Right hand muting technique

[Caz]

Hi everyone, I'm pretty new to playing bass and am hoping to choose a good right hand technique to learn to mute open strings. I've asked around a few bassist friends and so far have come across the floating thumb technique which gets pretty well described here https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=161&v=PPVMBPmrblU&feature=emb_logo I've heard John Patitucci uses this method. The second option which I've been trying out is muting the open A and D strings with the 4th and 5th fingers, I've heard Jaco did this. I play a 4 string Fender Precision and have noticed that my right thumb is doing a weird bendy motion when I move up and down the strings so am trying to sort this out. I'm documenting my progress with some bass covers at this playlist, you can see the problem with the bending thumb happening here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwgp_pO-XMiZWOa4Dt8Ns2AnWfjqQ58hP

Am wondering which different methods people here use and why?

Thanks,

Caroline

[chris_b]

It's not something that I really noticed when I started out, but my muting technique seems to be, any string below (in frequency) the one I'm playing is muted by my right thumb and any string above the one I'm playing is muted by my left hand. It works just as well with 5 string bass as 4 string. I would describe that as the standard way of muting a bass.

Why? I prefer to anchor my right hand at a closer place to where I'm playing. The width of the grip of my hand is a comfortable way to pluck the strings for me.

I'd suggest whatever comes naturally, without having to spend a great deal of time working it out, will be the best method.  Check out videos of your favourite players and see what they do.

[louisthebass]

Just had a quick look at one of your videos (nice playing by the way!), and this is what I do on a 5, but it can be used on a 4 just as well.

If you're playing the E string, try resting your thumb on the pickup. When you go to play the A and D strings, drop your thumb onto the E string - that way, you're muting the E string and when you play the A and D strings, your rest strokes will mute naturally. Do the same thing when you play the D and G strings by dropping your thumb onto the A string - the fleshy part of your plucking hand will mute the E string and you will already have muted the A.

I know that seems a rather drawn out description (hopefully it makes sense?). See how you get on. 🙂

[chris_b]

Just looked at your videos. There's very little wrong with your technique and IMO you don't need any serious reorganisation. You'll tighten up various bits of your technique while you put more hours playing.

[Ricky 4000]

Oh come on.

That's too good!! 😃

(liked and subscribed) 👍

[gjones]

3 hours ago, louisthebass said:

Just had a quick look at one of your videos (nice playing by the way!), and this is what I do on a 5, but it can be used on a 4 just as well.

If you're playing the E string, try resting your thumb on the pickup. When you go to play the A and D strings, drop your thumb onto the E string - that way, you're muting the E string and when you play the A and D strings, your rest strokes will mute naturally. Do the same thing when you play the D and G strings by dropping your thumb onto the A string - the fleshy part of your plucking hand will mute the E string and you will already have muted the A.

I know that seems a rather drawn out description (hopefully it makes sense?). See how you get on. 🙂

Wot he said....

Also If you curl your pinkie and the finger next to your pinkie, into the palm of your hand, it will keep them out the way while you play.

[Mikey D]

I don’t tend to think about it now but when starting out Patitucci heavily influenced how I play so did consciously do the floating thumb thing. In between I was checking out a lot of Gary Willis and his 2 hand positions for muting with one being side of hand and the other with fingers when playing through the string. I now predominantly play 3/4 fingers including thumb so mute a bit with side of hand. All that said the left hand still plays a big part in taming other strings. 

2 other ways to check out if you’re u want to see options is Evan Marian sort of curls his ring and pinkie in and under strings. Think Damian Erskine does a bit of this too. The other is a bit like I mentioned above using side of hand but this is to get a more initial metic sound rather than playing cleaner and Kaveh Rastegar has a video of him playing a Stevie tune like that. 

[Caz]

Thanks for your replies and input on this. I'm being extra conscious about looking into different techniques and choosing ones to work with from the beginning, instead of having to go back later and make any radical changes. So far the Jaco way is feeling more natural than the floating thumb way, so I've been learning some new tunes slowly and trying to think carefully about muting with the 4th and 5th fingers on the A and D string. The pinky is natural enough although it's a bit tricky with the 4th finger as movement is so linked with the 3rd finger when playing. It might be something that becomes more natural with a bit of time.

On 24/05/2020 at 16:36, Ricky 4000 said:

Oh come on.

That's too good!! 😃

(liked and subscribed) 👍

 thanks Ricky I appreciate that, gotta sort out them pesky right hand fingers from flapping around though and the weird bendy thumb. 

Cheers,

Caroline

[bloke_zero]

I've been thinking a lot about cleaning up my technique and I never had a settled right hand muting technique, recently I had some time on my hands and I went with the Jaco, which I understood to be:

Little finger E

3rd finger A

And letting the playing fingers mute D when you got that far - I could be wrong!  The thumb kind of floats between anchored on the pickup and

I really struggled with the 3rd finger - it felt like it was getting crooked and in the way when I was playing the D string, but it feels much more natural now.  I basically played a lot of scales, arpeggios and then re-learnt a few of the lines with that in mind.

I choose that method because it feels more anchored but flexible - like you're in a kung-fu stance but with fingers if you know what I mean? And because it was really unnatural feeling and I liked the change!

Great playing in the video!

[MacDaddy]

cheat, and use a really heavy noise gate!  

[bloke_zero]

15 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

cheat, and use a really heavy noise gate!  

I have tried!  But when you're getting that Ampeg sound with the 'Ultra Hi'  button enaged smashing into the amp at high gain evey little creak and scritch at the top end is really loud and however fast the gate is. If you let the note die without sounding chopped off by the gate, I get a little screech as I lift my finger on the left hand, which I should be muting with the right hand instead.  I know if I changed ANY element of the set up it would go away (flats for roundwound, ultra hi off, less pre gain), but also, if my muting technique was immaculate it wouldn't be a problem and I could have that crunchy sound I'm after!

[TKenrick]

Having tried floating thumb and not got on with it (Willis is the only one who seems to make a good sound with it, and he's a mutant...) I'm a firm believer in the 'moveable anchor' option described by @louisthebass above, where the thumb doesn't move past the A string - on a 5-string I do a similar thing, but the thumb doesn't move past the E-string and the ring finger helps out by muting the A string a la Jaco.

Not wanting to open up an off-topic can of worms, but from watching the Gordon Goodwin video above I'd actually say don't worry about your right hand too much, it looks/sounds fine... one thing to look into is the left hand and avoiding using one finger per fret in the lower register of the bass if at all possible - in the busier walking sections of the video it seems like trying a slightly different, more double bass-orientated approach might make the left hand feel more relaxed and secure. I'd been playing for years before one of my teachers at music college put me onto the Simandl double bass method book on electric bass (also known as the '1-2-4' system for the left hand) and it made a huge difference in terms of being able to get around the fretboard in a relaxed way.

[gregouille23]

Floating thumb convert here. I started playing with "moveable anchor" ie thumb on pickup when playing lowest string, on E string when playing on A string etc... After a few years, I learnt floating thumb. It cost me weeks to re-leanr plucking and get used to it, but it was definitely worth it! At the beginning it felt very strange, even slightly painful as your shoulder muscles need to build up some strength. It may not work for every one, but it works for me. The main advantages I can think of are:

• improved right hand muting of course
• easier to move up/down the strings in rhythm as you don't need to reset your anchor.
• it keeps your right hand wrist straight, no awkward bend.

Good luck in your bass journey!

[NickA]

Floating thumb ever since I bought a 5-string.  It was never an issue on fretless 4-string.

[gjones]

I've only recently realised how many, very good bassists, don't use the floating thumb technique, since I've been watching celeb session guys like Leyland Sklar and Guy Pratt on Youtube recently.

I wouldn't dare criticize them on how they play the bass but with the floating thumb technique you're not anchored to a pickup (as they appear to be)  and it allows you to mute the lower strings with your thumb/palm, as you work your way down, from string to string.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by gjones

[Crawford13]

All the advice above is great, the only thing I have to add is remember you have 2 hands, muting isn't only about right hand technique. 

Have a look at what you are doing with the fingers not being used on your left hand and they can also do some of the work for you. Most of my muting on the D & G strings actually comes from my left hand.