Grumble, grumble...tab

[Basvarken]

A world without open strings would be a sad place. Being able to play the same note fretted and open is a wonderful thing. And how I love playing A fretted fifth on the E and then - downstrokes only - add the empty A string as well (while sliding the fretted note up an octave on the E ...). If you play root note, do it right!

I prefer the other way around:
playing the E fretted 7th on the A-string and add the open E.

https://soundcloud.com/basvarken/your-time-is-coming



Or the D fretted 5th on the A string and add the drop D E-string.

https://soundcloud.com/basvarken/third-man-on-the-moon

And I don't hit them together at once all the time, but I tend to switch between the two letting the open string ring while hitting the fretted octave.

[rahock]

Jamerson reportedly played plenty of open strings.  Case closed!

He played and likely learned on an upright.

[uwe]

And wasn't unduly worried if the open string wasn't even in the key he was playing. He'd use open strings as bridges from one fretted note to another. I always feel bad when I do that, even if it's just for a little while and no one in the band much less in the audience would be able to hear it. It's a bit like cheating ... 

[4stringer77]

That's because Jamerson played upright too. Those open notes are a welcome option whenever you can use them for position shifts and when playing a 4 string you need to play more vertically up and down the fret board compared to a 5 string or more bass. Rahock beat me to it. The way Jamerson played out of key open notes made them almost sound diatonic. I've had the standing in the shadows of Motown book for a long time and even though it doesn't seem like it should work, when you can nail a line like "How long has that evening train been gone", it makes perfect sense.

[Pilgrim]

Jamerson reportedly played plenty of open strings.  Case closed!

(Puts hand over heart, then intones...)

Jame-er-SONNNN!