Why Play Fretless - What Is the Advantage - Is it Harder?

[FretLessSince68]

This topic is for novice fretless players, or those who are considering picking it up.

Everything I say here is based upon my personal experience and knowledge. Other players will have different opinions that are just as valid.

Pros:
Greater Control
Emotive
The Sound
Takes less effort to play
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Cons:
Requires another skill
Slap style is entirely different on fretless vs. fretted
The player needs to maintain focus

First and foremost, Fretless bass affords the player greater control over each note. You can massage each note any way you feel. You can impart feeling to a greater degree than with the fretted bass.

This greater level of control also enables the player to express musical beauty in a way not possible on fretted bass.

It's more like singing, more personal, more emotive.

Fretless bass has closer roots to the Upright Bass, in my opinion is closer to the TRUE sound of bass. The sound has a unique timbre that fretted cannot duplicate, even with the most expensive electronics available.

Once you get the technique down is actually easier to play. I think it takes less effort and is easier on the fingers. This comes from the fact that most fretless players setup their basses to have low, sleek, action.

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Now for the Cons:

There is another layer of technique with fretless that one needs to acquire and maintain. This skill is called intonation.
Slap style doesn't work as well but some fretless players do that style very well.
When playing fretless, you can't have lapses of attention, you have to remain focused.

All in all, I love the fretless bass, and greatly prefer it over the fretted. If I could only have one electric bass, it would be fretless.

[Rando]

What he said.

I would add that I found it easier to adapt to fretless than I though it would be, as long as I stay focused. But I played fretted basses for years before I tried fretless. It also seems like vocalists sound more in tune against a fretless, providing, of course, that the bass player has good intonation.

In the 70's I admired players like Boz Burrell with Bad Company, and Stanley Sheldon with Peter Frampton, never realizing until years later, that being fretless was a BIG part of that tone...

As the saying goes, "try it, you'll like it".

[NickBass]

Since I started playing the fretless bass I noticed that my vibrato and glissato techniques have improved also on the fretted bass.
The sound of the instrument di per se is just wonderful even if it took a bit of time before my bandmates could fully accept it!
The only thing I have to say is that when I'm playing fretless onstage I need to hear perfectly what I'm doing so I need a monitor, thing that I don't necessary need when i'm playing a fretted bass...

[FunkDaFied]

I'm waiting to receive my future fretless bass. It's so long.
I will tell you my impress when I will own it

[FretLessSince68]

If you are interested in the artistry and beauty of music then the fretless bass will reward you many times.

The fretted does loud and percussive impact better, fretless has nuance, style, and subtlety.

In general, the fretless has a softer vibe, no metal edges.

[Randy Ryan]

For me, it was instant love at first . . . sound? I didn't even have to pull it off the hook that it was hanging on to tell that I HAD to have that bass. I ran my finger down the string and the sound that came back to me was awesome. Is it harder? Yes. But then again, when most of the time we are relegated to keep things as simple as possible (which you should for the sake of the music) why not add some challenge to it? It's all about the time that you put into it. The more you play the easier intonation comes. The amount of expression that can be achieved by the fretless bass is endless and is something that you can constantly improve.

Think of it this way:

You have a fretted bass and place your finger on a "G" note on the "D" string then pluck it. A "G" note is produced.

Now, press a bit harder on that "G" note and pluck. A "G" note is produced.

Okay, now lightly roll your fretting finger back and forth on the "G" note and pluck. A "G" note is produced.

NOW, do all of those things with a fretless and pluck. Three very different "G" notes are produced.

That to me is what is great about it. Limitless tonal possibilities. What if you put frets on a violin and handed it to a very experienced player? They would lose almost all of their expression even though they might be able to play all of the notes and they would probably beat you over the head with it afterwards.

I still play fretted for some things like slapping and stuff, but that has never really been my thing. When I first began to learn the bass, it seemed like any jocko-homo could pick up a bass and slap it around so I steered as far away from it as possible. I still see it today whenever I go into a music store or a bass player is asked to play something for a sound check. They always start slapping and popping even if that's not the style they usually play. It's like "Hey, look at me!" But that would be an entirely new thread.

[polyrhythmia]

Playing fretless bass is so much fun. Just got a defretted five-string Steinberger Spirit two weeks ago. I was dreaming about having a headless, fretless, five-string and snapped it up when I heard about one. Long before I bought it, I had been making sure I placed my fingers consistently on the frets so I would be ready for fretless. I put white reflective cheater tapes on the top of the neck. The notes just feel right when they are on pitch, and it's easy to tell when I am off.

"I must have a fretless bass," he intoned...

[kopio]

I'm a new fretless player. I've only played bass for about 6-7 years. But I've played Alto Sax and sang for almost 30. The thing that I like the most about fretless is that it truly gives you a voice. It's very hard to be expressive with frets. Don't get me wrong...it's not impossible, but playing fretless allows you to have a truly unique and expressive voice. Let me put it in an equation for you....

mwah + vibrato = amazing!

Try that on a fretted bass!

Regards,
-Matt (aka kopio)