Fretwraps

[Zilthy]

Okay, I am going to sound like an old woman here, where "Well, I walked to school in the snow 3 miles, uphill both ways!"

But, seriously, what's the deal with fretwraps?  Okay, I get, there *can* be a purpose, but it's usually something really outside the box playing.  But almost every kid youtbuber or Faceb**k guitar hero is using them, and I am thinking like "Maybe just learn how to play less sloppily?"

I have to admit it's probably being old.  I want to yell "Stop the Djent!!!!  We've lost a whole generation of bassists because you're playing that part too!"

*sigh*

[Systematic Chaos]

https://youtu.be/xJIRmnpTFRc
1:32 .... Spot on!

[rnolan]

I had no idea what they were until now.  Each to their own I spose.  For me right and left hand muting have always been part of the skill required to play.  But I also had other fish to fry when learning like how to control a '72 Marshall fully cranked, another skill probably not learnt/required in these modern days of modelling etc.(Maybe just learn how to play less sloppily?), maybe just learn to play 

[vansinn]

Instead of using wraps, try slide your pinky across the low strings as a damper.
Wraps, I guess, originates mostly from [double hand] tapping, where it's highly useful.

(I don't think we've lost a generation because of djent; bass players just need to adapt to more strings too.. ;) )

[rabidgerry]

never heard of this shit.

I'm not the worlds perfect guitar player but I certainly wouldn't try and cheat.  Ditto what Richard said.

Is a fret wrap the same as using a hair band on strings?

youtubers can go f*ck themselves btw.  Some videos are excellent learning experience and very practical, but others are not and purely for vanity.  I won't get started on why I hate a lot of the "youtuber" types as many would disagree 

[vansinn]

I don't understand the animosity against a technique that works so well for certain types of playing - the fret wrapper / hairband.
It isn't a matter of not being able to play correctly; it's simply a tool for certain things, like avoiding strings singing-by when doing double hand tapping.

[rabidgerry]

I don't understand your not understanding others who feel the animosity towards it.

It should be plain simple to see why people who put the work in to correct sloppiness using good technique think chomps who come along and stick a hair band on their neck in a round about lazy way bypassing hours of practice are unaccepting of it.  Were is the discipline in that? 

"Hell I couldn't be bothered to learn how to do this right so I'm just going to go ahead and use a hair band whilst you slog it out night after night trying to get good technique".

If it gets you good results sure use it, but don't expect respect from guys learning to do it using good honest hand technique. 

And to add, I have never seen anyone actually use this technique live.

[Systematic Chaos]

Well, I have seen folks like EVH, Reb Beach and Steve Lynch doing the two handed things to damn near perfection live without (even the need of) fretwraps.

The hairband or foam BEHIND the nut can come in handy to kill/dampen unwanted harmonic ringing....same as the foam/tissue (Steve Vai) on the trem springs

[Dante]

Seems like I remember this conversation from the early 90s... people gettin' all charged up about using a hair band on the zero fret. Meh. 

[Samuraipanda]

Jennifer Batten used to endorse a device with a metal arm that flipped down onto the fret board for tapping and then you could flip it up for everything else.

[Dante]

I remember that, it reminded me of the Opti-Grab from the movie The Jerk