How to mute while slapping.

[saibuster]

Ok so i've searched everywhere for a technique on how to mute strings that are not being played while slapping and all i got
was the slap/mute techniques (ghost notes).

My questing is, while slapping how do you mute the string that are not being played?

We all got our finger style muting techniques (floating thumb, resting thumb), but what about slapping??

to illustrate the problem im having i've recoded a small clip, you can really hear how noisy and un-usable my slap technique is, and i think its mainly because of unwanted string noise.
this riff is played fasted on the original recording i slowed it down to emphasize the problem.

the riff im playing is Pleasure - Glide (maybe im not playing it correctly, extracted by my untrained ear) - the notes are E - B - C sharp D - E - F sharp G sharp B - C sharp ( Sorry but i cant find the sharp symbol on my apple keyboard!?!? )

[attachment=23802:slap_issue.mp3]

[The Funk]

Only have crappy laptop speakers at work so I can't hear what the problem is.

Strings above the one you're slapping, left hand fingers; strings below the one you're slapping, right hand palm.

[saibuster]

[quote name='The Funk' post='462873' date='Apr 15 2009, 12:01 PM']Only have crappy laptop speakers at work so I can't hear what the problem is.

Strings above the one you're slapping, left hand fingers; strings below the one you're slapping, right hand palm.[/quote]

I left a "tail" of the noise I'm referring to after each riff, maybe the frequency is too low for the laptop speakers.


It seems as if the strings below (B in relation the E is lower) the ones I'm playing are the ones that cause the noise.

I've tried to use my left hand for muting but it seems like an impossible technique to develop, I'm probably doing something wrong...

[The Funk]

I should correct myself. I don't mute the lower strings with my rand hand palm while slapping. When I get home I'll have a look at what it is I do.

I'm trying to figure out why the strings below the ones you're playing are rattling. Is it that they don't stop ringing after you've played them and lifted your fretting fingers off?

[Golchen]

Yeah, I can't really hear the problem on crappy PC either. I'm not a great slapper by any stretch of the imagination, but for me I don't really think about it but it's a combination of left hand on the fretboard strings and the ball area of my thumb/palm up at the whackin' end.

[saibuster]

[quote name='The Funk' post='462970' date='Apr 15 2009, 01:35 PM']I should correct myself. I don't mute the lower strings with my rand hand palm while slapping. When I get home I'll have a look at what it is I do.

I'm trying to figure out why the strings below the ones you're playing are rattling. Is it that they don't stop ringing after you've played them and lifted your fretting fingers off?[/quote]

I think the strings rattle because of the slap, i mean i dont use too excessive force, quite the opposite i try and keep the force i put into the slap as minimum as possible.
But you still have to use a bit of force in order to produce a good sound and i think that it makes the other strings rattle. The warwick active pickups are also
vert hot and basically pickup evert slight movement of the strings.

[fingers]

While slapping, the majority of the muting will happen in your left hand. What I sometimes do is hook my thumb over the neck when slapping the higher strings to help mute the lowest string.

I'm not familiar with the track you mentioned, but maybe this will help? I found this on youtube:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inhRXhZ7sXE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inhRXhZ7sXE[/url]

[Dubs]

I've never really thought about how I mute so I've just spent about 15 mins working it out; I also do a lot of left hand muting whilst slapping, but I also palm mute with my right hand depending on the riff. I think this just comes naturally with time because this is something I've never considered/consciously thought about.

EDIT: I could hear exactly what your muting problem was from the clip, but I don't know what to suggest apart from more practice and it should come with time.

Edited April 17, 2009 by benwhiteuk

[MB1]

MB1.
.....How to mute while slapping?.
.....Grit your teeth and keep youre mouth closed!....Sorry!..I'll get me coat!.

[Simon]

[quote name='saibuster' post='462862' date='Apr 15 2009, 11:53 AM']( Sorry but i cant find the sharp symbol on my apple keyboard!?!? )

[attachment=23802:slap_issue.mp3][/quote]

Alt and 3

[saibuster]

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='464874' date='Apr 17 2009, 12:07 PM']I've never really thought about how I mute so I've just spent about 15 mins working it out; I also do a lot of left hand muting whilst slapping, but I also palm mute with my right hand depending on the riff. I think this just comes naturally with time because this is something I've never considered/consciously thought about.

EDIT: I could hear exactly what your muting problem was from the clip, but I don't know what to suggest apart from more practice and it should come with time.[/quote]


I know its all about practice but i feel like i might rooting a bad technique and than it would be much harder to relearn...


[quote name='Simon' post='465205' date='Apr 17 2009, 04:27 PM']Alt and 3

[/quote]

haha thanks! i wonder why they hide it like that!? ###

[bassbloke]

I think what you're describing is sympathetic ringing, which is always going to be a bit of problem on a 5 string bass. I just played a couple of lines on my bass (fiver) and I manage to keep it in check through a combination of very subtle damping with the top of my right wrist and left hand muting with the flat of my palm.

I don't know whether this is sacrilege, but from the videos I've seen of some of the slap greats (Larry Graham, Louis Johnson), the focus was on the percussive and bouncy quality of the lines not 100% efficient execution and that's what going to be more important for an effective slap line.

I don't mean fr one minute to be sloppy, but a little bit of sympathetic ringing will probably get lost in a mix.

[Dubs]

[quote name='bassbloke' post='465880' date='Apr 18 2009, 06:15 AM']I don't know whether this is sacrilege, but from the videos I've seen of some of the slap greats (Larry Graham, Louis Johnson), the focus was on the percussive and bouncy quality of the lines not 100% efficient execution and that's what going to be more important for an effective slap line.

I don't mean fr one minute to be sloppy, but a little bit of sympathetic ringing will probably get lost in a mix.[/quote]

I'd tend to agree with this a lot.

[Alun]

Hi. Just had a listen and yes, that is the open strings ringing sympathetically by the sounds of it. Probably the easiest way will be to keep your right hand close to the bass and mute the lower stings with your palm/wrist.

Although a little sympathetic ringing will get lost in the mix, you still don't really want Bs oe Es rumbling along if you're in Bb IMO, it's best to clean it up and not assume "no one will notice"

Cheers
Alun