How do I do this?

waytoodeep03 · #1 03-17-2008, 02:01 PM

OK on about the 2:07 and 2:18 mark this dude is doing some funky tremolo type sound that I cant do for the life of me on my bass. When I try my strings seem too stiff or something and it doesnt get that vibrato that he has.

What are the best type of strings to achieve this and how the heck do I do this properly?

http://www.gospelmusicians.com/media...sage_of_Scale/

Illbay · #2 03-17-2008, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waytoodeep03

OK on about the 2:07 and 2:18 mark this dude is doing some funky tremolo type sound that I cant do for the life of me on my bass. When I try my strings seem too stiff or something and it doesnt get that vibrato that he has.

What are the best type of strings to achieve this and how the heck do I do this properly?

http://www.gospelmusicians.com/media...sage_of_Scale/

You appear to use the terms "vibrato" and "tremolo" interchangeably, but they are NOT interchangeable.

"Vibrato" is a rapid fluctuation of PITCH. "Tremolo" is a rapid fluctuation of VOLUME. I haven't time to look at the video (esp. not here at work), but maybe that would give you a clue.

What is it that you're hearing: "vibrato" or "tremolo?"

c_joseph_lier · #3 03-17-2008, 02:10 PM

well, i watched the video ... the audio was a little bit off, but it seems to be what I have been taught was called a trill ... you can plant one finger on one fret and then use another finger to hammer-on and release on the fret below, or you can use your fretting finger right at the fret and move the finger back and forth over the fret changing the pitch ... this second way is very similar to vibrato used by fretless players (and cellists, violists, etc.) ... i hope that this has helped, even if only to get someone else closer to giving you the correct answer...

nysbob · #4 03-17-2008, 02:29 PM

I thought it was interesting that he didn't mention the fact that he was playing a Bb instead of a B until the very end.

As stated above - he's doing a trill. It's more dramatic on a fretted instrument because relatively little movement results in a full semitone shift. To do it, he's rocking a finger so the note fluctuates between two frets, in this case between A & Bb.

Illbay · #5 03-17-2008, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nysbob

To do it, he's rocking a finger so the note fluctuates between two frets, in this case between A & Bb.

Interesting. Again, haven't had time (or place) to look a the vid, but what you're describing sound like a "radical" vibrato movement that ends up SOUNDING like a trill.

As an earlier commentor noted, a "trill" on a stringed instruments is typically affected by the "hammer-on/pull-off" (they don't call it that in orchestral string playing, btw...they just call it "a trill.")

onlyclave · #6 03-17-2008, 03:45 PM

Actually he's playing what I call a "shake". Use one finger to slide back and forth very quickly between 2 frets. A trill is using 2 fingers, one per fret, to hammer/release. Shakes are funkier sounding than trills.

nysbob · #7 03-17-2008, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illbay

Interesting. Again, haven't had time (or place) to look a the vid, but what you're describing sound like a "radical" vibrato movement that ends up SOUNDING like a trill.

As an earlier commentor noted, a "trill" on a stringed instruments is typically affected by the "hammer-on/pull-off" (they don't call it that in orchestral string playing, btw...they just call it "a trill.")

Exactly right. If he were playing a fretless, I don't think the vibrato would be extreme enough to fully cover the semitone, but frets pick up the slack, so it's accomplished by vibrato, but SOUNDS like a trill.

Traver · #8 03-17-2008, 04:59 PM

Just as an additional note, this technique (let's just call it a "shake", I like that word) is as mentioned the equivalent of a trill, but shakes have more of a rough, unclean sound, whereas trills are a bit cleaner. Different genres generally prefer one technique over the other (as far as I know, the "shakes" are pretty common in jazz and funk, but I've yet to see any in metal and hard rock, where trills are more common).

waytoodeep03 · #9 03-18-2008, 08:48 AM

SO..... What strings are best for achieving this effect? My strings are stainless steel and they are real stiff when I try to do this

onlyclave · #10 03-18-2008, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waytoodeep03

SO..... What strings are best for achieving this effect? My strings are stainless steel and they are real stiff when I try to do this

Sounds like the strings you have right now are perfect. The way you practice this is very slowly. Set your metronome at 60 bpm and put your first finger on 7th fret A on your D string. Playing 8th notes slide your finger between the 7th and 8th frets. Then move to your second finger, third and then fourth following the same pattern. When your finger are good and sore from practicing this then move your metronome up 5 bpm and try it again but do it on a different string and fret just to keep it interesting.

Yeah, it's boring, I know but slowly and accurately is the only way to get good at something quickly. I have found that this little "trick" works best on strings that I would normally pop, like th D and G and doesn't sound so good on the E and A.

You don't need new strings.