Jamerson Technique

[SS73]

The flicking one finger technique is not the most powerful sound producer, so I think J had his volume set quite loud and this together he could remain very consistent.
I have noticed he doesn't dampen the higher strings though seems just the E and A.

[Rettoglide1]

i have tried both methods and dont see what difference it makes......................anyway- i just ordered "The Funk Brothers" dvd....so looking forward to that.

[Sibob]

It's important to remember that Jameson's technique was born out of him playing upright for a number of years. It wasn't to get a sound, it wasn't to be flashy, just who he was! .
Sometimes I cop the one finger technique, but only usually to get a particular tone that I've found I can achieve with it....not to sound like Jameson.

Si

[JTUK]

I think it was a technique that really worked for him...but I wouldn't try and ape the one fingered thing above all else...

The key is the way that the bass sound has very little sustain on the note, and things like strings, amps etc can influence that sort of thing as much as his playing style. The pics show his middle RH finger trailing the plucking finger so that would have been a dampening element if required.
Most people would ape that with two fingers today.

[TomKent]

[quote name='JTUK' post='843870' date='May 21 2010, 09:52 AM']Most people would ape that with two fingers today.[/quote]

I don't think that's specifically true though. There are some motown lines which [i]do not[/i] sit right without practising them (with two fingers), however with one finger you can nail them first time through. I'm in no way saying one finger is better than two though, I use both. I've just noticed some lines work substantially better with one finger than two. I may be completely wrong and a freak though so, ignore this if you wish.

[Lo.]

Hi - I have many videos up on youtube showing the hook technique. It is definitely the best way to approach his lines. The floating thumb allows you to mute using the tip or side of the thumb. Because I normally use two fingers I have always struggled to rest my middle finger on the pickup cover like Jamerson did.

The Motown tone is all about fat flatwounds, high action and bass bridge muting under the cover (on top of strings, not under them). There are also many heavily compressed/limited Jamerson recordings where the natural sound of his bass is given more attack by the limiter. Despite the the reduction in dynamic range the benefits of this were that you can hear lots of very fast lines that would be too low in volume if the limiter wasn't used - as Jamerson played faster, the notes were quieter, as his hook couldn't travel as far.

Cheers.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamersonshook"]http://www.youtube.com/user/jamersonshook[/url]

Edited May 21, 2010 by Lo.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Lo.' post='844420' date='May 21 2010, 05:32 PM']Hi - I have many videos up on youtube showing the hook technique. It is definitely the best way to approach his lines. The floating thumb allows you to mute using the tip or side of the thumb. Because I normally use two fingers I have always struggled to rest my middle finger on the pickup cover like Jamerson did.

The Motown tone is all about fat flatwounds, high action and bass bridge muting under the cover (on top of strings, not under them). There are also many heavily compressed/limited Jamerson recordings where the natural sound of his bass is given more attack by the limiter. Despite the the reduction in dynamic range the benefits of this were that you can hear lots of very fast lines that would be too low in volume if the limiter wasn't used - as Jamerson played faster, the notes were quieter, as his hook couldn't travel as far.

Cheers.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamersonshook"]http://www.youtube.com/user/jamersonshook[/url][/quote]
Hey, Lo.

I've been preparing for an audition with a soul/motown band next week and your videos have been very handy. So, thanks.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Spoombung' post='842984' date='May 20 2010, 12:02 PM']Funnily enough, the 'standard' two finger technique has quite a few flaws in itself - ie, crossing strings, upstrokes and limited dampening... and is far from ideal.[/quote]
I find the biggest flaw with the two finger technique is that my middle finger never sounds exactly the same as my index finger - so, as long as the line allows it, I'll often use index finger only for consistency of tone.