Making Microtonal Music is Easier Than You’d Think: Difference between revisions

← Older edit Newer edit →

VisualWikitext

@@ Line 611: / Line 611: @@
 '''METHOD 4 - REMOVING THE FRETS ON A GUITAR AND PLAYING IT FRETLESS'''
-I recommend doing this first on a cheap guitar. I used a Fender Squire that cost [https://amzn.to/2PRzIC0 150 bucks on Amazon]. And I don't recommend doing it on a Gibson. The binding on the sides of the fretboard will make this much harder to do, and you'll risk messing up the guitar. Fenders or Fender types are best. You can also just buy a Fender-type neck and use that, and then bolt on to an existing guitar to try this out. [https://amzn.to/2qFBR5M Here's one (without machine heads) for about 75 dollars]. And [https://amzn.to/2OAR6WR here is one for about 50 dollars]. Fender [https://amzn.to/2z0zRcQ machine heads are available here]. '''De-Fret me baby, all night long! ''' What you'll need: --Phillips head screwdriver --Soldering iron --Needle-nose pliers --Fine sandpaper --Plastic or wooden putty knife, or a metal kitchen butter knife --Wood filler. [https://amzn.to/2JS1A3D I use this]. It's light color, so where the frets were will stand out on the dark neck, to make it easier to play fretless. If you want [https://amzn.to/2qFG0qk dark wood filler, use this]. Start by removing the strings from the guitar. Then unscrew the neck from the back. Do one screw, then another, going all the way round until the neck comes off. There may be a tiny bit of glue in there, you can just break the glue, there isn't much, so it shouldn't splinter the wood. [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181027_143712_resized.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181027 143712 resized-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181027_143712_resized-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] Next, heat up one of the frets with a soldering iron to melt the glue under frets. You will want to do this in a ventilated area, maybe even outside, and/or wear a good mask. Because it does produce a bit of vaporized glue smell, which probably isn't good for you. Also, keep pets and kids away from the soldering iron. And use a metal stand so the tip doesn't touch the table, and make sure you unplug it when you're done. Don't do this when you're wasted. The chance of burning yourself, your home, and/or messing up the guitar goes up the more drunk / high you are when you do this. And don't do it when you're tired. [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/FretMelt.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:FretMelt-301x350.jpg|[[Image:FretMelt-301x350.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] Heat one end of the fret for about a minute, then pull that end up a little bit with some needle-nose pliers [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181024_024849_resized.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181024 024849 resized-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181024_024849_resized-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] Then heat up the rest of the fret with the soldering iron, and gently but firmly pull out the rest of the fret. [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181024_024912_resized.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181024 024912 resized-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181024_024912_resized-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] Remove the rest of the frets. Doesn't matter which fret you start with and which you end with. You can even jump around on the neck if that makes it more interesting. But it is physically tiring and mentally tedious. If you get burnt out, unplug your soldering iron and do something else, or nap, and resume later when you're bright eyed and bushy tailed. Don't do it in a hurry, you'll mess up the guitar or yourself. [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181024_024943_resized-1.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181024 024943 resized-1-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181024_024943_resized-1-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] When all the frets are out, throw them away and lightly wet-sand the neck with fine sandpaper. Just use a few drops of water, and just sand a little bit....Only a touch to take off any burs produced by the fret removal, without grinding down the plane of the neck. When done, let the neck dry for an hour or more. Then use wood filler to fill in fret grooves, and any holes caused from pulling the hot frets. Push it in there with a wooden putty knife or a the dull side of a butter knife. Wipe off any excess. [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Staihing-guitar.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:Staihing-guitar-450x253.jpg|[[Image:Staihing-guitar-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] Let dry overnight, then sand with medium sand paper. Then sand with fine sandpaper. Then wet sand with fine sandpaper. Wipe with dry rag between each step. [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181027_134042_resized.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181027 134042 resized-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181027_134042_resized-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] Then screw the neck back on. While it's probably OK to use an electric drill bit screwdriver to remove the neck, I'd put it back on by hand, so you don't strip the threads. Do it the same way you took it off: Do one screw, then another, going all the way round until the neck goes back on evenly and tightly. Any remaining ultra-light roughness will be taken care of over time by bending strings. If you have ideas of staining the neck at this point, read your wood filler reviews on Amazon. Wood filler isn't as stainable as you'd think, even if it says it's stainable. And if you think you'll be good enough to play it accurately, especially microtonally, without seeing where the frets were, you must be an ''amazing'' musician. These guys are pretty good on fretted guitars, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewCZ-TWdx40 but pretty much suck at their first try playing] even 12 TET music on a fretless guitar. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yshLWYjMijo Here's a guy blazing 12 TET on a fretless guitar], but he's a jazz cat, and the guitar has a metal neck, which gives more sustain. There are no fret markers on the neck, but there are on the side of the neck, facing him. When you play a fretless guitar, to play a note you'd normally hear in 12 TET music, '''you have to put your finger ''exactly'' where the fret would be'''. It's much harder than playing fretted. Because fretted, you can put your finger almost anywhere between the two frets. Not far enough back so there is buzzing, but you have a LOT more leeway in finger position on the fretboard while still being in tune. With a fretless instrument, your finger is the fret. This gets even more complicated with microtonal music. I recommend you first try playing your fretless guitar in 12 TET, playing along with a song you wrote, or know, and get to where you can play in tune. Then make a microtonal backing track with a VST and a MIDI keyboard, in a multiple or divisor of 12 edo. Like 6 edo. Or 24 edo. Play with that until it sounds good, then try it to a backing track of 7 edo. Or 5 edo. Or 13 edo.
+I recommend doing this first on a cheap guitar. I used a Fender Squire that cost [https://amzn.to/2PRzIC0 150 bucks on Amazon]. And I don't recommend doing it on a Gibson. The binding on the sides of the fretboard will make this much harder to do, and you'll risk messing up the guitar. Fenders or Fender types are best.
+You can also just buy a Fender-type neck and use that, and then bolt on to an existing guitar to try this out. [https://amzn.to/2qFBR5M Here's one (without machine heads) for about 75 dollars]. And [https://amzn.to/2OAR6WR here is one for about 50 dollars]. Fender [https://amzn.to/2z0zRcQ machine heads are available here].
+'''De-Fret me baby, all night long!'''
+--Wood filler. [https://amzn.to/2JS1A3D I use this]. It's light color, so where the frets were will stand out on the dark neck, to make it easier to play fretless.
+--Phillips head screwdriver
+--Soldering iron
+--Needle-nose pliers
+--Fine sandpaper
+--Plastic or wooden putty knife, or a metal kitchen butter knife
+If you want [https://amzn.to/2qFG0qk dark wood filler, use this].
+Start by removing the strings from the guitar.
+Then unscrew the neck from the back. Do one screw, then another, going all the way round until the neck comes off. There may be a tiny bit of glue in there, you can just break the glue, there isn't much, so it shouldn't splinter the wood.
+[https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181027_143712_resized.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181027 143712 resized-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181027_143712_resized-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]]
+Next, heat up one of the frets with a soldering iron to melt the glue under frets. You will want to do this in a ventilated area, maybe even outside, and/or wear a good mask. Because it does produce a bit of vaporized glue smell, which probably isn't good for you.
+Also, keep pets and kids away from the soldering iron. And use a metal stand so the tip doesn't touch the table, and make sure you unplug it when you're done.
+Don't do this when you're wasted. The chance of burning yourself, your home, and/or messing up the guitar goes up the more drunk / high you are when you do this. And don't do it when you're tired.
+[https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/FretMelt.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:FretMelt-301x350.jpg|[[Image:FretMelt-301x350.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]]
+Heat one end of the fret for about a minute, then pull that end up a little bit with some needle-nose pliers:
+[https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181024_024849_resized.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181024 024849 resized-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181024_024849_resized-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]]
+Then heat up the rest of the fret with the soldering iron, and gently but firmly pull out the rest of the fret.
+[https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181024_024912_resized.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181024 024912 resized-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181024_024912_resized-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]]
+Remove the rest of the frets. Doesn't matter which fret you start with and which you end with. You can even jump around on the neck if that makes it more interesting. But it is physically tiring and mentally tedious. If you get burnt out, unplug your soldering iron and do something else, or nap, and resume later when you're bright eyed and bushy tailed. Don't do it in a hurry, you'll mess up the guitar or yourself.
+[https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181024_024943_resized-1.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181024 024943 resized-1-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181024_024943_resized-1-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]]
+When all the frets are out, throw them away and lightly wet-sand the neck with fine sandpaper. Just use a few drops of water, and just sand a little bit....Only a touch to take off any burs produced by the fret removal, without grinding down the plane of the neck. When done, let the neck dry for an hour or more. Then use wood filler to fill in fret grooves, and any holes caused from pulling the hot frets. Push it in there with a wooden putty knife or a the dull side of a butter knife. Wipe off any excess. [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Staihing-guitar.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:Staihing-guitar-450x253.jpg|[[Image:Staihing-guitar-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] Let dry overnight, then sand with medium sand paper. Then sand with fine sandpaper. Then wet sand with fine sandpaper. Wipe with dry rag between each step. [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/20181027_134042_resized.jpg][[undefined|link=]][[:File:20181027 134042 resized-450x253.jpg|[[Image:20181027_134042_resized-450x253.jpg|link=|300x300px]]]] Then screw the neck back on. While it's probably OK to use an electric drill bit screwdriver to remove the neck, I'd put it back on by hand, so you don't strip the threads. Do it the same way you took it off: Do one screw, then another, going all the way round until the neck goes back on evenly and tightly. Any remaining ultra-light roughness will be taken care of over time by bending strings. If you have ideas of staining the neck at this point, read your wood filler reviews on Amazon. Wood filler isn't as stainable as you'd think, even if it says it's stainable. And if you think you'll be good enough to play it accurately, especially microtonally, without seeing where the frets were, you must be an ''amazing'' musician. These guys are pretty good on fretted guitars, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewCZ-TWdx40 but pretty much suck at their first try playing] even 12 TET music on a fretless guitar. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yshLWYjMijo Here's a guy blazing 12 TET on a fretless guitar], but he's a jazz cat, and the guitar has a metal neck, which gives more sustain. There are no fret markers on the neck, but there are on the side of the neck, facing him. When you play a fretless guitar, to play a note you'd normally hear in 12 TET music, '''you have to put your finger ''exactly'' where the fret would be'''. It's much harder than playing fretted. Because fretted, you can put your finger almost anywhere between the two frets. Not far enough back so there is buzzing, but you have a LOT more leeway in finger position on the fretboard while still being in tune. With a fretless instrument, your finger is the fret. This gets even more complicated with microtonal music. I recommend you first try playing your fretless guitar in 12 TET, playing along with a song you wrote, or know, and get to where you can play in tune. Then make a microtonal backing track with a VST and a MIDI keyboard, in a multiple or divisor of 12 edo. Like 6 edo. Or 24 edo. Play with that until it sounds good, then try it to a backing track of 7 edo. Or 5 edo. Or 13 edo.
 '''Fretless tips:''' So, put on NEW strings, plug into an amp, bend the strings until they stay in tune with a tuner, and start playing. It's harder to get sustain on a fretless guitar. Because with frets, you have the string firmly terminated at both ends by hard metal; the bridge one end, and the fret at the top. Whereas fretless, you have metal at the bridge, but flesh at the other end. It's not as precise, and some of your finger will be dampening the string while it's terminating the length. So playing with less flesh on the fretboard is better than a sloppy "whole finger tip mashed on the fretboard" technique. Thicker strings will give you more sustain, but will be harder to play. Some people put flat-wound strings on a fretless guitar, but then bending the string is pretty much out of the question. Especially if they're heavy flat-wound strings. Though on fretless, string bending isn't as needed, as you can just slide the note up a little while holding your finger down. You can experiment with lowering the action ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSRqdmXBSAQ video tutorial here]), that will make it easier to play and give you more sustain. But the strings will buzz if you go too low. And you'll lose intonation. Be sure to play all the way up and down the neck on all strings before you call this job done. I'm still getting used to playing the fretless. You can hear my first microtonal fretless guitar track in this song, '[https://biptunia.com/?p=3543 How to Survive a Nuclear Bomb]', starting at 5 minutes and 45 seconds.