Attn. Geddy Fans: Another Muting Question

trenken · #1 03-10-2006, 09:08 PM

I been working on the Jaco style of quick muting using your plucking hand. I'm getting a better at it. But there is one thing that Geddy does in the song Prime Mover on Hold Your Fire right at 1:32 that I need some help with.

Here is the tab if I remember the exact notes correctly, but its close enough:

D---5--4--5--7
A ----0--0--0--0

That's it. Looks simple enough. But he does it really fast and each note is perfectly muted. It's really tight with the muting. I know how to mute notes using my right hand, but I just can't seem to nail this. If someone knows this part, and knows how to handle it, can they give an explanation? It would be greatly appreciated.

Geddy does do the floating thumb technique a lot, which is how I play. Im real good at moving it around fast. But I try that here and it just doesnt mute that A string fast enough. He is playing this part too fast for me to see using the thumb as a good way to do this.

Thanks in advance.

Double Agent · #2 03-10-2006, 09:29 PM

If I'm not mistaken those are all hammer on's & pull-off's on the D string. I don't think he hits the open A in that riff at all.

i.e. D ---5-0-4-0-5-0-7

Try it, it sounds right to me

trenken · #3 03-10-2006, 09:38 PM

Maybe that is what he's doing, but it just doesnt sound right to me for some odd reason. He is plucking it all though right? It sounds like he is plucking every note to me.

trenken · #4 03-10-2006, 09:44 PM

I just tried it. I think you are right in that he does it all on the same string and he definitely is plucking it. Around that time he started plucking closer to the bridge to get that tighter Jaco type sound. I tried down there and it sounds right now.

trenken · #5 03-10-2006, 09:48 PM

To expand on it, I wonder if it can be done the other way though with the same speed?

Double Agent · #6 03-10-2006, 10:08 PM

Anything can be done, but to do it at that speed on alternate strings makes it quite a bit harder to me. Also, the open A string wouldn't be the right note (though it would be hard to notice at that speed) so you would have to fret the A at the 5th fret while moving around on the D. But, it could fun to experiment with. He does the same style of playing during the middle section of Show Don't Tell and I love playing that song.

trenken · #7 03-10-2006, 10:15 PM

Yeah that song is a fun one to play. Very funky bass work going on. Definitely the best bass technical work on his part on that album. The rest is pretty bland if you ask me, but still good for the songs. Actually everything after that was pretty bland in my opinion, aside from some stuff on Counterparts when he got back to a more aggressive playing style. And that has a lot to do with his difficulties with playing with 2 fingers as he got older. Now he does that crazy aggressive rake with the top side of his fingers. And he does it so fast. Sounds good though. I hate the feeling of doing that. His plucking fingers must be a real wreck!

I know the open A wouldnt be the right note for Prime Mover, but I was just curious if you can do that same line, but with the open A instead and keep it very tight and just as fast. I just wouldnt know how to handle the muting at that speed. I could handle what you said fretting the A at the 5th. That would be pretty easy. It's trying to do that open A muted so fast is tough.

For some odd reason, I always thought this was how he did it and I could never nail it. Surprisingly too I have a pretty good ear. Thats how I learned and ive learned most of Rush's songs this way. That one open D must have slipped under the radar. I almost feel cheated because of how easy it really is obviously since it all on the D.

Double Agent · #8 03-10-2006, 10:21 PM

I couldn't do it. I should also mention that when I play Prime Mover, I don't pluck every note. I only pluck the fretted notes, which would be equivalent to plucking even 8th notes and pulling off to the open D to make the 16ths. Again, I am not saying this is right, just the way I have done it for a while.

Counterparts is one of my all-time favorite albums. Of all the modern albums (Presto and later), I think it has best combination of playing and songwriting. Presto didn't do much for me though other than the bass tone. I love how he sounded on the Wal. I think he sounds great on the Jazz too, a little grittier.

Cheers!

trenken · #9 03-10-2006, 10:28 PM

Yeah im pretty sure he's fretting and just straight plucking all those notes in Prime Mover. I just tried it and aside from the tone, it sounds exactly like it. He's definitely doing the right hand muting technique that Jaco made famous there too.

Counterparts is a good one, aside from a few songs which I really hate. Mostly Between Sun and Moon and the god awful Speed of Love. I really like the songwriting on Presto. Its a bit darker and I pretty much like all the songs on that album. Roll the Bones had some good stuff. T4E I thought was terrible.

I could talk about Rush all night but I gotta catch some Z's.