Fretless bass
It's that weird "bwwommmm" sound
In Advanced Pop Transcription, we continue to talk about instrument timbres that are widespread but not easy for most listeners to identify. Fretless bass is a case in point. Few people even listen to the bass intentionally, and even fewer distinguish between acoustic, electric and synth bass. That’s understandable! The bass isn’t usually supposed to be the focus of your attention. But musicians know that the bass is the cornerstone of the groove, and its sound can make a big difference in how the music feels, even if you aren’t conscious of it. Sometimes you hear a bass part that sounds especially mysterious or vocalistic, and that’s because it was played on a fretless.
If you are not a stringed instrument player, you will need a little background. Non-fretted stringed instruments like violin, cello and upright bass are so difficult because if your fingers are not in exactly the right place, then your notes won’t be in tune. Also, plucked notes on these instruments don’t sustain very long. Frets are little metal ridges on the fingerboard that provide two benefits: easier in-tune playing and longer sustain. If you press the string down anywhere in the general area behind the fret, it will produce in-tune notes that ring out much longer. This gives you a lot more ergonomic freedom. The Fender Precision Bass, introduced in 1951, was named after the precise intonation that the frets provide.
Convenient though frets are, some bass guitarists discovered that the instrument nevertheless sounds better without them. Your soft, round finger produces more nuances of tone and envelope than the metal fret, and you can do nice smooth slides and glissandos. And because bass guitar is amplified, note sustain isn’t such an issue.
The Rolling Stones - “Paint It Black” (1966)
I have seen it claimed that this song was the first recording to feature a fretless bass guitar, and I have no idea whether that’s true. It hardly matters, the bass isn’t a foreground element anyway. Great song, though.
The Band - “The WS Walcott Medicine Show” (1971)
Rick Danko’s fretless bass has a nice slipperiness to it, and while it isn’t very prominent in this tune, the groove wouldn’t have the same character without it.
