NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm bored right now,while I'm illegally downloading music from the internet in a LAN cafe because I don't have DSL, so I have decided to ask NSG:

Have you heard of unfretted guitars?unfretted electric guitars?What's your opinion on them?

I like them,partly because I started my musical education playing an unfretted instrument in the first place,so it seems more professional to me to play an unfretted guitar rather than a fretted guitar. Espically if you're going to focus on Solos. Unfretted instruments pwn fretted ones at that.

Oh yeah,and anyone reccomend any musicians/bands who play unfretted instruments?

No thanks, I had a big breakfast.

Unfretted, huh? Never heard of such a thing, but I suppose there must be some ...

http://www.unfretted.com gives a fairly good intro to the whole idea behind it and all.

Mabye with too much detail , but hey...

as i understand it unfretted bass guitars are more common than unfretted electric or acoustic guitars. or, at least, you see more professional bassists playing unfretted instruments than professional guitar players - joe satriani's bassist does, Korn's bassist does iirc...
but then i'm talking about rock/metal, and maybe in other areas of music unfretted guitars are more common *shrugs*


personally i couldn't possibly play an unfretted anything. i have hard enough a time remembering what the fucking notes are in the first place with the frets, yet alone staring at an empty six-stringed space...

personally i couldn't possibly play an unfretted anything. i have hard enough a time remembering what the fucking notes are in the first place with the frets, yet alone staring at an empty six-stringed space...

The first thing my teacher did when I was learning was beat the note names and places into my head so that I didn't even to think about it anymore...

Now I'm trying to learn a normal guitar and it just feels...weird.

I saw a dude in a random pub band playing an unfretted 6 string bass guitar. It's awesome if you can pull it off.

http://www.rondomusic.net/photos/bass/hxb406natbfl5.jpg

The first thing my teacher did when I was learning was beat the note names and places into my head so that I didn't even to think about it anymore...

Now I'm trying to learn a normal guitar and it just feels...weird.

problem i got is i'm dyslexic and learning the pattern of notes on the fretboard, just like learning the tabs for a song or my bloody times-tables, just goes in one ear and out the other and never sticks around in there at all :-S

I'd really like to try one, just to experiment with microtonality.

problem i got is i'm dyslexic and learning the pattern of notes on the fretboard, just like learning the tabs for a song or my bloody times-tables, just goes in one ear and out the other and never sticks around in there at all :-S


Hmm, does dyslexia affect all patterns that you think of? I thought it was just for reading...

Excuse my ignorance.

I'd really like to try one, just to experiment with microtonality.

There's plenty of non western instruments you could try, if you like. Sitars, Ouds(Oriental Lutes), just to list a few.

It'll be a bit strange, though, at first for you , I'd think.

Hmm, does dyslexia affect all patterns that you think of? I thought it was just for reading...

Excuse my ignorance.

it can do. the standard effect of it is in reading and stuff, which i did have (went to private tutition for years to correct it) but it can have a similar effect on numbers and patterns, often called dyscalculia. thankfully i have/had mild mixes of the two, and now read and write fine, but (non-visual) patterns and mental arithmetic in particular are sheer guesswork

There's plenty of non western instruments you could try, if you like. Sitars, Ouds(Oriental Lutes), just to list a few.

It'll be a bit strange, though, at first for you , I'd think.

Yeah, i'd really like to learn more instruments of the exotic variety, but money is the main inhibitor. :(

And probably. Heh, I haven't exactly mastered the guitar yet.

it can do. the standard effect of it is in reading and stuff, which i did have (went to private tutition for years to correct it) but it can have a similar effect on numbers and patterns, often called dyscalculia. thankfully i have/had mild mixes of the two, and now read and write fine, but (non-visual) patterns and mental arithmetic in particular are sheer guesswork

Can you differentiate between the sounds of different notes? Attempting to form an association that way would be better for your musicianship anyway.

it can do. the standard effect of it is in reading and stuff, which i did have (went to private tutition for years to correct it) but it can have a similar effect on numbers and patterns, often called dyscalculia. thankfully i have/had mild mixes of the two, and now read and write fine, but (non-visual) patterns and mental arithmetic in particular are sheer guesswork

Well, I'd think if you just tried to associate the sound with the position of your finger on the guitar itself, that would easier to memorize, since that requires no visual aid to remember. Obviously, after a while, try not to look at your fingers, just feel where its supposed to go.

Just a suggestion, it's how I learned to memorize it.

Can you differentiate between the sounds of different notes? Attempting to form an association that way would be better for your musicianship anyway.

yes i can hear the difference, but its the abstract nature of musical theory that's the problem, along with the fact that scales and songs are little more than big collections of note patterns.
if it were visual - as in the notes were colous on the fretboard, for exampe - then it'd make far, far more sense to me and i'd probably be able to learn it, but it doesn't matter anyway - going to sell guitar stuff and have got a drum kit instead :D

Unfretted guitars? How crazy. I have never seen one to play one but if I can come across one I will let you know my preference.

yes i can hear the difference, but its the abstract nature of musical theory that's the problem, along with the fact that scales and songs are little more than big collections of note patterns.
if it were visual - as in the notes were colous on the fretboard, for exampe - then it'd make far, far more sense to me and i'd probably be able to learn it, but it doesn't matter anyway - going to sell guitar stuff and have got a drum kit instead :D

Lol, much simpler but way cooler.:D

Well, I'd think if you just tried to associate the sound with the position of your finger on the guitar itself, that would easier to memorize, since that requires no visual aid to remember. Obviously, after a while, try not to look at your fingers, just feel where its supposed to go.

Just a suggestion, it's how I learned to memorize it.

i played guitar for 5 years. its not the physical fretting that's a problem, but the musical understanding and theory behind it all , and learning the patterns and positions of notes that is. i can play stuff by knowing kinda what sounds ok by now, but after 5 years i'm still very much at year-1 level, if you get me.

Lol, much simpler but way cooler.:D

plus they make for great anger relief ;)

i played guitar for 5 years. its not the physical fretting that's a problem, but the musical understanding and theory behind it all , and learning the patterns and positions of notes that is. i can play stuff by knowing kinda what sounds ok by now, but after 5 years i'm still very much at year-1 level, if you get me.

I totally get what you are saying man. Unless you dedicate the rest of your non-working/school day to learning the guitar it takes forever to learn it properly. I have played for 5 years also and feel like year-1 level too. And as I keep trying to learn songs from the artist I like just keep getting harder to play.

I totally get what you are saying man. Unless you dedicate the rest of your non-working/school day to learning the guitar it takes forever to learn it properly. I have played for 5 years also and feel like year-1 level too. And as I keep trying to learn songs from the artist I like just keep getting harder to play.

Ah, yes, too true... Music is one of those hobbies that can take over your life, if you want to be good at it, unfortunately.

But if you think guitars are hard...try a theremin. Sound difficult all by itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin

No thank you I would rather be touching something than thin air and hear sound. I am done with my acid trips thank you very much. Antenas wtf. I am going to go :mp5: now.

Wow, what an interesting concept. I have not heard of unfretted guitars, but I will have to find one an play around with it!

I play both bass and guitar, I couldn't imagine playing an unfretted guitar. Although five years ago I would have said that I can't imagine playing a fretted guitar.

I wonder if they make unfretted banjos or other string instruments?

No thank you I would rather be touching something than thin air and hear sound. I am done with my acid trips thank you very much. Antenas wtf. I am going to go :mp5: now.

You're going to rob a bank or become a terrorist?:p

Wow, what an interesting concept. I have not heard of unfretted guitars, but I will have to find one an play around with it!

I play both bass and guitar, I couldn't imagine playing an unfretted guitar. Although five years ago I would have said that I can't imagine playing a fretted guitar.

I wonder if they make unfretted banjos or other string instruments?

I thought banjos were unfretted?:confused:

Live and learn, I guess.

I'd really like to try one, just to experiment with microtonality.

My thoughts exactly. I once tried to make a fretless zither out of cardboard, but I couldn't get the tuning pegs to stay tight long enough to tune it.

You're going to rob a bank or become a terrorist?:p

Sounds like a plan I was thinking about just going to my local shutting range down the street but if your down I am down:cool:

Sounds like a plan I was thinking about just going to my local shutting range down the street but if your down I am down:cool:

Let's do it!

Let's jump in the air like the Power Rangers and Kick some evil cyborg ass!

Or you could just meet me outside... or something. I don't know. Why don't you just leave me alone?!


:D

Okay so we just threw this thread way off-beat anyway have you ever played one of those theremin's?

Wish I did. They sound pretty cool...and I've actually heard them,and they're really interesting to my ear.

Yeah I just couldn't imagin an instrument played by radio waves it's CRAZY Wierd ya know.

Aziz Ibrahim (formerly of Asia, The Christians and briefly The Stone Roses) plays a pretty mean eleven string fretless guitar. For some reason it doesn't seem to be listed on his site (www.aziz.co.uk), but here is a pic of someone else's -

http://www.8thstreet.com/images/godin-glissentar-nat.jpg

What really strike me as odd are the half-fretless banjos - they have smooth necks up until the seventh fret position and then have frets. Very odd.

Yeah I just couldn't imagin an instrument played by radio waves it's CRAZY Wierd ya know.

Wonder what would happen if you clapped your hands...?

Wonder what would happen if you clapped your hands...?

It would most likely make a pretty mean sound like distortion next to the amp.

Aziz Ibrahim (formerly of Asia, The Christians and briefly The Stone Roses) plays a pretty mean eleven string fretless guitar. For some reason it doesn't seem to be listed on his site (www.aziz.co.uk), but here is a pic of someone else's -

http://www.8thstreet.com/images/godin-glissentar-nat.jpg

What really strike me as odd are the half-fretless banjos - they have smooth necks up until the seventh fret position and then have frets. Very odd.

Thanks for the reccomendation, dude.

I know that guitar. Godin 11 nylon-string fretless...That guitar in the image is the one I'd really like to get, because no one is willing around here to defret my guitar, and I don't want to do it myself, cause I might do something stupid and permeantently ruin the guitar...

and guitars are expensive.

Half-fretless banjos? What the hell? I've never,ever heard of those...

I'm bored right now,while I'm illegally downloading music from the internet in a LAN cafe because I don't have DSL, so I have decided to ask NSG:

Have you heard of unfretted guitars?unfretted electric guitars?What's your opinion on them?

I like them,partly because I started my musical education playing an unfretted instrument in the first place,so it seems more professional to me to play an unfretted guitar rather than a fretted guitar. Espically if you're going to focus on Solos. Unfretted instruments pwn fretted ones at that.

Oh yeah,and anyone reccomend any musicians/bands who play unfretted instruments?

I've seen fretted bass guitars but not 6 strings. No frets or flush frets are quite common on older 5 string banjos but never seen on either plectrum or tenor 4 string models.

Thanks for the reccomendation, dude.

I know that guitar. Godin 11 nylon-string fretless...That guitar in the image is the one I'd really like to get, because no one is willing around here to defret my guitar, and I don't want to do it myself, cause I might do something stupid and permeantently ruin the guitar...

and guitars are expensive.

Half-fretless banjos? What the hell? I've never,ever heard of those...

Your telling me brother. This thread is becoming too much for my brain to handle. There are way to many regular guitars, banjos, basses in this world that I haven't been able to play. And now this comes out, they have no fretts. Wooa I feel the left side of my brain rotting away at this information.:confused:

Half-fretless banjos? What the hell? I've never,ever heard of those...

Sometimes produced by taking a standard fretted banjo and gluing plates inbetween frets 0+1, 1+2, 3+4 ... 6+7, so as to create a flat playing surface up there. As if the banjo wasn't a strange enough to start with.

Also of interest are those basses which convert from fretless to unfretted and back again with a turn of a handle. Have a look at http://youtube.com/watch?v=8CBt_FAaup4 for an example. The maker's site is at http://mikeyguitar.com/

Having never played a fretless guitar I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think that you would probably lose pretty much all of your sustain. If you can live without that, go for it.

Thanks for the reccomendation, dude.

I know that guitar. Godin 11 nylon-string fretless...That guitar in the image is the one I'd really like to get, because no one is willing around here to defret my guitar, and I don't want to do it myself, cause I might do something stupid and permeantently ruin the guitar...

and guitars are expensive.

Half-fretless banjos? What the hell? I've never,ever heard of those...

Pick up the cheapest acoustic guitar you can find, remove the frets, buy some old ivory piano key facings on ebay and flush fret it. You'll soon figure whether you like it or not. I'm guessing you'll finish up using it as a slide guitar.

Those half fretted banjos are usually about pre-1885. There are also fretless banjos with complete fretless metal fretboard usually screwed into place at all fret intervals. That was an old way of tropicalising a banjo neck to prevent bowing or twisting.

Having never played a fretless guitar I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think that you would probably lose pretty much all of your sustain. If you can live without that, go for it.

Well, that is why some people pair up two strings for each note, instead of just one by itself. That gives it a really good,lasting ring to it, and also, theoretically, makes vibratos and tremolos much more effective.

Those half fretted banjos are usually about pre-1885. There are also fretless banjos with complete fretless metal fretboard usually screwed into place at all fret intervals. That was an old way of tropicalising a banjo neck to prevent bowing or twisting.

Which is kind of cool, but not as weird as the formica fingerboards that turn up on fretless banjos in Kentucky and other places.

The real question is what modifications were made to the Banjo taken on Shackleton's expedition to weatherproof it...

I'd really like to try one, just to experiment with microtonality.

For Jazz...

Theyre great.

Anything else.....not so much.