anaxcrosswords Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 After 30-odd years of playing it’s surprising to find there are apparently simple playing techniques that cause me problems. Because I’ve always learned by ear I’m going to sound like a right **** for not naming things properly, but I think it’s lower 7ths that do for me, especially when played in quick alternation. I’ve been going through a Motown medley this week and the songs feature a lot of ‘lower 7ths’ (if I’m wrong in the terminology, what I mean is moving to the same fret position but one string down, eg C on the A string to G on the E string). Alternating these at pace seems to unavoidably create loads of unwanted noise, harmonics, open strings etc. OK, for the C/G example I could use the G on the D string, but I’m trying to be reasonably faithful to the original. Do you have technique bugbears? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) That's actually a 5th. It's just a question of practicing it, maybe play in front of a mirror, slowly so you can see where you're letting strings ring, and identify where the extraneous sounds are coming from ? Edited May 20, 2015 by ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 [quote name='anaxcrosswords' timestamp='1432127347' post='2778383'] ...I’ve been going through a Motown medley this week... [/quote] I know what you mean - I had shedloads of trouble when I was learning 'You keep me hanging on' (I think it was) - those 'same fret one string down' notes tripped me up too ! I have problems with 'one note per string triads' - a very basic skill I know but deffo a bugbear for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anaxcrosswords Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 Ah, a 5th. Thanks! It depends which strings I'm using and how high/low on the fretboard. For one song, getting the right depth of sound means playing Ab/Eb and Bb/F using the A and E strings, ie up around the octave. It's cleaner when played lower down using the A and D strings but it lacks punch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Fast 16th note patterns, I've been playing for 35 years on and off and still can't do it, I like to blame it on being left handed but playing bass right handed but it's probably just lack of talent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Depends how you try and fret those 5ths undeneath... I always advocate an individual fretting action with a fretting finger rather than barring, for example My current bugger is how to pay a fast triplet run, based around double thumbing..? Do I want thumb, finger 1 finger 2... which is ok speed-wise and smoothness, up to a point, or do I want to hash it, with various hammer ons so whatever two real actions you use, one of the three will be a hammer-on..?? I know all versions will work at speed but I can't say I have any of them off as well as I'd like to be able to use in context Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Slapping, never ever sussed it out. I have learned a short but spectacular piece (short as in a few seconds) that makes me sound quite good at it so I play that and say 'yeah but I'm not really into it' and move on in the hope that people will just think I can do it but choose not to. The truth is slightly different .......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Double thumbing is my bug bearer just now, but like anything, practice is all that is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky Dunky Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Double thumbing and Chucking (Bernard Edwards) I'm a lot closer with Chucking than I am with Double Thumbing. I can't sound a note! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Double thumping for me too. To the OP- Do you mute using your left hand? This is easier when moving across frets than when alternating strings but not moving position, as you can spread your left hand which helps to mute. For what you are suggesting I would need to mute strings with my right hand as well for it to sound clean, raking etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louisthebass Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) In no particular order: slapping, pull-offs, and playing with a pick - am pretty c**p at all of those things.. Edited May 20, 2015 by louisthebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1432148713' post='2778693'] Double thumbing is my bug bearer just now, but like anything, practice is all that is needed. [/quote] This, I seem to end up doing it when I'm not trying, but if I sit and practice it, my thumb ends up wedged like the strings are a cattle grid and my thumb is a dopey heffers hind leg... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anaxcrosswords Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 [quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1432153531' post='2778744'] Double thumping for me too. To the OP- Do you mute using your left hand? This is easier when moving across frets than when alternating strings but not moving position, as you can spread your left hand which helps to mute. For what you are suggesting I would need to mute strings with my right hand as well for it to sound clean, raking etc. [/quote] I only have a thumb on my playing hand so rely almost entirely on the fret fingers to do whatever damping they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswareham Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 [quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1432150547' post='2778721'] Double thumbing [/quote] That's my preferred technique for getting the last few drops out after a Gypsy's Kiss. Much more hygienic than giving him a shake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Playing with a pick. Slapping. Popping. Harmonics. Anything involving a crazy mixture of open and fretted notes. Anything beyond the 9th fret. Er..not doing too well here am I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKcrimsonKing Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I've been working on two-handed tapping for a while now, I find it hard to get hand independence, maybe I'll learn the piano... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Just went back to having a try at double thumbing. Is it one of those things that you need to be plugged in to do? I only tried for about 5 mins & the corner of my thumb at the nail is red raw. My ordinary slap technique is pain free as I use part of my thumb near the knuckle, but this double thumbing malarky is painful! I was watching this video & I think it could well be how hard I'm hitting the strings (though I didn't think I was hitting all that hard). http://youtu.be/mrmKLrOQgXY He posts quite regularly on here in the "Techniques" section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 [quote name='TheKcrimsonKing' timestamp='1432158561' post='2778813'] I've been working on two-handed tapping for a while now, I find it hard to get hand independence, maybe I'll learn the piano... [/quote] Tapping isn't hard once you get the hang of it & it's not painful in the process. Billy Sheehan suggested putting your middle finger over your index finger. It gives more velocity when practicing & I used this method for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) As with many people. Slapping. I can do it but I can never get it to sound good and I can never get it to groove. I practice slap a lot and it never gets better. Edited May 20, 2015 by Myke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 [quote name='seashell' timestamp='1432158424' post='2778810'] Playing with a pick. Slapping. Popping. Harmonics. Anything involving a crazy mixture of open and fretted notes. Anything beyond the 9th fret. Er..not doing too well here am I? [/quote] this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChunkyMunky Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Reggae playing. I walk on bass at a Jazz jam, play Latin stuff pretty decently and pull off your typical 16th note funk stuff. Reggae, though? Not a chance. I can't quite nail the feel and I don't think I'd go quite as far as one could probably imagine to nail the authenticity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 (edited) [quote name='ChunkyMunky' timestamp='1432169636' post='2778889'] Reggae playing. I walk on bass at a Jazz jam, play Latin stuff pretty decently and pull off your typical 16th note funk stuff. Reggae, though? Not a chance. I can't quite nail the feel and I don't think I'd go quite as far as one could probably imagine to nail the authenticity. [/quote] This is maybe more a style thing rather than technique, but one I can't do either , we had to play it for 4 weeks at uni, I was truly hopeless at it. Have to say though that reggae is something I never listen to, so that's maybe got something to do with it. Edited May 21, 2015 by ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChunkyMunky Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1432170300' post='2778890'] This is maybe more a style thing rather than technique, but one I can't do either , we had to play it for 4 weeks at uni, I was truly hopeless at it. Have to say though that reggae is something I never listen to, so that's maybe got something to do with it. [/quote] That's true! I found getting the feel Latin and learning to smash it on the '4' of each bar was actually much easier than the typical reggae stuff. No matter how much I try and drag it, it still sounds like I'm Boris Johnson on bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 [quote name='ChunkyMunky' timestamp='1432171658' post='2778891'] That's true! I found getting the feel Latin and learning to smash it on the '4' of each bar was actually much easier than the typical reggae stuff. No matter how much I try and drag it, it still sounds like I'm Boris Johnson on bass. [/quote] It's weird, I can play latin and jazz all night, but not reggae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuNkShUi Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 (edited) [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1432173174' post='2778892'] It's weird, I can play latin and jazz all night, but not reggae. [/quote] I was the same when i first started playing reggae. I'm by no means an expert at it now, but i found its the space in the basslines that made it tricky. For me at least. I love it now though. It's a nice break after playing some of the motown stuff The technique i've never been able to grasp is playing with 3 or 4 fingers on the playing hand. I mean, i can do it, but the notes aren't even and it's just a shambles! I don't even try anymore, because i don't feel i need that technique with the stuff i play, but there was a time i just wanted to be able to play it and practiced it a lot. Still though, didn't ever really get close Edited May 21, 2015 by FuNkShUi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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