Fretless bass could be good, but unless you're some sort of classical bass virtuoso, I'd stick to fretted. I mean c'mon! The guy from Murderdolls uses a fretless bass, and he's lame as fuck... so it seems that the fretless is just a means to show that "I'm better than you, and I'm so cool because I'm different and play the fretless."

The majority of fretless players aren't very distinct - that is to say their playing is MUDDY and formless, because they don't know how to get good tone. There are exceptions of course, and these exceptions are exceptionally tastey, like the bassist from Pavor kicking out dextrous and well defined solos etc.

The fretless, from what I've heard, has no real gain to it's functionality. The only original sound you can procure is smooth slides (i.e from 10 to 1 with no break- just a solid sound) which is cool, but limited and cliche.

All in all the fretless, to me, is simply a novelty, no more useful than the fretted, and much harder to master!

If you can get a cool sound from it and become well adept in the application of your skill, then go for it! Otherwise I'd keep it as a hobby.

Is this some kinda bass free-for-all? Awesome!

I currently own one of these http://www.ibanez.com/parts/2002_PARTS/ ... -1M-02.jpg

But I have no bass amp, I just play through my Line6 Toneport which sucks for bass tones.

I desire to get a 5-string bass next, and have my eye on a well-looked-after secondhand one of these that hangs in a small local guitar shop http://www.ibanezregister.com/images/BA ... 5bk-93.jpg

It just looks so second-wave BM

oh baby.

br00tal!

I'm afraid I just got a tad erect from the site of that bass.

Oh, shit, I want that bass so much, my fingers prickle.

hi......does anyone have any good songs that are fairly easy, and good for practising string skipping? I play finger, pick, and slap style, so the style doesn't really matter, of course metal is preferred though.....PS: I have a 5 string, so if the bassist has a 5 string, I'm good....

Yeah, dunno what kinda reaction I'll get from this, but funk has some really neat string skipping bits in it. Octave skips and what not, I still incorporate that catchy funk stuff into my metal playing. I found that songs like Funky Crime and Higher Ground (yeah yeah standard) helped me really nail slapping between octaves and string skipping, as well as non-slap.

Ah the local Sound Control stores sell Spector basses. They look incredibly well made.

Hi,

I have been playing bass for a few months and i guess my finger movement, extension, speed and such has gotten pretty good, but my friends want me to play with their doom band who want to incorporate middle eastern influences to, uhh i lack in the theory and bass line construction, could people give me advice or tips, thanks

look up some middle eastern scales?

Looks ugly to me. I hate that kind of curves.

I've been playing bass for two months now. I know practicing will help me more than anything, but how can I get the most out of my practice (progress-wise).

At the moment, I practice atleast a half hour (on average, maybe 2 hours). But, all I do when I practice is play songs. Are there excersizes or other things that are extremely important to learn? (I don't have an instructor and would rather not have one. I'd sooner read a book or something.)

i'd say the best thing to devellop basic speed and finger strength/co-ordination is to play songs, then do excersices for the more advanced stuff.

that's just me though.

Any suggestions for some pretty fast metal songs that aren't super technical?

Fastest song I can play is probably Phantom Of The Opera (Iron Maiden) or Whiplash (Metallica). Too bad I can only play more popular metal. Can't find good tabs of more extreme/obscure stuff anyway. Some Gorgasm tabs or Cryptopsy tabs would be killer.

You can find some cryptopsy guitar pro tabs with bass in them (if you have guitar pro). I've got Graves of the Fathers and Crown of Horns, and they are fastish without being crazy technical.

Garbage..........



Give me a Spector or a Music Man

How many steps down from EADG is BEAD? EBFC? Can I even use standard strings for these tunings?

Don't flame me. I don't know much about playing bass. I want to learn as much as possible.

2 and a half. You can use standard strings for that tuning, but you probably shouldn't (although I do XD).

You really shouldnt use standard strings for such low tuning... Unless you want your Bass to become a simple wooden stick with strings on it... (in other words, it'll ruin your bass if you do it too much.)

Any recs on a new amp? My budget is about 400$, but the selection of bass amps in Israel is not exactly wide... So it's pretty much limited to well-known brands and models only...

Funny, I've recorded an entire album with it and it's fine.

Just get a five string pack and use the bottom four?

You may have recorded an entire album like that, but you most certainly cant read. I said it'll ruin your bass if you do it too much. Normal basses are not built to be played with such loose strings, and it slowly ruins the instrument.

That IS a Spector..

That is a sexy lookin' bass, I must say.

For years, I've been an emergency bass player. Whenever a bassist was needed, I was usually there to fill in because I was better than nothing. I've played in a band (after we booted the old one and couldn't find anybody else) and for a few jam sessions. I've always loved playing bass and learning songs, but never had one. I was always looking to borrow one for recording or just dicking around. This summer I'll be a gigging bassist for my friend's indie rock band.

Well today I walked into Guitar Center with my three backup guitars. I walked out with one of these (in black). Great playability, great punch and I like the active electronics. Now I need to get my chops in proper working order.

*goes to practice*

I feel this is true.

I'm using some ridiculously light strings at the moment, even in standard EADG tuning. 30-90 'funkmaster' strings by Rotosound. Only good for slapping, total loss of power to the sound.

I only use one finger to play bass

Seriously, I'm a traditional bass player, two fingers and four strings are all I need. My first metal song that I learned was "The Ripper" by Priest - really easy.

Anyone have any good suggestions for some easy metal songs on bass?

Most Dio is fun & easy to play, as well as Dio era Sabbath.

what are some good tips for writing bass lines?

often my friend sneds a lot of funeral doom riffs and such he says hey write something really cool, i sait there for an hour trying stuff but it doesnt sound cool or anything, perhpas because there is an absnece of a drummer

for the guy who needs cool songs - try Deliverance by Opeth. I hate the band, but that song is just great to play. fairly easy, fun and groovy.

For the guy above me... Funeral doom isnt really a place for creative and complicated bass lines. It's all about heavy, slow and crushing riffs. You can probably make a decent bass line just with root notes of the guitar riff. You should aspire to make it creative and fresh, but the genre itself doesnt really allow that.
Maybe the drums will help you sort it out, but there really isn't that much you can play with.

do many other people use their ring finger to play??? (like all three fingers) or is it a really primative thing to do. I've been doing those Iron Maiden Da-da-da-Da-da-da etc...gallops with my third finger for yonks, but hardly ever hear other players say they do it. it's super fast!

You should use all fingers on both hands.

Anybody know any songs with some cool bass sweeps in them?

If this has been brought up before and I missed it I apologize. I have seen and heard bass harmonics played, but how exactly does one play a bass harmonic?

Same way you do a guitar one, hold your finger on the string above the fret (fifth, seventh, twelfth) and pluck the string.

See that's the thing I've never played one on a guitar either. What do you mean by hold it above, would that be just off the string or barely touching it.

Hold your finger on the actual fret at the 7th fret (for an example; you can also do this at the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 24th), without depressing the string. Just lightly touch it, and then pick or pluck. You should get a sort of glistening sound instead of a normal note.

That aside, I'm gonna get me a fretless!

http://www.ibanez.com/guitars/SR300DXJB.png

Not shown as fretless, but they do make them.

Thanks, much appreciated.

when you play with your fingers should you curl the pink and ring finger to your palm or does it matter if they are going up and down as long as they dont hit the string. i was wondering if the curling helps with your finger independancy like when your playing with 3 or 4 fingers...