5 reasons why FRETLESS BASS SUCKS (and how to fix it)

[@MartinJG100]

For me, vibrato on a fretless means you are in tune at least some of the time.

[@PEACEinYESHUA-oj7vc1pk7w]

Lol 😂 or you can slide your way onto each note 🎵😜

[@MartinJG100]

@@PEACEinYESHUA-oj7vc1pk7w Indeed...

[@frederick-howthetwomindswo8637]

learn to play BASS first Then understand what correct bass fingering is. and then LISTEN.

[@donaldfewell8908]

lol

[@orcrist484]

It isa true that one benefit of vibrato, for strings and vocals, is that it helps you fix minor intonation problems.

[@domibik]

Pro: no fret buzz

[@zal8424]

ever heard of board buzz?

[@domibik]

@@zal8424 *there is no escape*

[@andrewhigdon8346]

Zal no I’ve never heard of board buzz but I believe it exists. But that’s not the fault of being fretless, it’s the fault of a warped neck or fretboard issues, most often a dinged up fretboard is the culprit. I know everyone says roundwounds for fretless, and flats are to dull, but how about half wounds?

[@FawnganU]

I like a little buzz

[@codemans22]

It's caluses that give good tone, he's using a glove

[@fudgesauce]

Keep in mind that no upright basses, cellos, violas, or violins have fret lines and people learn to play them with good intonation.

[@crankjazz]

fudgesauce, exactly.

[@crankjazz]

Ad Lockhorst, some double basses have five strings too :-)

[@counterfit5]

fudgesauce well, some people do...

[@hippointhecity554]

Normally starting out you put tape on it to mark the notes. As you get more experienced, you take the tape off because you know you're in tune by ear.

[@chaunceyhulbert7264]

fudgesauce when I started on violin I measured and taped where the frets where like a lot of beginners do.

[@icantgetridofthisusernamehelp]

As a cello player...playing the fretless bass rather than a fretted one was the best decision I could have made.

[@gdjskkdd8192]

Im a double-bassist looking at extending into bassguitar. Would you advise me to get a fretless as a first one?

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

@@gdjskkdd8192 If you’re already trained on a string instrument, it should be pretty easy to pick up. I would say go for it and get the Fretless.

[@Andy-lm2zp]

Bass player magazine had an article on how to convert your bass to frettless, the next month they had a feature how to convert a frettless to a fretted

[@aniquinstark4347]

That's hilarious

[@fernandoherranz4095]

Yes I converted my fretted to fretless and the feel is awesome with tapewound strings. But I gotta say I'm not a fan of the meow meow meow so I dampen my strings with some foam under the bridge just enough to soften that meow.

[@scottfree2b]

Bravo! Way to sell magazines!

[@vanderpoolfarmsl.l.c.9983]

"A bass is a bass". My mentor, Kenneth Mace was very generous in loaning me his double bass and electric fretted bass as I began learning. Finally, in 1977, I bought a Fender precision fret-less bass. One evening, I had a knock at the door and there stood my mentor! "I need to borrow your bass. I'm playing tonight at the coast." I handed him my new fret-less bass, in the case, without mentioning anything about it. After a day or two, he returned my bass. I asked him how he liked it. His reply, "A bass is a bass". Finest bassist I have ever known.

[@jaredhoeft2832]

This channel consistently has good content hidden beneath terrible clickbaity video titles/thumbnails

[@McDoinky]

Nowadays he’s mostly recycling old material for new potential members

[@captbuscemi]

Yep. Really should be “Top Ten Fretless Basses Going Beast Mode Before You Die That Changed History”

[@steveng6721]

No its just shit

[@houserhouse]

@@steveng6721 he has a bad habit of going on about unnecessary info like we're all on day 1 but he should operate more like we have been playing for a few months so clickbaity titles can still be applicable to people that have been playing for years

[@cuzOoba]

To his credit, it kindof fits with his sense of humor / teaching personality. I'd agree with the awful clickbait titles, but his videos are really easily digestible.

[@joethebar1]

The key is to play it exclusively; everyone wants the fretless in the studio. You gotta devote serious time to it

[@Brad5161]

Until you get comfortable with it. Then play whatever you want.

[@Old_Man_Jay]

I'm planning to buy my first bass and I know I want a fretless. Challenge Accepted!

[@Mirza_Tanovic]

"Here's why fretless basses suck. I recommend you get one."

[@pillmuncher67]

My first bass was an unlined fretless bass. I played in a Country Folk / Westcoast band. Whenever we played a ballad or Country Roads or such, the stage lights were turned off and the audience got their lighters out, making it impossible to see where I was on the fret board. Not funny, yet... funny.

[@lynnturman8157]

That's when you rely on ear and feel.

[@pillmuncher67]

Channeling my beginner-self from that time: That's when you LEARN to rely on ear and feel.

[@chickberth]

that's when you turn on the leds you've installed into the side dots. :)

[@AxleTrade]

Cartoonish luck there lol

[@PillsBuryDoughBoy_]

Lynn Turman I see you in a lot of music videos

[@LittleGenevieve]

what's the best way to get better at fretless? practice

[@ayden9836]

Ti ti for 40 hours a day

[@aprilmills6817]

I was hoping you would say, "Fret less" :')

[@iplayloud2]

Some people practice their whole life and still suck 🤔

[@bassboye8959]

I just got one, a mim jazz with split coils. I have 8 fretted basses I love. Thought I could ace this one. Man!!! For # 1 I just learned from Dave's house of fun I need to shim the neck to get the action tamed. Mine's uncomfortably high. # 2. I just learned from Scott, I have the left hand thing still to perfect after many years of believing I had his chops. Wrong! LOL. I'm determined to get this down. Finally a new challenge that's actually giving me a fit at the moment. Alot of good general tips in this video by an excellent bassist! Ty Scott. And fellow bassists. The collective input really helps.

[@__Jensen_Walker__]

As an experienced cellist who has of course always played fretless as that is the nature of the instrument, it’s not impossible. You can do it! It just takes a lot of time and practice to get that muscle memory. That’s all it is.

[@crankjazz]

Jensen walker, exactly.

[@seb0rn739]

I'm a cellist too and thought of learning fretless bass because I really don't like frets. Though I am not quite sure, if I should pick a lined or unlined base...

[@aidan7195]

I'm a cellist but I play a fretted bass

[@sprintbass]

Funny...me too...I'm buying his bass..

[@MrImaWizard]

Same. And when I was learning the best day for me was when I could take my red tapes off and not look like a beginner LOL

[@orcrist484]

My cello teacher told me never to vibrato flat, but only sharp. It helps the music not sound warbly. That means you are only ever pulling the string and relaxing, never pushing on it. I think the flat part of the vibrato is what you call the 'fretless sound.'

[@Dylan-we5dz]

Wtf does this mean

[@tim.honiss]

@@Dylan-we5dz To vibrato sharp is to play the note back and fourth between being in "correct pitch" and slightly sharp (higher in pitch). To flatten is to play slightly lower in pitch.

[@organatron]

Genial, faz todo sentido, fazer o vibrato sobre a nona e não a sétima... Enriquece harmonicamente. Muito obrigado, iluminou meu dia.

[@Ejteener]

After 30 years on a fretted 4-string, i just bought a fretlless 5-string. Imagine that i was happy with this video. Thanks Scott. And for one problem i found a special solution. My bass has fretlines but they are hard to see on stage. My guitar repair man put small lines on the side of the neck (the side i look on when playing), with a special marker pen. This of course was only possible because the neck is light maple. But now i have much less problems to see where i should place my fingers. Keep u the good work with all your video's. I love them. Greetings from The Netherlands.

[@minecraftfishingrod3525]

For everyone on the fence: I worked for my parents for months, I had been playing a 60 dollar p bass for a few months and wanted to try something new and wanted to get myself something nice. I bit the bullet and bought a fretless squire j bass and have absolutely no regrets. Haven’t even had second thoughts about it since. I almost immediately noticed improvements in my playing. I can’t speak higher about it.

[@coleemmersonhallman5329]

No one ever mentions Les Claypool when talking about fretless? Why?

[@garyzito1860]

His style is too unorthodox. I've always heard some talk about him on the 6 string Carl Thompson but he's too out there.

[@Logan912]

Gary Zito I agree although Les Claypool is a huge influence and inspiration for me personally, but his style isn't the best place to look when studying normal techniques that would be used in most situations.

[@dexterj5615]

Thundercan't because he plays so clean nobody knows it's a fretless

[@Logan912]

TheMcFletcher Which kinda goes hand-in-hand with his four-string. The Kahler tremolo bridge is fun to play around with, but it just wrecks the intonation in the upper register which, like Claypool's fretless playing, actually supports Primus' music. lol

[@MrCREWCRUSHIN95]

What about the great MICK KARN?

[@joninawhitecoat]

Live playing fretless bass tip: I have a splitter (a pedal with one input, two outputs) that takes my tuner out of my signal chain so I can leave it on all of the time without it muting my signal (I have a volume pedal for that) so it means that I have a visual indicator of how in-tune I am and can adjust accordingly - my fretless basses are both unlined so I can't see if my finger is positioned sharp or flat. This is cheating but sometimes on a loud stage with a bad monitor mix there's no way I can hear myself to know if I'm in tune and it's got me through a lot of gigs. My tuner is a TC Polytune, I think some Boss tuners can be set so they stay on without muting the signal. Also, if you've never gigged a fretless and want to try but worried about intonation, try this.

[@lucasnorwine2745]

Look out someone figured it out here people

[@draj8590]

Haha that's awesome

[@TimlegoStudios]

Would this help you with intonation? 🤔

[@jpgiraldomusic]

Tip of the year!

[@Brad5161]

You can also use open strings to check your intonation.

[@joachimvanzoelen4236]

I got rid of my last fretted bass more than 20 years ago... (I'm not sure I wanted to say that...). I only use 4, 5 and 6 string fretlesses. The level of expression you get from a fretless is incomparable.

[@vincentm3890]

I purchased a fender jazz american pro 2017 fretless for 1500 dollars and it was a most rewarding experiences. I have no other basses and dont want any. Its the center of my musical universe and smelled wonderful when I got it in the hardshell fender case. The action was a little high but it still played well. Once I had the action lowered I was able to play practically anything as fast as I wanted. It sounded beautiful and adding in ghost notes made it sound super funky. This whole thing about lines vs nonlines is nonsense. Play whatever is more comfortable. One does not make you a more legit player than the other. If you are an upright player then play the unlined or if you come from fretted bass then get one with lines. The listener does not really care. All they care about are the musical results. Jaco's bass had lines and so does Gary Willis. No one will ever challenge their abilities as fretless bass artist. With chords, harmonics, quarter tones etc the possiblities are limitless if you have the imagination. I compose on my fretless with chords.

[@potverdikkezeg]

Let's not pretend Jaco was always in tune...

[@MrBorderlands123]

1:53 for the start of the reasons

[@NikosKatsikanis]

most music channels i skip cause of the massive long intros

[@MikeSmith-lt4rh]

I dont feel or sound like me on a fretted anymore .

[@adroit57]

Yeah, I find everyone who plays frettless ends up sounding similar to Jaco

[@MikeSmith-lt4rh]

Adrøit nein!

[@edwardjamyangmacarchick1847]

Check out Rick Danko. On The Last Waltz he played Coyote with Joni Mitchell (on a fretted bass) and considering Jaco played on the recording, Rick played and sounded like Rick Danko.

[@Maltloaflegrande]

@@edwardjamyangmacarchick1847 Rick Danko could also play fretless (being a decent fiddle player probably helped). Adroit, I play fretless and don't sound at all like Jaco because a. I don't particularly like his playing, b. I consequently haven't listened to him very much, c. I'm influenced by many other players most of whom don't play fretless, and d. I don't have anywhere near the technique to play like him. Just because you're playing a fretless bass, doesn't mean you have to play "fretless bass", it's an instrument, not a style.

[@iunnox666]

Fretless is a different instrument, really. I like playing fretless tuned in 5ths, it encourages more hand movement and slides.

[@josephcarroll3321]

People talking about whether you should play lined or fretless; it doesn't matter. Music isn't a competition or a sport. If you can play an unlined fretless, great, but you shouldn't ever put someone down for preferring a lined fretless. At the end of the day, you're listening to the music and if a player is playing a lined fretless and nail everything they play then that's all that should matter, not whether they are playing blindfolded with their hands tied behind their back. Listen to what is being played and appreciate the actual music.

[@breese7488]

Played an upright for years, then switched to a bass guitar. A professional bassist told me to get a fretless, as it was closer to what I was used to. Never looked back. He was right. For me. Again, for me.

[@brucethomsenmusic7683]

I kind of went the opposite direction. As a fretted electric player, fretless just never caught on in my brain....until I took up double bass. Suddenly fretless made all the sense in the world and finally clicked for me.

[@flamulated]

I want to help a bit regarding Jaco. His basses had contrasting lines just like the Gary Willis Ibanez Scott is playing. The lines are not painted on. In a conversion, the frets are pulled and the fret slots are filled with some material which the owner has the choice of being contrasting or similar to fingerboard depending on how obvious they want the lines. In a factory lined fretless, the fret board is slotted and then filled with the builders choice of material. In his instructional video and in interviews Jaco said he preferred a lined board because it helped with position shifts. He felt , like Scott mentions, that in a single position a player with proper technique should be able to play back and forth across the neck in tune easily. He felt the big advantage was in jumping position up and down neck or when fretting hand is stretched out in extended positions cover wide fret spans or crossing several strings. He also stated that he mostly woodshedded on fretted because of worries about his round wound strings damaging his board. He made a big point of playing right up against the fret in practice so that his muscle memory would produce an in tune note when he performed on fretless. Eric Johnson makes a big point about this as well because while you will be in tune on a fretted instrument even if you are way behind the fret you are targeting, the tone is stronger and there is no chance for a heavy attack to lift the string off of target fret and cause buzz or weak note. I see this as a bigger issue for bass since the distances in lower positions are wide enough that you can easily end up with a trashy sound if you are not right by the fret and have a heavy picking/plucking attack. Jaco's basses were also noteworthy for having a clear epoxy coating over the rosewood fingerboards. Pedulla Buzz basses are famous for a hard coated ebony board which helps them achieve their signature singing tone. Modulus Graphite and Zon are examples of basses using synthetic (not wood) boards to get that penetrating growl. I am a bass tech and often get questions about strings damaging fretless fingerboards or whether or not you should buy a fretless or convert a bass you already have/dig. Comment readers, feel free to ask if you have questions and I will answer in separate comment since this one is so long. Cheers

[@wellbehaveddogs7694]

I have a the Gary Willis Ibanez fretless 5 and absolutely love it. It sounds like a growling trumpet. And the fingerboard will never wear out, even with roundwounds... Having the lines on the fingerboard means that I can play complicated stuff by diving around the length of the board with far less fear.....

[@Krlos_Eduardo]

this is bro science mixed with true senses...lots of misunderstandings here... post your sources.

[@ModernLove100]

True, I have an old Jaco Pastorius interview where he explains exactly how and why he did things.

[@proflowery30]

My main axe is a Traben Chaos 5-string fretless and I have grown to love it. It was my first bass and it taught me so much about how to have a good tone and having good intonation. Something that's fun to do with a fretless that a fretted can't accomplish is playing just intonation when if the chord is a 1/3 well as the bass playing the 3 you can plat it slightly flat to make it sound even better. In the same theme, you can play things slightly sharp to add a little more tension in some situations.

[@phinregan2831]

That tip with the positioning of bass in front of a lead sheet is priceless. Thanks again for your wonderful lessons, Scott.

[@kijekuyo9494]

Don't overlook Bakithi Kumalo. I love his playing because he doesn't try to impress with only melodic jazzy lines. He also uses his fretless Washburn as a rhythmic foundation, which many fretless players seem to forget.

[@glendenig9962]

The very best way to learn fretless bass techniques EVEN on a fretted bass is to watch great orchestral and jazz string bassists and cellists. No disrespect to Michael Manring, Jaco Pastorius, Percy Jones, or Mark Egan. They are/ were amazing and extreme professionals in their craft.

[@DonHaka]

My personal favorite fretless bassplayer is Mick Karn, he put down some of (in my opinion) the best bass lines of the late 70s all the way to the 2000s. Both his work in Japan and his solo work is really good. Basslines on songs like Swing, Visions Of China, Cantonese Boy and many others are so cool.

[@thomasowens5824]

Mate, he was my favourite bassist when I was 17, I saw Japan live at Liverpool Royal Theatre.... awesome, very pleased someone else really appreciated him as much as I.

[@TrojanSalesmen1]

I learned fretless on a double bass so its the reason I still play fretless.

[@wulfhartspirit]

I have been playing fretless for 23 years. I learned everything the hard way. You are correct, but it can be done.

[@callumcrymble2668]

So after watching this a few months ago I proceeded to buy a fretless unlined. I love it and it's amazing. I would recommend getting lined though. Intonation isn't a challenge anymore but it takes time to get used to.

[@nicgundy]

Before I picked up the bass guitar, I played the double bass when I was 10. Two years later I got my first bass guitar, then two years ago I tested out a fretless bass guitar & felt like two worlds colliding. Not my preferred first choice

[@richardharden4437]

I was trained by Josquin Des Pres in private lessons, technique, and theory, twice a week for five years, (1982-1987) the last two on my custom-designed, (my design, fret lines marked) fretless jazz. My intonation had to be spot-on, now after playing for thirty-eight years, the last twenty or so, exclusively on my fretless bass I've learned to play by ear, rarely looking at my fretboard. Now I wish I had no fret markers. Great videos Scott, I have enjoyed them immensely, keep them coming maestro.

[@BobDevlin]

Careful Scott fretless is addicting. 😁

[@sdushdiu]

Indeed! Once one learns the fretless, it is extremely limiting to go back to the fretted variant.

[@radioffvoicesnoysyvisionna7643]

Mike McKeen Ahah nice

[@radioffvoicesnoysyvisionna7643]

Mike McKeen Not glamorous at all Not fair at all Quite a bit of glamour in heroin though...just for its name and fame

[@DriveCarToBar]

That's why I started using her...uh fretless bass.

[@redfulla1494]

Late to the party but oh well, I will offer encouragement! I played mostly 'bowed strings' for a long, long time before transitioning to things you can finger/ strum and I must admit it was an enormous stumbling block to go from fret-less to frets (let alone strumming). From fret-less to fret or fret to fret-less either way it will be a learning curve, just practice and have confidence! You will probably surprise yourself with what you can do without frets if you have been practicing long enough and take the leap! You can do it! Keep working hard!

[@RC32Smiths01]

Fretless basses actually intimidate me lmao But I'll admit that is a great looking fretless!

[@FlameWizzard]

RC32 Nah, its just a bit more practice. Think of going from 4 to 5 string bass or from 5 to 4 :-). Also... no one plays perfectly in the first week - even if they played upright bass / cello / violin.

[@RC32Smiths01]

Ah ye definitely man! It's basically that I've been playing fretted guitars and basses all my life. And I just feel that, like you said, it clearly takes a whole remastering of the fretboard when it comes to fretless to get into a comfortable feeling with it. Practice is always the measure indeed.

[@iunnox666]

Depending on your technique its not nearly as hard as you think. Ive always played with my fingers right next to the frets and I had no problem picking it up.

[@Slikx666]

For me I love the sound of Steve DiGiorgio. I first heard him when he was in the band Death, what a wonderful sound.

[@johnmhuizar]

Robin Zielhorst (Cynic, Exivious) does some nice fretless work in metal as well

[@lord_hades8210]

Hell yeah bro like Jealousy from death or the solo of the philosopher, over active animation

[@coreyroberts47]

Fretless players in beyond creation and obscura too. It sounds so good in those contexts

[@JoeJoeNoone]

I've played an unlined fretless in my rotation (with side dots). It really pissed off one guitarist as he would look at my fretboard as I played to try to follow (or see if I was following him). He screamed at me to bring a different bass. We went our separate ways...

[@chrishayworth282]

The moral of this story is, don't fuck with the bassist.

[@adamblaknovski279]

I bought an Ibanez Portamento srf705 "unlined" as my first bass and I love it, it has dots and lines on the top of the neck and it's fine for me. Since I was starting from scratch I figured why not? Ta for the video Scott!

[@leFoodeater]

I have a Portamento as well. It's an amazing bass. It looks better without lines, and the lines on the top of the neck is good enough for intonation

[@sdushdiu]

Indeed, dots on the SIDE of the neck are more than adequate, as who stands over their bass staring back at the neck looking at lines all the time! THAT is an hilarious - and unhealthy - stance! For all but those extremely new to a fretless instrument - or without any sense of pitch, such issues are quickly rendered moot.All of the histrionics related to playing a fretless instrument are quickly overblown and overcome if one has but a modicum of sense. The fear is all in the minds of those too afraid to try one.

[@spblat]

Here's another vote for the SRF705. Such a splendid instrument.

[@RadityoPramAdi]

how's the piezo sounds??

[@spblat]

Stunning. Uncannily like an upright if you pluck near the fretboard.

[@johncrafton8319]

I love Pino Palladino's fretless work on his Stingray in the early- to mid-80's. The guy was such an influence to me.

[@Kreln1221]

As far as lined or unlined, I say that when it comes to playing with precise pitch intonation, having two senses to guide you, sight and hearing, is far better than only relying on hearing alone. It's akin to our sense of physical balance relying on both our stereoscopic sight and the cochleas in our inner ears. Having two senses to guide you instead of only one is just simply the more logical choice.

[@igooog]

I started playing fretless full-time about 18 months ago. Picked up one of my old basses that I've used for over 10 years. Hated it. Went to a local music shop, tried out some basses there. No fretless basses. Hated them. I literally can't go back. They're too easy, they're too fun, and they feel too good.

[@alecrisser12]

I learned to play the violin before ever picking up the bass, so from me many of these things aren't a problem. It is a bit confusing as hell how the violin strings are backwards from the bass strings though.

[@irmagerd2480]

Never thought about chart reading like that. So simply brilliant. I practice with a tuner in my line of sight

[@X9Z17]

Cheatsheat #1 /// Playing in tune; fix is your technique and hand position. #2 /// Reading charts can be challenging; fix is where you aim your bass. #3 /// Setting your intonation; fix is to push down on top of the fretline. #4 /// Controlling your inner fretless urges; fix is to use less vibrato. #5 /// Lined vs unlined; no fix is given, but Scott's preference is given to lined.

[@CanadaWaxSolvent]

There's also that fretless growl that you get when you're not turning everything into vibrato. My tip is, start playing on songs that are typically fretted and don't have a lot of slides. I always assumed you played on the fret mark because that would be the point of vibration on a fretted instrument.

[@sdushdiu]

The answer is to simply avoid a fretless with fretlines! They are a recent development pandering to the fears of the fretted folks.They are Not needed, and side dots are Much more convenient if desired for reference.

[@CanadaWaxSolvent]

Except for the fact that fretlines have always been a part of fretless electric bases. I've own one for over 20 years.

[@sdushdiu]

Considering the original 1971 Fender fretless Precision lacked fretlines, that an interesting assertion.

[@CanadaWaxSolvent]

I think you're misinterpreting what I said. You could buy production fretless basses in the 70s as well. Although the earliest I've found so far is 1979. I stand by my point that fretlines are a recent.

[@sdushdiu]

Yawn. Learn to say what you mean and mean what you say. You stated "fretlines have always been a part of fretless electric bases", which is simply false. As stated, I have a first year 1971 Fender Precision Fretless - SANS fretlines - they featured side dots. Fretlines seemed to appear as a result of a market comprised of far too many apoplectic fretted players with poor technique.

[@phatbassanchor]

Coming from upright, fretless electric was easy for me. Best pointers; ensure you play on the fret lines and employ proper vibrato. I already had proper vibrato technique from playing upright. But, with practice it is easy to master.

[@dondouglas]

I don't understand any of the amount of comments and controversies about fretless. The most accurate thing I read is "a bass is a bass." I have played guitar my entire life and a year ago I bought a fretless Fender Jazz Bass to learn how to play. I haven't even considered any of those assumptions and I actually spent a few days and learning to change my mindset to low and had zero problems. I don't look at the mast and that doesn't give me any problem, in fact I think it is more accessible and, above all, more fun. I think you have to take it naturally and enjoy everything it offers. I should have played a bass forever.

[@paca_bill4863]

Starting on an upright bass back in 5th grade (how many decades ago), fretless was never any real problem. It's not only developing finger technique and learning hand positions, it's developing your ear to figure out if you are playing in tune or not. My electrics are both fretted and fretless (marked). The fretted is easier to ensure being in tune, but also adds its own set of characteristics to the tonal quality. The fretless, especially my bass uke, mimic the upright to a much greater extent. But as with everything, every one has their own opinion, and the important one is what works for you.

[@jamestown57]

Not being able to play with a cheat sheet on a gig is not a reason a fretless is bad, it's a reason why they're not for a beginner. If you are playing a gig you should know your instrument and how to play!

[@estebanb7166]

Shut up, grandpa.

[@omareli08]

Sheet music reading is an essential skill in the music world, and it’s a challenge of itself

[@mattbermo1958]

Jamestown 34 If you had to learn 150 songs in a week you’d need a cheat sheet

[@k5r2d2]

Brilliant video and the advice is spot on. You proved that fretless bass is Great ! A fretless bass that has been lined will give better intonation for reasons that you have explained every well, the player has more information to avoid errors (#5). Out of tune is a disaster that can be easily avoided. Adjustment of the bridge will have less errors because the guitar tech will know the correct spot! This also allows for better bridge adjustment that is preferential to the lower neck or the higher neck, depending on where the player wants to play more often, just like on a fretted base. Why not have more calibration when it will always sound better? Ask a luther. To the gentlemen below that says he can't find a fretless bass that suits him. That makes no sense. Have one made or modified. If you find an off the shelf fretless bass then great - LINES can always be added by a luther. Playing a fretless bass will make everybody a better fretted player. Didn't Scott say he played only fretless for three years?

[@Brad5161]

I prefer unliined. I've tried lined and for me it was not better. I only have side dots at 3,5,7,9, etc.

[@claybowman5836]

I’ve never played anything but a fretless bass since I started 24 years ago. Such a smoother sound with no fret vibration.

[@awesomebigt9562]

My only problem with this video is the title is misleading. If anything this has me completely re thinking my problems with fretless bass. Great video as always! I love the no pretense approach of this channel.

[@gluebox1]

I learned on an unlined fretless and never had to mark the notes when I later learned cello..learning to use the bow, however, was another story (and not a pretty one).

[@AB-vn2jc]

0:07 can we talk about how sick nasty funky this is? This is amazing.

[@Frisbieinstein]

I took lessons from a string bassist. He put tape on the neck of his electric so he could feel the notes in the dark. String bass players don't use the ring finger. Jaco said he learned by playing fretted bass, with your fingers right next to the fret. It works. It helps to play unamplified so you can hear any buzzing. Learn to play without looking at the fingerboard. That's how classical people do it.The visual sense isn't precise enough. If you try to rely on your eyes, you will never get it. It's got to be by feel. I gave it up because I don't like the buzzing. It got on my nerves. I prefer metal on metal.

[@Feyntheviewer]

i have never been so happy with how a bass plays in my life and am now looking for this exact one 🤣

[@guillermokunzel2918]

Percy Jones of Brand X ... Jeff Berlin in the begginings with Bruford, better than Jaco ... And in Splendid and Twin House both of Larry Coryell-Phillip Catherine, this last played fretless guitar, Maravilloso Sonido ...

[@tunesmith531]

I have played fretless exclusively for 38 years, and when i have the odd dabble with a fretted bass, it seems like i'm playing with road humps on the neck lol

[@jeffgutierrez8796]

I agree. My guitar player has a fretted bass at the studio, I've named it "speed bumps".

[@tunesmith531]

@@jeffgutierrez8796 I'm not anti frets. To each his own. But when it comes to smoothness and speed, there's no comparison

[@BruceRichardsonMusic]

Gary Willis factoid: He was a guitar player until there wasn't a bass player available for his college Jazz Ensemble. I was a couple of years behind him in high school. First time I ever met him was on a church musical. I just remember him playing guitar through an old-school Vox amp. I was hoping to run into him in college as well, but he moved on the year before I got there.

[@gcvrsa]

I absolutely do not recommend lined fretless instruments. The reason is because frets are only ever a compromise on a stringed instrument, and the tendency is to reach for the line, rather than trust your ears. The greatest advantage of fretless bass is that it offers you the possibility of always playing in tune, no matter what key you are playing in. This is something that is categorically impossible with a fretted instrument, and a lined fingerboard get in the way of doing that. Your eyes see the line, and you fingers gravitate toward it. The only visual cue you really need is side dots. The one thing that drives me nuts about many fretless players is no too much vibrato (and I started on classical guitar, so my vibrato technique is sound), but too much portamento. Just because you can slide easily on a fretless instruments doesn't mean you should.

[@_Agosto_]

I had the opportunity to listen to Gary Willis live, loved it He's an awesone bass player

[@jonnymurphy666]

great vid. just bought a fretless for the first time after 25 years of playing and these are nice tips. 🖒

[@kraigompls]

For #2: 1) Put your music stand toward your fretting hand so it's not so jarring to look back and forth. 2) Internalize the music as soon as you can so you don't have to look at the printed page as much.

[@4unkb0y]

Practice on a fretless as much as you can. I left it in my band's practice room & worked on our tunes with it exclusively. Then when you pick up your fretted bass for gigs, it seems really easy.

[@bayareablues2255]

I took a drink every time Scott said "Gary Willis." Man, am I DRUNK!!!! lol I think Scott's got a little bassy man crush goin' on.

[@MichaelBLive]

Problem #6: not mentioning Tony Franklin! Fix: KZbin him and learn!

[@tommywilen4104]

Or Juan Alderete.

[@klistarf]

The only guy i was going to mention him failing to name is Tony. You beat me to it. Respect to you! How can anyone talk about fretless bass and miss the name of Tony Franklin out... \m/ (:o)

[@synthonaplinth5980]

Percy Jones should be mentioned, as well.

[@karthurhyer]

Remember Tony Franklin from "The Firm". Also "Freebo" w/ Bonnie Raitt.

[@chriswenkle2635]

Scott. Thank you for those 5 simple truths (tricks..? techniques...?) on playing fretless. I'm actually building my first fretless jazz bass from parts and plan on shedding with it until I get to the point of being comfortable enough to play with others. This video is gold!

[@drgruber57]

Re: Setting intonation: Just think about it: When you play a fretted bass, what you are really doing it pressing the string down until it rests RIGHT ON the fret. You have effectively shortened the vibration length of the string to the distance between the bridge and the fret. Other than avoiding buzz, it doesn't matter a lot where in that space, your finger actually is. Not so with fretless, where your finger IS the fret, which is why we put our finger right OVER the fret when we play harmonics. So.... it only makes sense that the fretting finger should be in the same place when checking intonation on a fretless. I hope that made sense. (Honestly, I'm a little surprised that it took Gary Willis any years at all to figure that out. Which has nothing to do with his jaw-dropping chops!)

[@MarkNOTW]

drgruber57 Thank you. This is what I was thinking as well. I don’t really see what all the fuss is about. Frets or no frets, we still have to fret the string to get the right tone or note.

[@ghost79ish]

Yeah but your fingers have more surface area than a fret. I've always played slightly behind the lines... I just got a new Fretless though and I've had to adjust and actually play a bit over the lines(really cheap instrument but other than that it feels nice)

[@dylanb5993]

I play on fretted and fretless all the time, and always on a lined fretless. I have tried using unlined, and dear god, never doing that again.....

[@lucasnorwine2745]

You probly aren't in tune even w the lines for your eyes. TRAIN YOUR EAR

[@Ayce1955]

When I first picked up a fretless, my wife asked me, "How do you know where to put your fingers?" I replied "you just do." The salesman at the store just smiled and said, "He's a real musician." :) That being said, you do need good ears and have a sixth sense about your technique. One interesting benefit I found is, if your guitarist goes a little out of tune, you can go out the same and no one will even notice. :)

[@Tarbashh]

I just got my first fretless, and holy hell, number 4 speaks to me. I'm trying to vibrato every note, and I didn't know why. I'm glad I'm not alone. lmao

[@beck_tybg]

I've played that Gary Willis signature bass in the past and absolutely loved it. Great to see you playing it

[@Tanglangfa]

My urge is to slide in and out of every note. But I only use my fretless in my house.

[@bryanabelbassist]

Great video Scott, all great considerations! I am curious though, why you did not feel the need to discuss ear training in regards to fretless bass. I agree that poor technique is the main culprit for poor intonation but even with great technique if your ears are undeveloped that can still lead to problems. Having said that the video was excellent!

[@DanGoodShotHD]

I learned to play using a fretless. It was 2 years till I touched one with frets. I had to retrain myself not to play on the frets. Once I broke that habit it was so much easier to play. I went running back to fretless.

[@Joeink100]

i am just learning to play the bass and im borrowing my dads bass to start with but he only has fretless so rn im learning on this till next payday when i buy a fretted one

[@Krieghandt]

The best part of fretless bass is you can play in just intonation instead of equal temperament, so the 5th sounds correct.

[@grberendzenproductions312]

My Jazz fretless has silver fret lines that I want to black out! I occasionally play upright, which I find easier to play, but playing the Jazz forces me to use proper technique, which is a good thing. Scott convinced me that I do need a 5 string, so I ordered an inexpensive Ibanez that I've heard good things about. Plus, it's got a single humbucker, whereas most of my other basses have dual single coils, so it widens my tonal horizons in multiple ways.

[@shaindaman13]

Im a big Tony Franklin fan. Dude has played on so many good records.

[@rw9495]

I mostly agree with this! I'm an upright player though, so the lines actually mess me up lol. It can be hard to find an unlined fretless electric bass with the specs I want. I had a Warwick that was pretty good, but it was a 5 string and I hate 5 string

[@idiscojedi1]

Kaler Vapors, check out the Sire M7 fretless.

[@billsmith6745]

Kudelabasses.com !

[@alansmollen]

Kaler Vapors ears help too

[@Tomahawks360]

If you disliked that 5 string Warwick I could recieve it very happily ;)

[@rw9495]

Tomahawks360 It's sadly been gone for years, but the fretless Corvette with the dual jazz pups are nice if you're in the market for one 😎

[@FostersLab]

I'm a bit turned off by the amount of clickbaitness in the title and the thumbnail. We are drowned in clickbait everytime we go on the internet, and music is my way to escape the modern world (admittedly, KZbin is not the best place to do that). Hope you'll consider turning it down a bit, but your business model is probably based on that :)

[@federicogueci9402]

Foster's Lab Totally agree, it really turns me off, as the "5 strings sucks" video ... Is sad to read such titles on an educational youtube channel (that I really love except for that clickbaitingness)

[@Teeb2023]

Agreed, so many respected channels and facebook pages are resorting to this cheap tactic these days. Very off-putting.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

I remember my guitar teacher telling me to keep the thumb on the back of the neck. I got a lined fretless Yamaha off eBay over the weekend and I’m so glad he told me that all those years ago

[@erichouser7756]

Recently got my first fretless bass after a decade of not playing. G&L kiloton tribute. Love it. Relearning from a newbie mindset and making myself a better player through humility.

[@palheta82]

too much vibrato on fretless bass is one thing that made me hates 80s music

[@karthurhyer]

80s? Fretless keyboard? lol!

[@karthurhyer]

80s ? Fretless keyboard ? lol!

[@Tracer9GTRider8]

Pino's work in Pete Townshend's "Give Blood" is amazing!

[@meridithmayo6345]

Hey, that's my bass. She has black strings and her name is the Darkside.

[@jamessum825]

Meridith Mayo clever...(sarcasm)

[@meridithmayo6345]

James Summers I bet you get a hard on every time you get an opportunity to make a douchy comment.

[@jamessum825]

Meridith Mayo I have erectile dysfunction you asshole!!

[@meridithmayo6345]

James Summers Then I guess there’s more things than a bass that you can’t slap.

[@AB-vn2jc]

Meridith Mayo oh shit!

[@Morganstudios]

OMG, the tip on turning the neck is brilliant. I wish I had known that decades ago!

[@johncbeer]

Awww Scott! You're 10 times the bassist I'll ever be. If I can play unlined, you most certainly can. Much cleaner and pure look. Use the force. Unless slap funk is on the menu, I personally feel frets are useless prison bars. Fretless advantages (imo): 1) Better and wider range of tone (especially when using the fleshy pad of your finger rather than the tip like on fretted bass). 2) If you go out of tune during a song, just roll your finger a bit and you're good. 3) Don't have to press as hard. I dig on nickel wound rather than flat wound or - god forbid - teflon coated, which are both from satan. Awesome video, great sense of humor, keep up the great work mate!

[@ericw.459]

Do a video on a bass that doesn't suck, will you Scott?

[@asuntos.publicos]

As Upright Bass plater, teachers also urged me to play in tune without seeing the fingerboard as it limits to see the music paper, the director or conductor and also it shows the musician as amateur by seeing his own fingers.

[@jakslayersyth]

I think the true benefit of the fretless is the ability to play non-Western. Kinda hard to do a half-flat with frets

[@devinebass]

For sure a benefit!

[@sanehumanbeing7019]

OMG I'm righteously indignant! The list of great fretless bassists at the beginning of the video left off Michael Manring (the tone of glory!), Mark Egan, and Mick Karn!

[@monkeybearbleu]

Hey Scott - just an observation. You mentioned about having good techique being essential to being in tune. I happened to watch a video of Tony Franklin, and also Mick Karn. They both have 'terrible' technique, yet seem to get away with it. Mick Karn (RIP), was particularly scrunched up - he seemed to play mostly with two fingers on his left hand. However, his playing was sublime (IMHO). I remember Django Rheinhart only playing with two fingers on his left hand also. I get where you're coming from, just wanted your opinion on these well regarded players who don't/didn't follow convention.

[@johnhmaloney]

I've been playing an unlined (actually unlined) fretless exclusively for over 20 years and I would absolutely recommend trying one out. While good technique is always useful, It's not absolutely necessary to play in tune. I still play with my thumb over the neck (a bad habit from guitar) and I never struggled too much with intonation. In fact, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. it's just a matter of putting the time in and training your ears. Also, I think the urge to vibrato and slide all over the place comes down to who your influences are. For me it was always Tony Franklin and Sting, neither of whom do a ton of really showy playing so I never had the urge to show off too much. Although, I was a bit enamored with sliding harmonics for a few months.

[@strangersound]

Steve DiGiorgio. One of the best. Pro tip: If you don't have a good ear, don't play a fretless instrument. Sorry to disappoint those who needs markers, but if you don't have a good ear, no amount of technique or tricks will help you.

[@LeighHughesSenlis]

Look, there are classical musicians playing double basses in perfect tune every minute of the day. And how do they manage it? Practice, practice, practice.

[@stefanomorbidelli8878]

Violin Is even harder lol.

[@Frisbieinstein]

@@stefanomorbidelli8878 And I've been told bowing is harder than fingering.

[@stefanomorbidelli8878]

@@Frisbieinstein Yep. Like, a lot.

[@haikat4]

@@Frisbieinstein its hard but feels good once you get it down. there's something satisfying about running the bow across the string lol. that good vibration

[@sprintbass]

I own this bass...its my weopon of choice.....they made a fretted version a long time ago...(of this bass)...I had a stingray...and I learened the ones that sounded good..were made *pre ernie ball*...