A bit of advice on finger playing

[Linus27]

Been playing bass with a plectrum for about 20 years. Decided to start playing with fingers for the last year and a bit and so far so good. Managed to successfully audition for a band and now playing with fingers pretty naturally. However, I think I have either picked up a few bad habits or my aggesive pick style has carried over to my fingers.

I find I am pushing down hard on the strings with my picking hand. This then causes the strings to touch the metal poles on the pickups creating a metal clanking sound. It's only really noticable on the E string, I guess because its fatter. This is happening on my Fender Jazz and Musicman Stingray where the poles are exposed on the pickups. My ESP Jazz has Bartolini's which does not have the pickup poles exposed like my Fender or Musicman and so I do not get this problem.

I know the obvious would be to lower the pickups or raise the strings but I am just wondering if there is anything I can do to adjust my technique before adjusting the setup of my basses.

Any advice really appreciated.

[Buzz]

Play nearer the bridge or just simply learn to play with a lighter touch.

[odub]

turn your amp up,

[velvetkevorkian]

Try to move your fingers across the strings so the string goes from side to side parallel to the frets, rather than pushing the string down towards the frets. You may have to adjust your hand position to accommodate this; it does tend to encourage playing with a slightly lighter touch also IME. Hope that helps.

[51m0n]

Bloody hell thats seriously over doing it!

Not only are you possibly oing to knacker your cabs wacking polepieces at volume, but hitting that hard will knacker you hands in the long run too, plus you cant play fast for long if you play that hard...

Turn your amp up twice as loud and practice at the same volume. Set your gain knob twice as high, then dont let the overload light come on....

[molan]

Play fast sixteenths for half an hour. By the end of that the pressure you're applying should be just about right

[The Funk]

[quote name='Buzz' post='460886' date='Apr 12 2009, 11:43 PM']Play nearer the bridge or just simply learn to play with a lighter touch.[/quote]

[quote name='odub' post='460892' date='Apr 12 2009, 11:49 PM']turn your amp up[/quote]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='460903' date='Apr 13 2009, 12:04 AM']Try to move your fingers across the strings so the string goes from side to side parallel to the frets, rather than pushing the string down towards the frets.[/quote]

[quote name='51m0n' post='460916' date='Apr 13 2009, 12:35 AM']hitting that hard will knacker you hands in the long run too[/quote]

[quote name='molan' post='460919' date='Apr 13 2009, 12:38 AM']Play fast sixteenths for half an hour. By the end of that the pressure you're applying should be just about right [/quote]

Yes to all of the above.

[chris_b]

Don't hit the strings, stoke them.

[LukeFRC]

i also play quite hard with my right hand.
Try heavier strings, they wont move as much. Raise the action and lower the pups.

Turn the amp up a wee but and also listen to how varience of force and angle you dig in with can vary the 'feel' of the note, play around with stuff you can do more than with a pick.

[Linus27]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I can't really go to heavier strings as I use 45 - 105 as it is.

I can't turn the amp up. This is at home and so this is playing softly for me. If anything, I need to turn it down :)

I'll have a look at string and pickup height and also work on my technique.

[ARGH]

tape over the polepieces......f*** the 'look'

[lushuk]

Now ive had the same problem, are you sure its hitting the poles? ala Steve Harris clanking, I thought I was as well but then realised it was slapping back onto the frets which gave it that sound and not the poles.
Yep all good advice above I tried 105's lifted the action dropped the pups, practised with more volume trying to hit the strings with a more sideways action, but its still tough live on stage as I get to carried away, I must learn not to get so excited!

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='lushuk' post='460944' date='Apr 13 2009, 01:44 AM']Now ive had the same problem, are you sure its hitting the poles? ala Steve Harris clanking, I thought I was as well but then realised it was slapping back onto the frets which gave it that sound and not the poles.[/quote]

Yeah I doubt you're hitting the poles on a Stingray with 105-45s on your bass. You could hit the strings with a hammer and not manage that.

Don't raise the action or pick nearer the bridge - you need to learn to play lighter before you knacker your hand. Turn up would be my advise, you'll probably pick softer if you can hear yourself better. Works for me anyway.

[The Funk]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='460903' date='Apr 13 2009, 12:04 AM']Try to move your fingers across the strings so the string goes from side to side parallel to the frets, rather than pushing the string down towards the frets.[/quote]

I've quoted this already but I'll quote it again as it really does solve the whole problem.

Your fingers should be moving up, as in the opposite direction from the ground, not pushing the strings into the body of the bass.

[Craigmartini]

[quote name='Linus27' post='460873' date='Apr 12 2009, 10:32 PM']Been playing bass with a plectrum for about 20 years. Decided to start playing with fingers for the last year and a bit and so far so good. Managed to successfully audition for a band and now playing with fingers pretty naturally. However, I think I have either picked up a few bad habits or my aggesive pick style has carried over to my fingers.

I find I am pushing down hard on the strings with my picking hand. This then causes the strings to touch the metal poles on the pickups creating a metal clanking sound. It's only really noticable on the E string, I guess because its fatter. This is happening on my Fender Jazz and Musicman Stingray where the poles are exposed on the pickups. My ESP Jazz has Bartolini's which does not have the pickup poles exposed like my Fender or Musicman and so I do not get this problem.

I know the obvious would be to lower the pickups or raise the strings but I am just wondering if there is anything I can do to adjust my technique before adjusting the setup of my basses.

Any advice really appreciated.[/quote]

As stated by a few others..........
It sounds to me like you are pushing down toward the bass body instead of stroking the string. For example: if you are playing your A string, your finger should come to a stop against the E string not the pick up poles.

If you want to play fast, lighten up some too it will help with your accuracy. Remember there is a only so much tone you can acheive by playing harder. If you go to far with the amount of attack you apply to the string it will do the oppsite of what you are trying to do. The string won't sustain as well, it will make odd noises that you don't want, and you will chase the problem endlessly trying different gear.

Craig

[OutToPlayJazz]

There's some excellent advice on this thread - I'd just say stroke the strings with the fingers & let the amp do the work. After all, that's what it's there for Yes, there are times we dig in a bit, but it needs to be for the correct musical effect & not in order to create more volume. That's what the gain/volume controls are for.

[Linus27]

Reviewing all the great comments so far, I think my problem is my technique on playing the E string. I mentioned in another thread about getting used to playing the E string as it feels odd and my fingers feel in no mans land. The A, D and G feel fine as when I play, they come up and stop on the string above. So in the case of the A, my finger pulls up and stops on the E. I also rest my fingers on the E string when playing the A, D and G. Playing the E string, I have no where to rest my fingers apart from the pickups and so they feel in no mans land. So as I am resting on the pickup, I think I am pulling the string in towards it and hitting the pickups and using this as my stop as apposed to the string above.

Not sure what the fix will be apart from being concious of this and making the effort to not pull in but up on the E string.

[andy67]

hand dynamic and technique are difficult to master, it takes years to develop, this is the point, your individual style. my playing is still uneven and hard but I have never stroked the strings as this technique is far too bippy boppy for me as a rock player,. I'm more sort of under the string but not slapping - that's a technique I can't quite get - my advice would be: go to youtube and check out some online tuition from all types of bassplayers, take the tips and incorporate as much as you need/require and develop from there.

andy

Edited April 14, 2009 by andy67

[Shonks]

I use various finger techniques, some of which are quite aggressive. If you're making sounds you don't like, then its just down to refining your techniques till you start producing the sound that you're trying to achieve.
It's all very well others suggesting how you should play, and its all valid, but in the end, its down to you and your technique. You gotta practise. Then you gotta practise some more!!

[paul h]

I am sure I saw a post at TB where the guy just covered the pole pieces with a bit of tape.

I used to get the same problem because when I was playing predominantly rock I really used to attack the strings. I have mellowed out now so it's not such a big deal. I did actually notice for the first time the other day that I am using the bridge pickup on my SX like a ramp. I can now see the benefit of such a thing. It does tidy up my playing.

Paul.

[Thunderthumbs]

[quote name='Buzz' post='460886' date='Apr 12 2009, 11:43 PM']Play nearer the bridge or just simply learn to play with a lighter touch.[/quote]


[quote name='odub' post='460892' date='Apr 12 2009, 11:49 PM']turn your amp up,[/quote]

I'd advocate both.

I (for years) have played harder than I really should have. I'm now in a transitional stage where I'm trying to play with a lighter touch, and let the amp do the work.

[51m0n]

[quote name='Linus27' post='460940' date='Apr 13 2009, 01:19 AM']I can't turn the amp up. This is at home and so this is playing softly for me. If anything, I need to turn it down :)[/quote]

You are missing the point!!!!

Turn the amp up twice as loud, now play 1/4 as hard: result, half the volume and almost zero effort.

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='Linus27' post='461832' date='Apr 14 2009, 10:16 AM']Reviewing all the great comments so far, I think my problem is my technique on playing the E string. I mentioned in another thread about getting used to playing the E string as it feels odd and my fingers feel in no mans land. The A, D and G feel fine as when I play, they come up and stop on the string above. So in the case of the A, my finger pulls up and stops on the E. I also rest my fingers on the E string when playing the A, D and G. Playing the E string, I have no where to rest my fingers apart from the pickups and so they feel in no mans land. So as I am resting on the pickup, I think I am pulling the string in towards it and hitting the pickups and using this as my stop as apposed to the string above.

Not sure what the fix will be apart from being concious of this and making the effort to not pull in but up on the E string.[/quote]

I have a suspicion, but firstly answer me this: do you have the same problem when you play sitting down?

My theory: you're wearing your bass very low (from your avatar). Your right wrist is resting on the bass body. Your fingers, when at rest, are parallel to the plane of the body of the bass. So when you pluck the E string, instead of stroking parallel to the PotBotB, you're stroking towards it (as you have observed already). Solution is to keep your right hand away from the body, which you won't be able to do unless you wear the bass a bit higher.

S.P.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Stylon Pilson

[Linus27]

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='465185' date='Apr 17 2009, 04:10 PM']I have a suspicion, but firstly answer me this: do you have the same problem when you play sitting down?

My theory: you're wearing your bass very low (from your avatar). Your right wrist is resting on the bass body. Your fingers, when at rest, are parallel to the plane of the body of the bass. So when you pluck the E string, instead of stroking parallel to the PotBotB, you're stroking towards it (as you have observed already). Solution is to keep your right hand away from the body, which you won't be able to do unless you wear the bass a bit higher.

S.P.[/quote]

I think your right on this. I have raised the bass up a little and it has helped but I think I need to be aware of my technique and get used to plucking up and playing softer.