Ahh, Jeff I'd love to buy you a cup of coffee some time and talk bass. I've never heard a player so close to my style on the fretless, though you are using a high tuning and I usually play standard. I play a Pedulla Buzz as well, and to all you idiots out there I would like to point out that they all have position markings, and that it also improves your playing and intonation immensely. Apart from the tone and playability, it is one of that model's best design attributes. Rock on!
Playing a fretless is all about the tone difference, it's got nothing to do with it being "harder" or anything like that.. having fret markings is completely irrelevant! If you be quiet and just listen to the gorgeous music, it's not as if you can hear the fret markings. Derp. ;)
love how the Piccolo string sound so bitey, that, plus the fretless neck = beautiful resonance!....... oh, without jeff, it's all just wood and steel.
i think this is the most beautiful piece of music i've ever heard. no less; written and played on a fretless bass which just so happens to be my favorite instrument. this blows my mind into like six different ridiculously melancholy mental universes.
I see what you're saying,I just assume with the light strings it's easier to get harmonics to ring out in different places than the typical 5th 7th fret usual with the heavier gage bass strings.Regular guitar strings have the opposite problem of being too small and your finger being too fat to get it to ring so the piccolo's are likely the sweet spot.I don't see anything special with his chords other than being upside down.Iguess i will have to string up a bass and relearn my chords to findout
@nukebass Not sure i know what you mean but The Idea behind piccolo bass is to create a bass that you can play cords on like a guitar.The strings are made smaller than a regular bass so you tune it exactly one octave higher than a regular bass.If you play with your fingers as I do then you must string it upside down.That way you get the natural low to high picking direction of a 6 string guitar and you can play it like an acoustic.If you play with a pick just string it regular.Got it?
@jaydenfre2413 Yeps, I understand what you mean, but even his bass being stringed with piccolo strings I wanna know about his tunings, I mean, which note in each open string and the relation between them. It's tuned in 4ths? Or in 5ths? Or even other kind of special tuning. You know, to reach some chords with harmonics, like he's doing, you have to tune your bass in a different tuning other than simple 4ths ;-)
I use a fretless with markings. I'd rather have the markings because I care more about what comes out of the speaker more than the way I look. Also one name...Jaco Pastorius, you've been served.
Markings or no markings... irrelevant. It's about the sound, not the image. Anyone who argues that a fretless without markings is better is just pretentious, and that's coming from a guy who plays a fretless without markings.
people use fretless for the different smooth sounds you can get. not because they want to impress fussy people on youtube that only care about technicality. its music :)
Sabe, eu acredito que Deus é criador de todas as coisas. E essa capacidade que Ele da aos homens de emocionar, amar, sentir, com a musica, é algo divino
@BrighamHB i agree! i went and played a schector diamond series studio 4 FL fretless bass today it was $1,600 and in about 3 weeks time i will be purchasing it!
he's using a boss gt10 multi effects processor. He's got a slight drone effect that plays on certain notes...and a very faint echo...and a couple of other things thrown in at will
no, that is a pedulla bass, mark egan signature if i'm not mistaken on the model. Pedulla are awesome and known for this kind of sound.. They have a ceramic fingerboard =D and run about 4000 bucks D=
This is an excellent example of virtuosic talent being used for all the right reasons. Every note is beautifully placed, and every melody touches the soul.
when i see things like that...i feel depressed...so beautifull...and hard...and inspiration...i believe i ll never be able to play like that....it s excellent
we as bass players don't play a fretless because we are trying to be more 'sophisticated' or anything; it is harder to play, but that isn't why i play one.
i play one because of that sound. i wish it was easier to play...
mine have markers as well but i don't think that makes it easier at all; the higher up the neck you go, the less chance for error- precision is required to play it well.
@joethebar fretless is easier to play as there is no fretbuzz. i dont belive intonation is the most important part of fretless playing as if you only hit right notes and not graudully hit flat or sharp and find correct intonation. you might as well be playing fretted
lol for that you may as well play arabic music with quarter tones. I think the most important part is the timbre and that intonation should still be maintained though one should still take advantage of those smooth slides to glissando and what not.
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT KIND OF EFFECT HE IS USING TO GET THAT "AHHHHH" kinda sound in the background, ive been looking for something like this for forever and I'd love to know if someone else does
Herfer, you obviously don't know what you're talking about. Neck lengths are so varied that finger position is not consistent across different basses. Most classical double basses don't have markings, but they only come in either 3/4 or full size, so playing one brand ensures little adjustment for playing another. None of this has anything to do with "mastery" of playing fretless bass. Please try producing something worthwhile and posting it instead of blathering your ignorance all over the net.
i was corrected on another page...its a fretless bass that has markings for the frets.....basicly its a cheaters fretless.....still a GREAT song and a GREAT player...hats off to him!!
cheaters fretless?? have you been acquainted with Jaco Pastorius? I wouldn't say he is much of a cheater. If anything it's insurance that you will sound less like ass than most people who attempt to play a fretless.
mm i love have MY OPINION trashed....gosh....its not real fretless is a fretless for beginners or a "cheaters: fretless.....goodness....Michael Manring plays a real fretless.....goodness people its my OPINION that its not a true fretless....i corrected my self...it is fretless...i just dont beleive its a true one...ok...gosh...its people like you that make me hate posting...even happy coments..
sorry, didn't mean to trash you. but i think calling this a "cheaters bass" makes it sound like you are trashing the credibility of such artists as Jaco Pastorius, Stefan Lessard, Jeff Schmidt here, Bryan Beller, Pino Palladino, and many many others. It is a fact that it is not a way of cheating. It's just a way to make 100% sure you know where the notes truly are. I'm sure when you play infront of thousands of people you would like to have that insurance.
i believe that if you are going to play fretless....you should know 100% where the notes are...thus Michael Manring....he has a BLANK neck...thats fretless....to me that is...im glad you disagree : )
he doesnt need the, tho helpful, reminders where his notes are, he/she can play on a blank surface and hit the note everytime. I should say he ( Jeff ) is using a beginner fretless...not cheaters....that was poor word choice i admit....
i get what you are saying totally. but how do you know he is a beginner on the fretless? Jaco Pastorius had fret markers on his fretless until his death. He was probably the best fretless player that ever lived.
frets or the markings show where to place your finger for the given note. A blank neck shows that the player has mastery of the fretless and knows where the notes are with no external help
I am a bassist, it's my profession. I see that you say a bass with no markings requires a certain mastery, it does indeed. But I'm just saying that does not mean that one with a mastery of those positions will be a superior player.
i can see your point and to a degree i agree with you. Im a guitarist and drummer myself and have some experience on the bass. My best friend is a bass player and has been for 11 years and still he shutters at a fretless bass. This does not make him a bad bass player. He also agrees that he isnt a master of the bass. tho i must say he is very good, better then I and he is also a darn good rhythm guitarist. over all i can agree that even a bass player with frets can be a better Musician
Moreover, AFAIK, "blank" fretless basses still have marks along the side of the fretboard. Some ppl also applies some stickers along the back of the neck to help them find their positions (even some upright bass players do). So I think very FEW ppl actually plays fretless bass without any reference on the neck... it would be masochism rather than mastery :)
Who cares if he uses markings. That's like saying that a master of cooking uses a flat spoon instead of a curved one; that is to say, that it is completely and utterly besides the point, and in no way relavent to the sonic outpour he's producing.
did you read all the statements by Brakkum and I? we did come to an agreement over this....its been settled and there was no winner, just an understanding.
@xenotoxette exactly, playing a bass that is fretless is about escaping limitations of fretted bass guitars to produce good music, rather than to be brag and be like "ooh, i don't need frets/markings to play the right note"
Forgive my ignorance as to Jeff Schmidt and his playing...but is he playing "upside-down"? Meaning, is the low E (B?) String on the bottom? Is this strung BEADG or EADGC? I will certainly check out more of his music.
A piccolo bass is tuned the same as a regular bass pitch-wise, just an octave higher. They use smaller strings to do this. He's getting this sound from his Boss GT-6B bass effects unit (my guess). If not that, he's using a synth tracking device of some kind and he's not telling!
technically speaking, any bass tuned higher than standard is a piccolo bass. his isn't an octave higher than standard, it's some tweaked out open-esque tuning scheme, but it's still a piccolo bass.
i play a 5 string, 28" scale tuned in 5ths from C [that being equal to third fret, A string on a standard bass] with a minor third on the highest string. looking to have an acoustic 30" built with the same tuning scheme. lots of fun, playing with alternate tunings and instrument set-ups.
not really, when you think about it. it's like a cello. but that high 5th string is a minor 3rd, reminiscent of robert fripp's "new standard" tuning scheme. i find it a very versatile and fun way to tune up. the typical electric bass/guitar tuning scheme is great for certain things, but tuning in 5ths kind of lays notes out more like a piano or something. not so jumbled up under each other, you know?
Whatever can create unique methods of music is fine by me. I just always saw basses as an instrument tuned in 4ths. That is what I'm comfortable with.
try tuning it CGDA or even CGCG and try playing a song you're used to. something interesting starts to happen when you're searching for a sound in your head on an instrument you've grown accustomed to, but the tuning is very different. i learned about playing with tunings from victor wooten at one of his little bass day camp things back in the day.
I looked him up on the Internet. What it is he learned on a right handed bass, but did not change the strings for a lefty. It does give him a distinctive sound, however. I have been playing 25+ years and I need to go back to school! This guy is just awesome.
haha he made it like that...its not upside down or backwards he's left handed and the strings are just inverted to fit his playing style since he usualy does sweeps in his playing from low to high...it is easier for him to just invert the strings...many bassists do it
there's a post on his blog explaining this effect in details. Basically it's trail of delays, reverb, pitch shifter, distortion and eq in the returns of ableton live.
i doubt he bought that bass because it had fret markings.... its would be about the playability and most of all, the sound...
McFearsome2 2 months ago in playlist McFearsome2's favorites
I just can't believe the sound you have.
Wonderful
ikicm91 2 months ago
If it sounds beautiful, who cares how its played?
itsamystery94 3 months ago
What tuning do you have?
lndigoX 6 months ago
Comment removed
iunnox666 6 months ago
Very beautifully played! Keep up the great work!
et7waage1 6 months ago
People who knock him for using markings are the same people who knock him for using piccolo strings. Both are idiots.
TheReighnart 9 months ago 3
@TheReighnart That and they aren't musicians. No right minded good musician would ever bring that up.
seventhCrucifix 6 months ago 3
Ahh, Jeff I'd love to buy you a cup of coffee some time and talk bass. I've never heard a player so close to my style on the fretless, though you are using a high tuning and I usually play standard. I play a Pedulla Buzz as well, and to all you idiots out there I would like to point out that they all have position markings, and that it also improves your playing and intonation immensely. Apart from the tone and playability, it is one of that model's best design attributes. Rock on!
hugeshows 9 months ago
Playing a fretless is all about the tone difference, it's got nothing to do with it being "harder" or anything like that.. having fret markings is completely irrelevant! If you be quiet and just listen to the gorgeous music, it's not as if you can hear the fret markings. Derp. ;)
BedroomBassist 10 months ago
i cant get enough of this
ronaldmcdonald333 11 months ago
i played righty upside down for a while and im a lefty
ronaldmcdonald333 11 months ago
To all you snobs it's not about the markers it's about the beautiful sound and song that he plays. Don't get it twisted Great player.
MrTeejeehook 11 months ago
All you snobs it's not about the markers but about the beautiful sound and song that he plays don't get it twisted
MrTeejeehook 11 months ago
wow i don't play bass but i wish i could play like that
TheDilligan 1 year ago
love how the Piccolo string sound so bitey, that, plus the fretless neck = beautiful resonance!....... oh, without jeff, it's all just wood and steel.
thunderthumbs83 1 year ago
i think this is the most beautiful piece of music i've ever heard. no less; written and played on a fretless bass which just so happens to be my favorite instrument. this blows my mind into like six different ridiculously melancholy mental universes.
PentApleX666 1 year ago
I see what you're saying,I just assume with the light strings it's easier to get harmonics to ring out in different places than the typical 5th 7th fret usual with the heavier gage bass strings.Regular guitar strings have the opposite problem of being too small and your finger being too fat to get it to ring so the piccolo's are likely the sweet spot.I don't see anything special with his chords other than being upside down.Iguess i will have to string up a bass and relearn my chords to findout
jaydenfre2413 1 year ago
awweessoommme
Sylky3 1 year ago
he plays leftie and upside down, or how ever you wanna put it :)
great! just great! :)
Marsell88 1 year ago
This is one of my favourites, if not my actual favourite solo bass tune ever. EVER.
Ever.
BedroomBassist 1 year ago
fuckin awsome!!!!
raduccipasha 1 year ago
Would love to know a little about his tunings :-/
nukebass 1 year ago
@nukebass Not sure i know what you mean but The Idea behind piccolo bass is to create a bass that you can play cords on like a guitar.The strings are made smaller than a regular bass so you tune it exactly one octave higher than a regular bass.If you play with your fingers as I do then you must string it upside down.That way you get the natural low to high picking direction of a 6 string guitar and you can play it like an acoustic.If you play with a pick just string it regular.Got it?
jaydenfre2413 1 year ago
@jaydenfre2413 Yeps, I understand what you mean, but even his bass being stringed with piccolo strings I wanna know about his tunings, I mean, which note in each open string and the relation between them. It's tuned in 4ths? Or in 5ths? Or even other kind of special tuning. You know, to reach some chords with harmonics, like he's doing, you have to tune your bass in a different tuning other than simple 4ths ;-)
nukebass 1 year ago
Awesome tone! Im flipped out by the fact that schmidt and haslip play lefty but strung righty. Crazy!!! and they're beter than most
MaXaNoMaLoUs 1 year ago
Geez, for sure next bass I want is a Fretless. Well, I better start saving up! :D
BassCovers90 1 year ago
Women have markers for their sweet spots, as well. ; D
ambidextrosity 1 year ago 4
@ambidextrosity what a coincidence, I can't play those either. lol, jk
rockster07 1 year ago
Nice job...
musictweaker 1 year ago
it's a great song :]
MassiveFist 1 year ago
How can anyone "be trollin' " about F-in markers on the bass instead of listening the beautiful piece he's playing?
Amazing! Thanks for uploading!
mdfk667 1 year ago
I use a fretless with markings. I'd rather have the markings because I care more about what comes out of the speaker more than the way I look. Also one name...Jaco Pastorius, you've been served.
CorvetteCoonass 1 year ago
Markings or no markings... irrelevant. It's about the sound, not the image. Anyone who argues that a fretless without markings is better is just pretentious, and that's coming from a guy who plays a fretless without markings.
johnnyboymcgee 1 year ago 2
Looks like one of those The Sims songs, when you're on the buying/building mode.
AbacaxiReVoLuTiOn 1 year ago
it's raining at the moment and this song is perfekt for it
olehombreamigo 1 year ago
WOW!!! Great Job as Bass-Player!!!!
Greetz
SuperGries 1 year ago
Amazing playing, sounds AWESOME. if any of you guy complaining can do any better, we'd like to see XD
jorgebassmaster22 1 year ago
people use fretless for the different smooth sounds you can get. not because they want to impress fussy people on youtube that only care about technicality. its music :)
sheppaow91 1 year ago
Sabe, eu acredito que Deus é criador de todas as coisas. E essa capacidade que Ele da aos homens de emocionar, amar, sentir, com a musica, é algo divino
rizzettojunior 1 year ago
Suweeet.
BASSPOD100 1 year ago
Question, anyone know what tuning this beautiful piece is in? :)
JeRiSkInG1 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
please give me GTP!
madman007147 1 year ago
please give me GTP!
madman007147 1 year ago
Потрясающе) Спасибо)
Novaredo 1 year ago
wonderful
sardanonimo 1 year ago
Just think about the amazing things this guy could do with a loop station. This is so relaxing! Great work
JACF7427 1 year ago 2
fretless bass is prebably the coolest sounding thing in the world
BrighamHB 1 year ago 14
@BrighamHB i agree! i went and played a schector diamond series studio 4 FL fretless bass today it was $1,600 and in about 3 weeks time i will be purchasing it!
JACF7427 1 year ago
Comment removed
3DEC3 1 year ago
It's not a ceramic fretboard, it's Ebony coated with Polyester. M.V. Pedulla's Polyester is 80% the hardness of glass.
capeguy63 1 year ago
makes you want a fretless
speratic1984 1 year ago 6
Straight into the very depth of our souls. Beautifull!!
SolestiaGoaTrance 1 year ago
I think I prefer this song in this key, it's a tone lower [I think, off the top of my head..] on the record.
They're both brilliant versions, but the effect on this version as well gives it such a great ambient feel. Consider this video favourited. :D
BedroomBassist 1 year ago 3
wow....
junction42 1 year ago
cool ;)
Masher88 1 year ago
Anyone got any idea of the effect he's using for the synthy sounds behind the bass?
D4athPanda 1 year ago
he's using a boss gt10 multi effects processor. He's got a slight drone effect that plays on certain notes...and a very faint echo...and a couple of other things thrown in at will
scarsymmetry1989 1 year ago 4
no, that is a pedulla bass, mark egan signature if i'm not mistaken on the model. Pedulla are awesome and known for this kind of sound.
sitcomsavior 1 year ago
no, that is a pedulla bass, mark egan signature if i'm not mistaken on the model. Pedulla are awesome and known for this kind of sound.. They have a ceramic fingerboard =D and run about 4000 bucks D=
sitcomsavior 1 year ago
This is an excellent example of virtuosic talent being used for all the right reasons. Every note is beautifully placed, and every melody touches the soul.
D4athPanda 1 year ago 5
I think he is the most gently bass player i ever heard until now!...Beautiful play!...
5 stars from me too
Gamhsou 1 year ago 5
when i see things like that...i feel depressed...so beautifull...and hard...and inspiration...i believe i ll never be able to play like that....it s excellent
teobogbass 1 year ago
Simply beautiful playing. definitely 5 stars here.
Hey can anyone tell me what type of bass strings he's using?
kspike5 2 years ago
I'm pretty sure they're called piccolo strings. I know D'Addario makes some but I have no idea what kind Jeff is using
crazyfalconX 2 years ago
This is nothing less than pure jawesomeness..
No doubt about 5 stars here..
josody 2 years ago 2
Damn, this was awesome!
TheJamJams 2 years ago
hey you have the most amazing playing style and sound
what was your tuning for this video?
i know your using a pedulla, but what is your amp setup?
thanks againg
ur simply awsome
chickenandababy 2 years ago
holy shit
that just fuckin blew my balls off
amazing playing
chickenandababy 2 years ago
we as bass players don't play a fretless because we are trying to be more 'sophisticated' or anything; it is harder to play, but that isn't why i play one.
i play one because of that sound. i wish it was easier to play...
mine have markers as well but i don't think that makes it easier at all; the higher up the neck you go, the less chance for error- precision is required to play it well.
joethebar 2 years ago
@joethebar fretless is easier to play as there is no fretbuzz. i dont belive intonation is the most important part of fretless playing as if you only hit right notes and not graudully hit flat or sharp and find correct intonation. you might as well be playing fretted
slappingpopping 2 years ago
lol for that you may as well play arabic music with quarter tones. I think the most important part is the timbre and that intonation should still be maintained though one should still take advantage of those smooth slides to glissando and what not.
Masamuneblader 2 years ago
Pedula, baby...
MrArtman48 2 years ago 2
Andy McKee of bass.
ListenToKillola 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
COMPRATE UN BANJO JAJAJAJAJAJA
carabata64 2 years ago
Perfect sound!!All is perfect!!
xjabass 2 years ago 4
SUBLIME !
101jumpit 2 years ago 2
that's really good =) i loved it!
EmilyAnneGreen 2 years ago 2
This is great! The feeling is wonderful.
Sprtschk 2 years ago 19
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT KIND OF EFFECT HE IS USING TO GET THAT "AHHHHH" kinda sound in the background, ive been looking for something like this for forever and I'd love to know if someone else does
thebassman6880 2 years ago
I could be wrong, but me thinks a LOT of it has to do with it being a frettless bass that makes that distinctive muwaaah kinda sound,
panhead1219 2 years ago 2
sounds like a seperate effects chain involving a pitch shifter and much much reverb
bassmajor 2 years ago 2
...or delay sorry^^
bassmajor 2 years ago
at first i thought you just meant the fretless sound, but now i totally hear what you're talking about. I agree with what bassmajor said.
bassist12345 2 years ago
I love this guys style.
Jm00sh 2 years ago
I like you alot more than manring
KurtSandford 2 years ago
Virtuoso.
huginandmunin 2 years ago
are the strings inverted?
npbass 2 years ago 3
Yep, just like Jimmy Haslip.
fenixfyre200 2 years ago 2
Um, whats the tuning?
Albigatnz 2 years ago
That bass guitar must be a custom one, not just a left hand one. Look at the pressision mics, they are inverted like the strings.
chicalleje 2 years ago
Som de Melhor qualidade de responsa
EvandroAndradeSouza 2 years ago
Meu Deus, que coisa mais linda que eu acabei de ouvir!
rizzettojunior 2 years ago 4
awesome job
Timok67 2 years ago
JAJAJA COMPRATE UN ARPA !!!! JJAJAJA
carabata64 2 years ago
wonderful
gouda2001 2 years ago
I love this.Good feelings are brought on by this:}
poshi12 2 years ago
Herfer, you obviously don't know what you're talking about. Neck lengths are so varied that finger position is not consistent across different basses. Most classical double basses don't have markings, but they only come in either 3/4 or full size, so playing one brand ensures little adjustment for playing another. None of this has anything to do with "mastery" of playing fretless bass. Please try producing something worthwhile and posting it instead of blathering your ignorance all over the net.
MrBonejamin 2 years ago 3
to set the record straight, Jeff is an AWESOME bass player and i wish him the best....this is a beautiful song aswell....prob my fav by him
Herfer 2 years ago
its not fretless!! you can see the frets!
Herfer 2 years ago
I hope you are joking. if not, learn about the bass before commenting on something like this.
brakkum 2 years ago
i was corrected on another page...its a fretless bass that has markings for the frets.....basicly its a cheaters fretless.....still a GREAT song and a GREAT player...hats off to him!!
Herfer 2 years ago
cheaters fretless?? have you been acquainted with Jaco Pastorius? I wouldn't say he is much of a cheater. If anything it's insurance that you will sound less like ass than most people who attempt to play a fretless.
brakkum 2 years ago
mm i love have MY OPINION trashed....gosh....its not real fretless is a fretless for beginners or a "cheaters: fretless.....goodness....Michael Manring plays a real fretless.....goodness people its my OPINION that its not a true fretless....i corrected my self...it is fretless...i just dont beleive its a true one...ok...gosh...its people like you that make me hate posting...even happy coments..
Herfer 2 years ago
sorry, didn't mean to trash you. but i think calling this a "cheaters bass" makes it sound like you are trashing the credibility of such artists as Jaco Pastorius, Stefan Lessard, Jeff Schmidt here, Bryan Beller, Pino Palladino, and many many others. It is a fact that it is not a way of cheating. It's just a way to make 100% sure you know where the notes truly are. I'm sure when you play infront of thousands of people you would like to have that insurance.
brakkum 2 years ago
i believe that if you are going to play fretless....you should know 100% where the notes are...thus Michael Manring....he has a BLANK neck...thats fretless....to me that is...im glad you disagree : )
Herfer 2 years ago
dude necks without fret markers still have fret dots on the top of the neck.
brakkum 2 years ago
i saw vid were manring did show the neck...no markings at all
Herfer 2 years ago
interesting, suppose that is possible as well. now tell me why it would make one bassist better than the other.
brakkum 2 years ago
he doesnt need the, tho helpful, reminders where his notes are, he/she can play on a blank surface and hit the note everytime. I should say he ( Jeff ) is using a beginner fretless...not cheaters....that was poor word choice i admit....
Herfer 2 years ago
alright. but he isn't a beginner... nor are a lot of the people that use them.
brakkum 2 years ago
sigh.....you dont get it...he isnt a beginer for bass....not at all...just for the fretless playing...
Herfer 2 years ago
i get what you are saying totally. but how do you know he is a beginner on the fretless? Jaco Pastorius had fret markers on his fretless until his death. He was probably the best fretless player that ever lived.
brakkum 2 years ago
tho my music experience is low...about 11-12 years, its in my opinion that a master of the fretless would not use ANY markings at all...
Herfer 2 years ago
but what would it matter? it would make no difference at all.
brakkum 2 years ago
frets or the markings show where to place your finger for the given note. A blank neck shows that the player has mastery of the fretless and knows where the notes are with no external help
Herfer 2 years ago
sure, but they still look at the neck to get a feel for where they are at. plus it still wouldnt make one player any better than the other.
brakkum 2 years ago
you must not see my point...are you a musician?
Herfer 2 years ago
I am a bassist, it's my profession. I see that you say a bass with no markings requires a certain mastery, it does indeed. But I'm just saying that does not mean that one with a mastery of those positions will be a superior player.
brakkum 2 years ago
i can see your point and to a degree i agree with you. Im a guitarist and drummer myself and have some experience on the bass. My best friend is a bass player and has been for 11 years and still he shutters at a fretless bass. This does not make him a bad bass player. He also agrees that he isnt a master of the bass. tho i must say he is very good, better then I and he is also a darn good rhythm guitarist. over all i can agree that even a bass player with frets can be a better Musician
Herfer 2 years ago
Moreover, AFAIK, "blank" fretless basses still have marks along the side of the fretboard. Some ppl also applies some stickers along the back of the neck to help them find their positions (even some upright bass players do). So I think very FEW ppl actually plays fretless bass without any reference on the neck... it would be masochism rather than mastery :)
virgult 2 years ago
Who cares if he uses markings. That's like saying that a master of cooking uses a flat spoon instead of a curved one; that is to say, that it is completely and utterly besides the point, and in no way relavent to the sonic outpour he's producing.
xenotoxette 2 years ago 57
did you read all the statements by Brakkum and I? we did come to an agreement over this....its been settled and there was no winner, just an understanding.
Herfer 2 years ago
Not to mention that Jaco used line...
BleuShan 2 years ago
@xenotoxette exactly, playing a bass that is fretless is about escaping limitations of fretted bass guitars to produce good music, rather than to be brag and be like "ooh, i don't need frets/markings to play the right note"
ShmoofingFabsee 1 year ago
@xenotoxette Jaco used markers. Marcus Miller uses markers. I tell you what, You go learn this piece without markers & then we can talk...
Zevonfan524 1 year ago
@Zevonfan524 what's marker ?
fatoujonny2 1 year ago
@fatoujonny2 It's a fretless bass, right? So some people use lines to mark the frets. Called markers.
metallica2014 1 year ago
@metallica2014 so i already now it
but why people say that bass don't have markers ?
fatoujonny2 1 year ago
Forgive my ignorance as to Jeff Schmidt and his playing...but is he playing "upside-down"? Meaning, is the low E (B?) String on the bottom? Is this strung BEADG or EADGC? I will certainly check out more of his music.
ksgant 2 years ago
A piccolo bass is tuned the same as a regular bass pitch-wise, just an octave higher. They use smaller strings to do this. He's getting this sound from his Boss GT-6B bass effects unit (my guess). If not that, he's using a synth tracking device of some kind and he's not telling!
nayjayjee 2 years ago
technically speaking, any bass tuned higher than standard is a piccolo bass. his isn't an octave higher than standard, it's some tweaked out open-esque tuning scheme, but it's still a piccolo bass.
i play a 5 string, 28" scale tuned in 5ths from C [that being equal to third fret, A string on a standard bass] with a minor third on the highest string. looking to have an acoustic 30" built with the same tuning scheme. lots of fun, playing with alternate tunings and instrument set-ups.
intrepgun 2 years ago
You tune your bass in 5ths? That's so strange!
fingerboy18 2 years ago
not really, when you think about it. it's like a cello. but that high 5th string is a minor 3rd, reminiscent of robert fripp's "new standard" tuning scheme. i find it a very versatile and fun way to tune up. the typical electric bass/guitar tuning scheme is great for certain things, but tuning in 5ths kind of lays notes out more like a piano or something. not so jumbled up under each other, you know?
intrepgun 2 years ago
Whatever can create unique methods of music is fine by me. I just always saw basses as an instrument tuned in 4ths. That is what I'm comfortable with.
fingerboy18 2 years ago
try tuning it CGDA or even CGCG and try playing a song you're used to. something interesting starts to happen when you're searching for a sound in your head on an instrument you've grown accustomed to, but the tuning is very different. i learned about playing with tunings from victor wooten at one of his little bass day camp things back in the day.
intrepgun 2 years ago
What is the tunning of this bass?
It's a piccolo?
what effect is he using?
guayo1982 2 years ago
is that a five string lefty strung backwards?
mophead319 2 years ago
His instrument is what is called an Inverted Piccolo Bass. Yes, the string are strung backwards from you are used to seeing.
kc8ntp 2 years ago 4
ohhhh, erm i cant see any advantage fof playing like that though tbh ?
HDM111 2 years ago
I looked him up on the Internet. What it is he learned on a right handed bass, but did not change the strings for a lefty. It does give him a distinctive sound, however. I have been playing 25+ years and I need to go back to school! This guy is just awesome.
kc8ntp 2 years ago
you're not looking hard enough. look at the way he rakes the strings.
intrepgun 2 years ago
thats what i was thinking, i thought i was oging blind.
HDM111 2 years ago
You are correct. This is a lefty strung backwards. It is also a piccolo bass as well.
kc8ntp 2 years ago
your tunings? higher strings up top? im curious
junglespyder 2 years ago
You're fired! You're never supposed to post stuff this awesome on youtube.
evildemonllama 2 years ago
fretless= amazing
ruairihair 2 years ago
Breathtaking
foderahead 2 years ago 2
beautiful.
BenZeneProject 2 years ago 2
amazing yeaaaaaaaa
MrLuisherediabass 2 years ago
so good to listin to stoned............
befrankis 2 years ago
lmao...yea man
playaJA 2 years ago
wonder
williamyashiro 2 years ago
It sounds like the eventide H3000 harmonizer i've used once before!
bluetoothmark 2 years ago
this is a piccalo bass yes?
mo0oks 2 years ago
does he realize his bass is upside down and backwards?
71HiFlyer 2 years ago
haha he made it like that...its not upside down or backwards he's left handed and the strings are just inverted to fit his playing style since he usualy does sweeps in his playing from low to high...it is easier for him to just invert the strings...many bassists do it
BossBassist 2 years ago 2
finally someone gets it.
SlapATACK 2 years ago
no, I'll let him know tomorrow.
spectorman09 2 years ago
Why would he not?Can you leave the house butt naked and not know it?
gebass6 2 years ago
The answer to that is yes, obviously.
Lasdferret 2 years ago
enough reason to get verified by visa.
yeahmylifeisshit 2 years ago
The Greatest! That's it.
motohead342 2 years ago
Love it.
GallopingPints 2 years ago
oof hes good
ruairihair 2 years ago
I wonder what effects he is running? Almost sounds like the Korg type Karma background.
spectorman09 2 years ago
there's a post on his blog explaining this effect in details. Basically it's trail of delays, reverb, pitch shifter, distortion and eq in the returns of ableton live.
BleuShan 2 years ago
jaco pastorius of the decade folks.
TAYGUNOV 2 years ago 9
that's it! I'm learning to play upside down.
Dizkneelande 2 years ago 9
amazing
fretless bass is the greatest
nyuu818 2 years ago 10
this is the most beautiful bass composition ive ever heard... simply breathtaking!
Ozz3AK 2 years ago 12
Доброй ночи, Арина)
Novaredo 2 years ago 2
I love the harmonics and the cohesivness of the whole piece.
valarskill 2 years ago 3
Heavy Manring influence,but thats OK.He's better than I'll ever be.
gebass6 2 years ago 2
If anyone ever told me they thought I sounded Manring-influenced I'd take it as a big compliment... :)
Any self-respecting solo bassist is influenced by Manring on some level IMO.
Flemmingdoerken 2 years ago 7
wow. he's the jimi hendrix of bass
saqib09 2 years ago 4
absolutely gorgeous song mate!!! Top Video of a bass genius @ work.
JOHNTAYLORARIA 2 years ago
MUY BUENO!! SI SÑR.
politico222 2 years ago 2
the easiest way to think of it is fretless, alien Hendrix on bass
rory09 2 years ago
the strings are inverted?
evans13 2 years ago