Slide vs Bend Fretwire

[franklantern]

Hi, new to the board. After many hours of searching and reading I think I have most of what I want sorted out enough to proceed with a build. Thanks to all you posters that have shared your expereinces.

I am interested in hearing some opinions as to a good sized fretwire for sliding across the fretboard as opposed to bending. Glissando vs bending.

I dont often bend notes but will start a half step low then slide onto the note.

Currently I am leaning towards 6105 fretwire. Any thoughts?

 

[Jusatele]

:icon_scratch: What? :icon_scratch:

 

[line6man]

Yeah, what? :icon_scratch:

You can't slide on a fretted instrument, you just jump from one pitch to the next.

 

[Jusatele]

I just watched the video you posted, if that is your style then yes 6105m  medium Jumbo, would be a good choice. It is a middle of the road modern fret wire that is a all around usefulness,

 

[Cagey]

It is as Line6man says - there's no real glissando on a guitar - you move in half-steps, unless you move fast enough over several steps to reduce the perception of the "stepping" taking place, much like it's not obvious that motion pictures don't move; they're just a series of stills being presented in rapid enough succession that they appear to move.

If you want a slow, smooth transition from one note to the next, you bend the string in place to or from the note you want.

Either way, tall frets work great for that, and the 6105s will serve you well. I use the 6100s myself, which are a few thousandths taller yet, but also wider so they feel less like speed bumps when you are sliding. If you want an easier time learning bending or vibrato, you may want to use stainless steel frets as well. Warmoth only charges a $20 premium for them, although they're worth a lot more than that in comfort and wearability.

 

[Jusatele]

Generally, and I say that knowing the flood gates are about to open,
Shredders like big bouncy frets to get the spring off them
All round guys like medium frets
Older guys like thin frets
Slide players do not care as they set the action so high they do not hit the frets with the slide

My strat I do slide work with is set up high, I will pop on my tunner and tune down to an open E, play a song or two and tune back up to concert pitch on stage so it is not set to high as I still play it regularly.

 

[franklantern]

Yeah, what? :icon_scratch:

You can't slide on a fretted instrument, you just jump from one pitch to the next.

Fair enough. then what would be the best way to describe the process of plucking the string with a fretted 'B' note on the 'G' string and then 'sliding' your finger so that a 'C' note is played.

 

[franklantern]

I just watched the video you posted, if that is your style then yes 6105m  medium Jumbo, would be a good choice. It is a middle of the road modern fret wire that is a all around usefulness,

Thank you. Cant say thats my style per say, it just seemed to fit the tune. Middle of the road sounds good, I dont do anything spectacular. God forbid you got to the singing part...haha. Some people just dont think its music unless there are words so I have attempted some singing with not much luck. Maybe I'll stick to the harmonica and hand out lyrics..haha.

 

[Disco Scottie]

Oh, the hell with frets. Go fretless!

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PyOZhgQnvU[/youtube]

I've always wanted to have a guitar like that.

 

[swarfrat]

No experience here, but intuition would suggest you want a low, wide fret wire like 6130.

 

[line6man]

Oh, the hell with frets. Go fretless!

:icon_biggrin:

 

[line6man]

Yeah, what? :icon_scratch:

You can't slide on a fretted instrument, you just jump from one pitch to the next.

Fair enough. then what would be the best way to describe the process of plucking the string with a fretted 'B' note on the 'G' string and then 'sliding' your finger so that a 'C' note is played.

You would describe it as increasing the pitch 100 cents instantaneously. (*Plus or minus whatever intonation offsets you have on each fret.)

Edit: Or is it 200 cents? I'm not big on music theory. Give me pitches in Hertz or I have no idea what they are. :blob7:

 

[Mor Paul]

Yeah, what? :icon_scratch:

You can't slide on a fretted instrument, you just jump from one pitch to the next.

Fair enough. then what would be the best way to describe the process of plucking the string with a fretted 'B' note on the 'G' string and then 'sliding' your finger so that a 'C' note is played.

A slide?  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[line6man]

Yeah, what? :icon_scratch:

You can't slide on a fretted instrument, you just jump from one pitch to the next.

Fair enough. then what would be the best way to describe the process of plucking the string with a fretted 'B' note on the 'G' string and then 'sliding' your finger so that a 'C' note is played.

A slide?  :icon_jokercolor:

How is that a slide?

 

[erogenousjones17]

If you're talking about a fretted instrument, that is a slide. No, it's not glissando, but that doesn't matter.

 

[Jusatele]

IN MUSIC, on a guitar, the proper word for a Slide or a hammeron/pull off is a SLUR. it is not a increase with out steps, in fact it recognizes the steps, Glissando is the term for a slide up the neck of a fretted instrument and recognizes the steps it is limited to. Portamento is the term for the slide carriage of the tone from one point to the next without steps in the tone. It can not be done on a fretted instrument while fretting, it can be done on unfretted instruments and certain wind instruments.
So the word for the slide he describes is a Slur, it is a Glissando, but it is not a gradual tonal increase without intervals.

 

[hannaugh]

But, it's still generally referred to as a slide in guitar land.  Even when you're notating tabs in Guitar Pro, there is no "slur" option. 

 

[Jusatele]

Do not get me started on all of the mistakes in Tab. It is a way to teach see this play this and does it well, but it is not a way to teach music. If you want to learn a language, do you want to be fluent or just to be able to get by, Tab is being able to get by, you need to learn much more to be fluent.

 

[Danuda]

Oh, the hell with frets. Go fretless!

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PyOZhgQnvU[/youtube]

I've always wanted to have a guitar like that.

Way off topic, but man I want a fretless guitar now.

 

[Mor Paul]

IN MUSIC, on a guitar, the proper word for a Slide or a hammeron/pull off is a SLUR. it is not a increase with out steps, in fact it recognizes the steps, Glissado is the term for a slide up the neck of a fretted instrument and recognizes the steps it is limited to. Portamento is the term for the slide carriage of the tone from one point to the next without steps in the tone. It can not be done on a fretted instrument while fretting, it can be done on unfretted instruments and certain wind instruments.
So the word for the slide he describes is a Slur, it is a Glissado, but it is not a gradual tonal increase without intervals.

In my mind, I differentiate my actions playing the guitar, and the notation for it. On the guitar, I'll call it a slide. When I play trumpet, I'll call it a slur. Might not be entirely correct as far as naming convention goes, but it works for me.