Whats your playing like uncovered?

[bubinga5]

Just wondering if anyone has listened to there playing without any backing...i was playing on Garage band and was suprised how messy my playing was with nothing behind it...its not the timing but the lazy fingers thats not as clean as i would like...

Something to work on i think..the Modulus seems to show this up more than my ole Fender but thats a good thing... There is really zero room for mistakes and lazyness on a Modulus

I dont think it helps that i tend to improvise alot when messing around, so a certain direction is not there... and as a byproduct after time, there comes a certain amount of lazyness.. doest help im not in a band...... excuses ....yes!!

Im gettin sloppy!!

Edited January 4, 2011 by bubinga5

[neepheid]

Yup - the last time I was recording in a studio and I heard the bass by itself I thought it sounded awful. Bring in the rest of the band and it sounds fine though. What does that tell me? No solos for me

[JTUK]

First session I did, the engr solo'd me... and I hated it..!!
and from then on I've tried to be very clean so I would say my playing is not scruffy at all without a full band sound, IMHO.

Best lesson I learned early on....

[Chris2112]

I spend a lot of the time just playing solo to a click track or a drum track, so hopefully I'm not too bad. I'm more comfortable in a band setting though where there is a bit of cover if you mess up!

[AntLockyer]

I spend 98% of my time playing on my own. So I always get a pleasant surprise when I play with other instruments as it sounds so much better.

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1077978' date='Jan 4 2011, 10:00 PM']Just wondering if anyone has listened to there playing without any backing...i was playing on Garage band and was suprised how messy my playing was with nothing behind it...its not the timing but the lazy fingers thats not as clean as i would like...

Something to work on i think..the Modulus seems to show this up more than my ole Fender but thats a good thing... There is really zero room for mistakes and lazyness on a Modulus

I dont think it helps that i tend to improvise alot when messing around, so a certain direction is not there... and as a byproduct after time, there comes a certain amount of lazyness.. doest help im not in a band...... excuses ....yes!!

Im gettin sloppy!! [/quote]

Your technique has to be really good on a graphite necked bass, the older Status basses with the totally rigid neck are a real eye opener when it comes to buzzes and clatters. But you soon get used to it.

It's amazing how little many musicians listen back to what they play, it's the most important part of learning. When I think I've got a groove down I play it into a loopstation with a click, and almost always realise it needs more work!

Edited January 5, 2011 by Fat Rich

[cheddatom]

I did get this the first few times I recorded. I think I must be tighter now, or I play simpler stuff. A bassist I work with sounds awful solo'd but in the mix it's fine - you wouldn't think so, but it does work!

[Clarky]

One of the reason I prefer flats to rounds is there is less extraneous hand noise when changing position on the neck and from the right hand. Most of my playing is at home (don't do that many gigs or practices) so I hear all the messiness!

[51m0n]

All the time when I record myself, to the point of going slightly mental

[Jigster]

yes i spend a lot of time stressing over this - good to see it raised as a thread Bubinga - i worry most about how much messiness/extraneuos sound etc, carries in a live situation

- when practising alone it can get frustrating and discouraging - but i guess that's the beauty of instruments coming together in a song situ, ie. that what you fret (pardon pun) over alone becomes inconsequential when the fuller wash of music takes over -

clarky - I'm the same with preferring flats, altho I have been persevering with nicklewounds etc, but it's just that unpolished quality they throw back at you can take some getting used to.

Lesson for me: work hard at technique to keep it clean, but remember that it's a whole sound, (should you be a person who gigs)..

[Slipperydick]

Mine used to be OK, but did some recording recently and its bloody awful now, probably cos I've been pracxticing by learning new stuff playing along with records.

Been practicing with just a metronome over the holls to try and improve it.

[thunderbird13]

I'm glad some other people have had the honesty to say they dont like the sound of themselves recorded. After getting a zoom pedal I got cubase with it and now I force myself to record one excercise and listen to it after a practice session. TBH after the first couple of times I was almost going to give up bass I was that bad, timing , bum notes , note duration everythng sounded off. I think being conscious of these things has helped as now my recordings arent quite so unlistenable , although I really dont enjoy the process

[51m0n]

Its worth checking out any multitracks of classic recordings you really dig, it all gets put in its place when you hear the wierd noises many classic tracks have going on when the bass is solo'ed in what sounds like a staggeringly perfect take in the final mix.

[Jigster]

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='1078465' date='Jan 5 2011, 12:29 PM']I'm glad some other people have had the honesty to say they dont like the sound of themselves recorded. After getting a zoom pedal I got cubase with it and now I force myself to record one excercise and listen to it after a practice session. TBH after the first couple of times I was almost going to give up bass I was that bad, timing , bum notes , note duration everythng sounded off. I think being conscious of these things has helped as now my recordings arent quite so unlistenable , although I really dont enjoy the process[/quote]


yeah, altho recording is such a different mental approach to playing live - ie. recording, for me, becomes a very self conscious experience and I'm more likely to play sh*t cos someone just pressed a red button!!! Playing live offers a vibe to lose yourself in (if it's a good gig!!)

[LukeFRC]

some of that noise is good though. If you were recording an accoustic guitar you would mic it in a way to let you get at least some of that noise. but then i have done a bit of work on my left hand technique to minimise funny noises.

However lazy timing is a no no.

[dave_bass5]

Very sloppy but very aware of it.

Like Clarky, i use flats partly to help my playing. I find i get away with less clank etc with flats but maybe thats made me lazy.
The only practising i do is along with tracks at home when im learning them and i find that doesnt help with accuracy either.

As my band are even sloppier playing live it doesnt help but we seem to get by.

I feel confident playing live but hate doing a proper sound check where i have to play solo, to the point where i almost freeze.

[mcgraham]

Good thread. I practice through full range in-ear monitors with the bass frequencies dialled down a touch and the mids and treble dialled up a touch. This makes every manky noise and every mistake I make come through incredibly clearly, and forces me to tweak my technique to be as noise-free as possible - unless a 'noise' is intentional. That's also why I practice like a mofo, as bass is a noisy instrument.

Edited January 5, 2011 by mcgraham

[mrtcat]

For me timing is crucial but extra noises are often welcome. I know I sound bad solo'd and regularly record myself and listen back. I try to use it to improve timing and expression etc but as long as it's not out of control some fret buzzing and "finger sliding along string" noise is all good. There's a thread on here about isolated bass lines. Check out something like Flea's bass line on Give It Away. The timing is great as you'd expect but solo'd you notice how much clonking and buzzing he generates and IMO it really adds to his sound.

*EDIT* Just listened to Give It Away again and it's not as clonky as I recall but I have heard several of Flea's isolated tracks which sound very loose solo'd but great in the mix.

Edited January 5, 2011 by mrtcat

[the_skezz]

Really depends on the day I do it - sometimes I'll play really cleanly, very little unwanted extraneous noise, other times I'll be ridiculously messy. Doesn't tend to matter so much when with the band, of course - they help cover it up, plus in punk a bit of sloppiness helps

[Doctor J]

Got a studio at home so hear it all the time. I used to worry about being ultra clean and ultra precise but now I really don't bother. It's amazing how much a bit of crap can add to a recording over being really clean.

[Cat Burrito]

It also depends on the gear you use. When we recorded our album last summer I was pleasantly surprised by my bass playing in isolation but at last night's rehearsal using an old Laney head through a cheap 4x10 it sounded awful. Thankfully the singer's guitar sounded even worse but it really was a wreck!