fretless

A fretless guitar or bass is an instrument without the metal frets on its fingerboard, allowing players to slide smoothly between notes and achieve a more vocal, expressive sound. Without frets to define exact pitches, fretless instruments demand precise finger placement and offer unique tonal possibilities like microtonal bends and subtle vibrato. They’re popular in jazz, fusion, and experimental music, giving musicians a fluid, singing quality that fretted instruments can’t quite replicate. Playing fretless requires skill but opens up a world of expressive nuance.