Do you guys fade out live? Does it matter?

paf77 · #1 10-08-2009, 08:31 PM

Do you fade your bass out slowly with your volume knob at the end of a song when you play live? I doubt the audience even cares or notices, but I was just curious about what you guys do.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #2 10-08-2009, 08:56 PM

Your question reminded me of a thread I started long ago:

What's the point of fadeouts?

Jonny B · #3 10-08-2009, 09:03 PM

No. We figure out a way to end songs that fade out.

smeet · #4 10-08-2009, 09:10 PM

I think the OP means do you fade out your bass rather than letting the last note die or killing it.

Yes, I fade it out when I don't want an abrupt end to the last note.

Jonny B · #5 10-08-2009, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smeet

I think the OP means do you fade out your bass rather than letting the last note die or killing it.

Yes, I fade it out when I don't want an abrupt end to the last note.

Well, if that's the case, then I kill it because we either go right into the next song or we end it abruptly.

Valerus · #6 10-08-2009, 09:23 PM

Interesting question.

standupright · #7 10-08-2009, 09:26 PM

not with the volume knob, but by easing up on the attack. play lighter, achieve lower volume.

paf77 · #8 10-08-2009, 10:01 PM

Sorry guys I should have been more clear. I meant when the song is over and your note is just ringing out. Do you guys just kill it after a while or fade it out with the volume knob? That's what I was meaning.

JohnMCA72 · #9 10-08-2009, 10:12 PM

I damp the strings if I need to.

JM

Axtman · #10 10-08-2009, 11:08 PM

I would say that it all depends on the song.

Playing a church I use my volume pedal all the time. Sometimes I fade out before the song is over and the acoustic guitar hits the last chord.

When I played in a classic rock band we always had a big splashy ending and tried to stop on a dime. It's really cool when everyone stops at once.

Steve · #11 10-09-2009, 12:12 AM

If I feel the need to do that, more often than not I mute the string at the bridge saddle.

Don't ask me why. Somewhere along the line I must have had a bass with a scratchy pot and picked up a habit.

JimmyM · #12 10-09-2009, 01:19 AM

I use a bass that doesn't have a buttload of sustain. But I used to, and I would touch the heel of my hand on the strings by the bridge and gradually roll it up the strings until they faded out. I think it sounds more natural that way, but that's a personal preference, I guess.

Jefenator · #13 10-09-2009, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I use a bass that doesn't have a buttload of sustain. But I used to, and I would touch the heel of my hand on the strings by the bridge and gradually roll it up the strings until they faded out. I think it sounds more natural that way, but that's a personal preference, I guess.

This.

BiigM · #14 10-09-2009, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I use a bass that doesn't have a buttload of sustain. But I used to, and I would touch the heel of my hand on the strings by the bridge and gradually roll it up the strings until they faded out. I think it sounds more natural that way, but that's a personal preference, I guess.

Same here. Sounds more natural and is way easier to control.

Try to fade out with the knobs on a two volume setup (eg. jazzbass), hehe. Pretty tough.

To me it's all in the hands. :-)

PJSShearer · #15 10-09-2009, 07:14 AM

Kill it - definitely.

I believe it does matter, a lot - anything else sounds sloppy. Except for special cases, the whole band should hit the "off" together, even if the audience are clapping.

I worked with a Singer once and we spent 10 minutes working on how hard to hit the "off" on one song - he wanted a "little button on the end" and we couldn't quite get it "little" enough for him - he was a picky ******* !!.

smeet · #16 10-09-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJSShearer

Kill it - definitely.

I believe it does matter, a lot - anything else sounds sloppy.

That's an over-generalization of course. *Maybe* that is true for the style of music you play, but it certainly is NOT true across the board.

I sometimes kill it, sometimes fade out with the volume knob, sometimes damp rolling from the bridge as JimmyM said. The whole band does not always have to stop at the same time, it really depends on feel, what you want left "hanging in the air" after the song is over.

jaywa · #17 10-09-2009, 10:53 AM

No. It's not worth the trouble and nobody in the crowd gets it anyway.

The only song we kind of do that in is "Swingtown" and there we just drop out piece by piece in the reverse order the song starts. I.e., the bass and drums are last to keep playing and then bass drops out and the drums go a few more bars and stop.

The only time we fade out is when one of the guitarists forgets his part.

SteveC · #18 10-09-2009, 11:21 AM

We've faded out a couple tunes.

Jehos · #19 10-09-2009, 12:03 PM

Depends on the song. Endings I use:
- Hard stop for songs that need it, or the song ends on a slow-down drum fill
- Let the note ring, fade with volume knob
- Let the note ring, fade with my right hand (touch the string just above the bridge)
- Let the note ring, then quick slide down the neck

RicPlaya · #20 10-09-2009, 02:17 PM

Everything gets an ending
Fading out usually never works right, no volume knob for the drums