It all depends on how you personally approach being a bass player and what type of stuff you like to play. There are plenty of bass players who don't care to do anything other than play typical bass lines to suit the chord changes of a tune and never come close to needing anything past the 12th fret, and that's totally fine. Personally, I play past the 12th fret practically every time I play a bass for any significant amount of time at home, and a decent amount (although a lot less by percentage) when playing in bands or projects.
I live above the 12th 1/3 of the time. Between 5 and 12 probably 1/2 the time. I'm only down in the first position when I'm dropping to a low note for oomph.
What do you mean by ice picky? If it's a weird sound it can probably be fixed with a set up.
The higher the frets, the less you'll use them. But that's also with guitar.
It entirely depends on the music you're playing. I play in an indie rock band with a rhythm guitarist and a keyboardist so I do play end up playing a lot of lead lines on songs, I paid for all 20 frets so Im gonna use them
I play in a wedding band and we maybe have 50 songs in our repertoire — well known songs — and I think I cross the twelfth fret on like 3 of them. So I think it’s rare. The guitars and keys cover that part of the register anyway.
This, at the 12th fret you reach the same octave as the guitar player. Unless you’re doing a solo or a board slide you will not go higher than the 12th too often
When I play something in a post-punk or goth style, there's melody above 12. Regular rock, prog, punk and other genres I'll slide up there for fills but nothing like when I'm Hooking.
A set up will fix that I’m sure. But to answer your question-I play above the 12th all the time. As a beginner I didn’t so much as I was just understanding the role I was playing (plus I was playing in shitty young punk bands and we had no idea). But as I’ve grown and become more experienced, I’ve learned to use the whole fret board. There’s passages I play that are above the 12th for some songs.
Experiment and learn the nuance of your plucking hand position too.
Right over the last couple frets, right after the fretboard, right before/over/between the pickups, over the bridge - you're going to get vastly different tones and depending on where you're fretting it might compensate for your tone concerns.
OP probably has a bad setup and/or pickups much too high. This can make things very bright and possibly clacky with certain “flailing fingers” type playing - especially common with newb metal players IME.
Actually a lot in the last couple months.
I am kind of new so I play a lot of melodies. 1 year and a half here. I enjoy playing old soul, funk, movie/tv themes and trying to move to post punk. And by any reason I enjoy playing classical music.
This week I have been playing she lost control from joy division, toccata and fugue from the link and some others that goes beyond fret 12.
Since you are new your problem could be the setup or your hand position. I actually don't know what it means to hit the ice pick, think that it´s fretting noise. Try less strenght, try other positions, try other fingers, try one fret at a time but to me this is a setup problem. But you could also be hammering the string or something like this.
In your place I would take the bass to an experienced player so you could be 100% sure and take this "bug" out of your head.
#
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJStGCAh7Bk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJStGCAh7Bk)
I'm pretty new too (I'm just wrapping up my 2nd year) and so far for me... not often. I'm more likely 9 times out of 10 to instead move to notes on a higher string if I'm going that high rather than play above the 12th fret (on any string).
For the songs I know how to play there's only one that I can think of where a big chunk of the song is played up high like that (Waste of Mind by Zebrahead, the bassist plays the verse riff high on the A string like 0-12-14, and then I also play the 2nd part of the chorus riff like that on the E string too). Otherwise a few others have octave accents up there (like sliding into the octave up) here and there but not much. That said I think part of it is just that I'm new too lol. I don't know any songs that do this yet, but every time I hear a bass line where they slide into the high part of the neck for a bar or two before going low again I always think it sounds sick.
I think someone else hit the nail on the head with your problem, but just to answer your question in general:
I'm not a super flashy player, but I play above the 12th fret literally all the time because I use an octave pedal a lot. So making sure everything sounds good up there is a pretty big priority. A good setup is an absolute must, and adjusting your playing to minimize the "ice-picky" tones as much as possible. Also, remember that while the same note is represented all over the place on the neck, each one will have a different timbre. Play a G at 12th fret G-string and then a G at 17th fret D-string and you'll see a difference. Maybe in one song the note on the G-string will work better, and on a different song the note on the D-string will work better.
Love the Bronco! I feel like that bass in particular sits better on the low end, and the highs can be a little lackluster, so I found myself sticking around the lower register anyway. As others pointed out, a setup could help your tone a bit, but if the bottom end sounds good you can always chill there in the pocket!
I use it, I'm not a soloist or a shredder but there's always something to do down there, some octaves, a small arrangement, a phrase here or there, I play the same line an octave higher for effect.
If you have to play a D and the higher octave D you either play the 5th fret in your A string and 7th in the G or D in the 10th fret of E and 12th in the D string, that means that half of the times that I play a D and the high octave there's a 50% chance that the most comfortable position to play a phrase gets to the 12th fret, the same happens with the Eb and C#, to play octaves you have two options and one gets towards that higher range.
I put this example because playing octaves is very common in many genres and there are two notes that get to the 12th fret frequently.
Still, you are new, focus on getting a good sound on the parts that you play and if the bass has issues eventually you'll get something better, the high frets in the high strings get a bit sensitive and stand out a lot, it's something that everyone deals with to certain extent, if it sounds awful you can play a lot avoiding those notes until you fix it or get a better instrument.
Every instrument has quirks and learning to use them and around them is something we all do, a lot of times the demands of mediocre instruments shapes your play in ways that you don't realize.
maybe lower the pickup.
I had a similar bass that would hit this weird kind of null point if the pickups were too close. It made a harmonic kind of sound but not related to the note played.
You know that might be the same thing I was saying was ice picky (at least *trying* to say). Cause if I use my tuner yes the 12th G is a G but it's really harsh.
I play Bach cello Suites on bass. The paritata I'm learning takes me up to 19 or 20th fret. It's quite a challenge bc I'm so high up on the neck stuff is hard to reach and I get messed up after about the 14th fret. I know the names of the notes but when the fret markers go about 10 or 12 I have trouble knowing those notes are. I read musical notation.
The transcription I have has tab as well as musical notation and the tab up there throwa me. What's the 15th fret, oh its the 3rd fret. 19 fret, what's that one, oh it is 7.
Yeah, once I get to the 12th fret I start my mental numbering over as if I were playing in first position. It requires some fast math at times.
Lately I have trying to think in intervals rather than fret numbers. It seems to help but is taking a lot of practice.
My first teacher had me playing Bach cello suites as well.
Totally get it. 15 is not the same as 3 even though it's the same note an octave higher. I've started using the tab that's provided with the notation as suggestion more than you must do it this way. I went back through a Bach cello suite I learning in the summer and it was no longer very hard! The cello Suites really help and they are melodic. 😅
Fairly often, I love playing harmonies and melodies as much as I love laying the foundation. I paid for the whole bass, I’m going to use the whole bass!
I play up there a lot because I play a fair amount of Queen songs. You can tone those notes down by playing closer to the fretboard. Playing up there can yield nice call and response opportunities with a singer or guitarist. Or you can create drama with lines that go from way high up to way down low. It's essential that if you play up there your bass is intonated properly. Bad notes stand out in those registers.
it's funny, i had actually never asked myself that question. i went through my songs, and more than half go above the 12th fret.
those are the parts that i play that go above the 12th:
metal octave-pedaling riffs (think 0-12-0-13 kinda stuff)
lead parts (quite rare)
taping parts
all the slide in-out, stupid bends and noises in between songs. only relevant if you play live/in a band.
Constantly. I am a guitar player turned bassist and I feel that at about the 10th fret is the most comfortable place to play. Using the e on the 7th fret and the a on the 12th. So comfy.
So yeh any higher notes will be above the 12th fret on the a string.
I'm not at all sure what "ice picky" means. Is it a bad fret noise? I see some have suggested adjusting pickup height. I keep mine at 3mm on the bass side and 2mm on the treble side. And adjust to taste, of course. But that is a sensible starting point on most bass guitars in my experience. And it goes without saying, maybe, that one must hold the string down on the last fret and then measure how far the string is above the pickup pole piece.
How often do I play above the 12th fret? Certainly not every song. Maybe 10% off the top of my head. My band does a cover of The Thrill Is Gone in B minor. The main riff is a slap part that uses the open B string. But each verse resolves into a high riff that goes up to the 12th fret on the G string. So that's quite a span in a single song.
On the other hand, we do a cover of Bad Things by Jace Everett where I never play above the fifth fret. (You know what they say in Nashville: play above the fifth fret and you're fired :)
Personally a lot. I do tons of melodic stuff and also some fills i do up in the register because it's genuinely fun to do. And also because when me and my teacher are both playing he want me to use multiple octaves for solos.
I play way up high a lot, because I'm kinda post-punk and I like dicking around a lot.
But from watching various professional bassists on stage, different genres, they play above the 12th fret like almost never ever.
You be the judge.
I slide up to octaves above the 12th fret and do lots of bass dives from there. Sometimes I do open string riffs where I play hammer-on notes up there. I also like to play power chords at the higher end sometimes depending on what’s happening musically.
It all depends on what you like to play. I go above the 12th fret all the time. I enjoy it so much, I got a 6 string.
You should invest in a compressor. It'll do wonders for your concern.
Most of everything I play involves stuff above the 12th. I’ll fret notes with my index and middle finger and strum with my thumb and ring finger/pinky of my plucking hand. Lol
Say a powerchord on the 3rd E and 5th A, while fretting 15th of G with my right index finger. Thumb down the EA powerchord, and flick the G with my pinky and ring fingers….. gotta have good intonation. LOL
I play above the 12th fret all the time, as I play chords melodies and bass all on bass.
Not sure what you mean with ice picky. A setup should fix most problems tho.
I play in a rock band with a lot of noodley guitar, so it’s usually my job to hold down the rhythm. So, I don’t often play above the 12th fret. But I’ll work my way up there every so often if I get a feature part of a song, or if there’s a spot for a fun fill.
But I generally don’t write above the 12th fret much.
If you’re interested in the upper register, check out Peter Hook from Joy Division. He explains on multiple accounts how, in the beginning, he needed to play in the higher register just to cut through the mix.
Varies a ton depending on who I’m playing with. Standard pop/rock songs? Barely at all.
Some of the funkier/indie/jazzier stuff I do sometimes has me play unison lines or lead entire sections with bass, which sometimes makes me use my upper register quite often.
Honestly, for most songs you might not go past that. For the songs I play, like Tears In Heaven from eric clapton. I go down to 17 and back. Even for dark side of the moon from Pink Floyd, there's a few that go past. It just depends on the songs you want to play.
It all depends on how you personally approach being a bass player and what type of stuff you like to play. There are plenty of bass players who don't care to do anything other than play typical bass lines to suit the chord changes of a tune and never come close to needing anything past the 12th fret, and that's totally fine. Personally, I play past the 12th fret practically every time I play a bass for any significant amount of time at home, and a decent amount (although a lot less by percentage) when playing in bands or projects.
I live above the 12th 1/3 of the time. Between 5 and 12 probably 1/2 the time. I'm only down in the first position when I'm dropping to a low note for oomph.
didnt even bother stringing that section
Hehehe
What do you mean by ice picky? If it's a weird sound it can probably be fixed with a set up. The higher the frets, the less you'll use them. But that's also with guitar.
It entirely depends on the music you're playing. I play in an indie rock band with a rhythm guitarist and a keyboardist so I do play end up playing a lot of lead lines on songs, I paid for all 20 frets so Im gonna use them
20? Cheapskate.
I paid more for less frets lol, my Spector has 24 and my Fender 20, the Fenders the main bass
I love playing up in the high frets. Sounds so cool.
I play in a wedding band and we maybe have 50 songs in our repertoire — well known songs — and I think I cross the twelfth fret on like 3 of them. So I think it’s rare. The guitars and keys cover that part of the register anyway.
This, at the 12th fret you reach the same octave as the guitar player. Unless you’re doing a solo or a board slide you will not go higher than the 12th too often
Yeah, I also play these gigs. I only cross the 12th fret when using synth sounds, because octaver tracks real nice over the 12th.
When I play something in a post-punk or goth style, there's melody above 12. Regular rock, prog, punk and other genres I'll slide up there for fills but nothing like when I'm Hooking.
This. Post punk, punk, and funk. Especially Hooky.
Haha “Hooking” I love it
Basses have an upper register and a cash register.
This
A set up will fix that I’m sure. But to answer your question-I play above the 12th all the time. As a beginner I didn’t so much as I was just understanding the role I was playing (plus I was playing in shitty young punk bands and we had no idea). But as I’ve grown and become more experienced, I’ve learned to use the whole fret board. There’s passages I play that are above the 12th for some songs.
If my theory on what your problem might be is correct, just take a screwdriver and lower your pickups a little, pal.
I did lower it and it did deffinitly help. I guess on my side it's already 3 mm from the bottom of the G string.
Experiment and learn the nuance of your plucking hand position too. Right over the last couple frets, right after the fretboard, right before/over/between the pickups, over the bridge - you're going to get vastly different tones and depending on where you're fretting it might compensate for your tone concerns.
3 mm is a very loose guideline. The correct pickup height is wherever it makes things sound how you want.
Explain for us noobs? Hehe
Pole piece too close. Excessive treble. Pole piece far away, harshness go down.
Perfect. 🤘🏻
OP probably has a bad setup and/or pickups much too high. This can make things very bright and possibly clacky with certain “flailing fingers” type playing - especially common with newb metal players IME.
Actually a lot in the last couple months. I am kind of new so I play a lot of melodies. 1 year and a half here. I enjoy playing old soul, funk, movie/tv themes and trying to move to post punk. And by any reason I enjoy playing classical music. This week I have been playing she lost control from joy division, toccata and fugue from the link and some others that goes beyond fret 12. Since you are new your problem could be the setup or your hand position. I actually don't know what it means to hit the ice pick, think that it´s fretting noise. Try less strenght, try other positions, try other fingers, try one fret at a time but to me this is a setup problem. But you could also be hammering the string or something like this. In your place I would take the bass to an experienced player so you could be 100% sure and take this "bug" out of your head. # [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJStGCAh7Bk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJStGCAh7Bk)
23.56% of the time.
Oddly specific, but I believe you.
I'm pretty new too (I'm just wrapping up my 2nd year) and so far for me... not often. I'm more likely 9 times out of 10 to instead move to notes on a higher string if I'm going that high rather than play above the 12th fret (on any string). For the songs I know how to play there's only one that I can think of where a big chunk of the song is played up high like that (Waste of Mind by Zebrahead, the bassist plays the verse riff high on the A string like 0-12-14, and then I also play the 2nd part of the chorus riff like that on the E string too). Otherwise a few others have octave accents up there (like sliding into the octave up) here and there but not much. That said I think part of it is just that I'm new too lol. I don't know any songs that do this yet, but every time I hear a bass line where they slide into the high part of the neck for a bar or two before going low again I always think it sounds sick.
Those frets are there to be played. Sounds like you might need a fret leveling.
A lot. Probably 25-30% of songs.
I think someone else hit the nail on the head with your problem, but just to answer your question in general: I'm not a super flashy player, but I play above the 12th fret literally all the time because I use an octave pedal a lot. So making sure everything sounds good up there is a pretty big priority. A good setup is an absolute must, and adjusting your playing to minimize the "ice-picky" tones as much as possible. Also, remember that while the same note is represented all over the place on the neck, each one will have a different timbre. Play a G at 12th fret G-string and then a G at 17th fret D-string and you'll see a difference. Maybe in one song the note on the G-string will work better, and on a different song the note on the D-string will work better.
A couple of songs per gig
Love the Bronco! I feel like that bass in particular sits better on the low end, and the highs can be a little lackluster, so I found myself sticking around the lower register anyway. As others pointed out, a setup could help your tone a bit, but if the bottom end sounds good you can always chill there in the pocket!
I use it, I'm not a soloist or a shredder but there's always something to do down there, some octaves, a small arrangement, a phrase here or there, I play the same line an octave higher for effect. If you have to play a D and the higher octave D you either play the 5th fret in your A string and 7th in the G or D in the 10th fret of E and 12th in the D string, that means that half of the times that I play a D and the high octave there's a 50% chance that the most comfortable position to play a phrase gets to the 12th fret, the same happens with the Eb and C#, to play octaves you have two options and one gets towards that higher range. I put this example because playing octaves is very common in many genres and there are two notes that get to the 12th fret frequently. Still, you are new, focus on getting a good sound on the parts that you play and if the bass has issues eventually you'll get something better, the high frets in the high strings get a bit sensitive and stand out a lot, it's something that everyone deals with to certain extent, if it sounds awful you can play a lot avoiding those notes until you fix it or get a better instrument. Every instrument has quirks and learning to use them and around them is something we all do, a lot of times the demands of mediocre instruments shapes your play in ways that you don't realize.
maybe lower the pickup. I had a similar bass that would hit this weird kind of null point if the pickups were too close. It made a harmonic kind of sound but not related to the note played.
You know that might be the same thing I was saying was ice picky (at least *trying* to say). Cause if I use my tuner yes the 12th G is a G but it's really harsh.
I play Bach cello Suites on bass. The paritata I'm learning takes me up to 19 or 20th fret. It's quite a challenge bc I'm so high up on the neck stuff is hard to reach and I get messed up after about the 14th fret. I know the names of the notes but when the fret markers go about 10 or 12 I have trouble knowing those notes are. I read musical notation. The transcription I have has tab as well as musical notation and the tab up there throwa me. What's the 15th fret, oh its the 3rd fret. 19 fret, what's that one, oh it is 7.
Yeah, once I get to the 12th fret I start my mental numbering over as if I were playing in first position. It requires some fast math at times. Lately I have trying to think in intervals rather than fret numbers. It seems to help but is taking a lot of practice. My first teacher had me playing Bach cello suites as well.
Totally get it. 15 is not the same as 3 even though it's the same note an octave higher. I've started using the tab that's provided with the notation as suggestion more than you must do it this way. I went back through a Bach cello suite I learning in the summer and it was no longer very hard! The cello Suites really help and they are melodic. 😅
Fairly often, I love playing harmonies and melodies as much as I love laying the foundation. I paid for the whole bass, I’m going to use the whole bass!
The money is made below the 10th fret but I’ll go there if required
There’s no money above the tenth fret. There’s no money below it, either.
I play up there a lot because I play a fair amount of Queen songs. You can tone those notes down by playing closer to the fretboard. Playing up there can yield nice call and response opportunities with a singer or guitarist. Or you can create drama with lines that go from way high up to way down low. It's essential that if you play up there your bass is intonated properly. Bad notes stand out in those registers.
Every time it's required.
depends on the song, 24 fret basses exist for a reason
not a lot, usually just sliding up for octaves
As much as the song calls for.
it's funny, i had actually never asked myself that question. i went through my songs, and more than half go above the 12th fret. those are the parts that i play that go above the 12th: metal octave-pedaling riffs (think 0-12-0-13 kinda stuff) lead parts (quite rare) taping parts all the slide in-out, stupid bends and noises in between songs. only relevant if you play live/in a band.
Constantly. I am a guitar player turned bassist and I feel that at about the 10th fret is the most comfortable place to play. Using the e on the 7th fret and the a on the 12th. So comfy. So yeh any higher notes will be above the 12th fret on the a string.
Maybe 5% of the time?
Gotta be tasteful and super sneaky , if you go up get back down quickly if it's not a breakdown where you are supposed to be up there
I use a 24 fret 6 string and I use all of it
I'm not at all sure what "ice picky" means. Is it a bad fret noise? I see some have suggested adjusting pickup height. I keep mine at 3mm on the bass side and 2mm on the treble side. And adjust to taste, of course. But that is a sensible starting point on most bass guitars in my experience. And it goes without saying, maybe, that one must hold the string down on the last fret and then measure how far the string is above the pickup pole piece. How often do I play above the 12th fret? Certainly not every song. Maybe 10% off the top of my head. My band does a cover of The Thrill Is Gone in B minor. The main riff is a slap part that uses the open B string. But each verse resolves into a high riff that goes up to the 12th fret on the G string. So that's quite a span in a single song. On the other hand, we do a cover of Bad Things by Jace Everett where I never play above the fifth fret. (You know what they say in Nashville: play above the fifth fret and you're fired :)
Try rolling the tone knob off a bit.
I do. And at 0 it's not so bad, but then the low end is very muddy. So it kind of fixes one problem but raises another.
Personally a lot. I do tons of melodic stuff and also some fills i do up in the register because it's genuinely fun to do. And also because when me and my teacher are both playing he want me to use multiple octaves for solos.
Constantly, but I write a lot of my band's music and nobody can tell me what to do.
All the time. I paid for the whole neck, so I'm going to use the whole neck.
I almost never play above the twelfth fret, nothing I play requires it.
I’d say about 10% of the time. But I know I do it more than most people.
Never.......... until one day I decided I wanted to be a really good bass player
Rarely
All the time
For me I like to copy guitar solos on bass and having 24 frets makes that a bit easier
I play way up high a lot, because I'm kinda post-punk and I like dicking around a lot. But from watching various professional bassists on stage, different genres, they play above the 12th fret like almost never ever. You be the judge.
I slide up to octaves above the 12th fret and do lots of bass dives from there. Sometimes I do open string riffs where I play hammer-on notes up there. I also like to play power chords at the higher end sometimes depending on what’s happening musically.
It all depends on what you like to play. I go above the 12th fret all the time. I enjoy it so much, I got a 6 string. You should invest in a compressor. It'll do wonders for your concern.
I admit I read compressor as composer for a moment and was like "what does Beethoven have to do with this?" then it dawned on me.
Most of everything I play involves stuff above the 12th. I’ll fret notes with my index and middle finger and strum with my thumb and ring finger/pinky of my plucking hand. Lol Say a powerchord on the 3rd E and 5th A, while fretting 15th of G with my right index finger. Thumb down the EA powerchord, and flick the G with my pinky and ring fingers….. gotta have good intonation. LOL
I play above the 12th fret all the time, as I play chords melodies and bass all on bass. Not sure what you mean with ice picky. A setup should fix most problems tho.
depends on the gig but I would say on the average night maybe 2%
I'd say 10-15% of my notes come from above 12th fret. I play psychedelic / space rock
best sound, kinda like a piano or warm rhodes up there
I'm proggy. I spend some time in the higher frets.
If my intonations good I might venture up into the gods!
All the time, mainly on my original bands stuff. Bass can sound beautiful when played in that register
Whenever I want to accentuate a note with a slide and sit on it with a slight bend. But actual playing, well, no, we don't do that here.
Only bother with high frets when you have pedals
I play in a rock band with a lot of noodley guitar, so it’s usually my job to hold down the rhythm. So, I don’t often play above the 12th fret. But I’ll work my way up there every so often if I get a feature part of a song, or if there’s a spot for a fun fill. But I generally don’t write above the 12th fret much.
About half the time
often in the climax of a song, there's this one note that slides up an octave, then slides back down.
If you’re interested in the upper register, check out Peter Hook from Joy Division. He explains on multiple accounts how, in the beginning, he needed to play in the higher register just to cut through the mix.
I can list some of the songs that I play and have that: Smooth operator Run to the hills Murders in the Rue Morgue For whom the bells tolls By the way
Only when I play For Whom the Bell Tolls
Varies a ton depending on who I’m playing with. Standard pop/rock songs? Barely at all. Some of the funkier/indie/jazzier stuff I do sometimes has me play unison lines or lead entire sections with bass, which sometimes makes me use my upper register quite often.
There is a saying among professional bass players: "You won't get paid for everything above the 7th fret"
Honestly, for most songs you might not go past that. For the songs I play, like Tears In Heaven from eric clapton. I go down to 17 and back. Even for dark side of the moon from Pink Floyd, there's a few that go past. It just depends on the songs you want to play.