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The Fretless Guitar
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What is a Fretless Guitar/Bass?
A fret is a raised marker on the neck of a stringed instrument. Frets divide the neck into fixed segments at intervals related to a musical framework. For example, on an instrument such as the guitar, each fret represents one semitone in the standard western system where one octave is divided into twelve semitones. Wikipedia's Entry on Frets
A fretless guitar, then, is a guitar which does not have frets.
Pros and Cons
You can see below, a guitar with frets:
Pros:
- On Fretless guitars a wider range of notes are accessible.
- Fretless instruments allows the player, rather then the luthier, to control intonation. This means it is possible to play perfectly in tune, which is nearly impossible for guitars with frets due to the Pythagorean comma.
Cons:
- Playing a fretless guitar in tune is notoriously difficult. It requires a formidable level of concentration and ear training.
Recording a Fretless Guitar/Bass
Generally, a fretlress guitar or bass would be recorded using the same techniques as you would with a fretted gutiar or bass. See the Guide to Recording Guitars.
Photos
This is a picture of godin's A4 & A5 Fretted and Fretless Semi-Acoustic Basses from GodinGuitars.com. The fretted A4 is on the left and the fretless A5 is on the right.
External Links
- Unfretted.com has an in depth look on the natural tuning system and fretless guitars in general, featuring CD's of fretless guitar music.
- {http://www.godinguitar.com]
