential that fretted just doesn’t have.
Here is the full video of Steve Lawson speaking with me. Sorry if the sound is a little quiet! We also talk about fretless bass compared to upright, and there’s even a mention of my Elrick fretless. My favourite quote from Steve on moving from fretted to fretless bass:
“It’s like taking the training rails off”
Great post!
The sliding up to the note was the biggest mistake I made when starting. It takes a lot of conviction at first to just pound right on the “spot”. I will say it made me a better fretted player, it was obvious I had become lazy about made finger placement. Not a surprise having spent so much time in singing in cover bands and never looking at the neck. Close was good enough on a fretted bass while singing!
Good point on the effected on fretted playing. I enjoy it even more now!
Fretless… It’s a world I don’t dare enter.
I think I’ll stick to fretted
Don’t be afraid
– it’s easier than it looks. You could always stick to playing open strings 
Hmmm, it could be me but, I have never liked fretless basses, don’t know why. I like to stick to my trusty fretted bass.
Funny that you don’t see this psychological hurdle to move to fretless bas with people who start to play double-bass, cello or violin.
Hi, Just to say I have found your video interesting.
I am going to covert my Fretted short scale bass, to a Long scale Fretless one, Looking foreward to the finished Project.
Cheers for now, Laurie.
Hi Laurie – that sounds like a serious conversion! Hope you can share pics along the way.
Hi, Nice to hear from you, It’s HARD but enjoyable, and looking for a nice Fretted Bass Sound, from my project at the present time.
“Fretted to Fretless” Short Scale to Long Scale.
it’s Great to be a bit creative with my Electro Acoustic Bass.
and see/hear what evolve’s from within.
All the best, Laurie.
Hi, Nice to hear from you, It’s HARD but enjoyable, and looking for a nice Fretless Bass Sound, from my project at the present time.
“Fretted to Fretless” Short Scale to Long Scale.
it’s Great to be a bit creative with my Electro Acoustic Bass.
and see/hear what evolve’s from within.
All the best, Laurie.
Was just curious about what you all thought about learning to play bass on a fretless? Is it possible in the sense that it wouldn’t be so incredibly difficult as to make one give up in total frustration? Are there any advantages to learning to play on a fretless? Thanks for your feedback….Mike
Hi, My update to my mentioned little project.
All done and dusted, with the finnished Acoustic Bass, sounding brilliant, double bass’y sound, for me……I love it.
Brought a little “Stag” Bass amp, with the sound from that, it gives me another dimention.
All the best, Laurie.
@Laurie – send pics
@Mike – tricky question. People do manage it, and there are upright players, who obviously never get to play with rails
.
Personally, I think it’s easier to start with frets and then move to fretless, but I’m prepared to be shouted down!
Pino Palladino’s New Project
Bassist, Pino Palladino is now part of a super (fusion) group : Simon Phillips . Pino Palladino . Pino Palladino . PSP.
You can hear and download (for free) latest PSP’s opus : GetJuke
AND
You can follow PSP’s action on Facebook
Thank you MrRamon, cool stuff!
Pino Palladino (along with “compadres” Simon Phillips and Philippe Saisse) is again giving away a free track to his fans : GetJuke
With “Allegretto”, their rendition of Beethoven 7th Symphony 2nd Movement almost sounds like a hit-song.
Enjoy!
Phillips . Saisse . Palladino on Facebook