Little Finger Noise/Unclean

[stoob]

When I play near the headstock doing runs and hammering my little finger down on the frets, I get a lot of noise and undesirable uncleanness, a bit of fret buzz but more hammering noises. It's particularly noticeable when I'm doing faster runs. I try to play near the frets but this doesn't help much, so I'm obviously not doing something right. I think it's because the little finger is more flatter over the strings?

What's the best way to apply the little finger? I've been playing for years but can't get my little finger to behave and play like his other brothers!

[john grey]

Just opinion.....my remarks apply to my experience only: YMMV. ----> And please excuse the long winded dialog.
Technique is a difficult thing to discuss because the need to describe ALL the variables.
Obviously, if this happens when you move faster; move slower for a longer time until that element of co-ordination becomes a bit more comfortable. The slower you move the more you can dissect those elements that you incorporate into your fret-hand.
Superficially, it's not uncommon to have less finger pressure and co-ordination when the fingers are widely spaced out such as at the top of the neck. That is one of the main reasons for scale practice with some open string soundings to maintain your co-ordination at that area of the neck. The more hammer-ons and stretched hand scales you do the more likely it is that you'll remedy that issue. But you must FORCE yourself to recognize the error and STOP. Do everything you can NOT to continue to repeat a problem.

Look at various scale patterns that demand the separation (wider spacing) of the ring finger to the pinky and work those up at the nut end of the neck. What it seems that you are describing is quite common simply because it's a weak and small finger as well as being in a stretched position. Hammer-ons & pull-offs are your friend; as are bending notes & pivots from that finger.
What's also an issue is the strings being used. IF you are using flats or thicker strings they will obviously be much harder to compress than med-light round-wound strings. When making contact at the height of the neck.... as the pinky compresses the string, the pressure of the index finger lightens until (with those whose hands are smaller) they begin to come away completely.

I know a young woman who has VERY small hands and plays EXTREMELY well. She simply compensates by lifting up the index finger/ring-finger when appropriate; that is not unique nor even poor form in all cases so long as the [pinky sounded] note is clean & the hand is in position to move further without difficulty. However she had practiced keeping all finger down to the limit of her ability early on.
Much of our technique issues arise as by-products of how we were introduced to the use of the instrument the very first months we played. If self-taught, we (almost all) have had issues that later on we had to fight to move away from.

Edit:
I actually got off the phone with someone who had this issue & what they did was freeze their hand in a "perfect position" (for them) up near the nut and sounded pinky notes until they were clear as a bell and would repeat this over and over (with variations of plucking tempo, etc) throughout a practice session so they could remember what their hand "felt like" to be in the correct position for pressure to be exerted on the weakest finger. They also would close their eyes after a time and "grab" the neck in that position, so they were not looking at the hand but allowing it to fall into proper position by "feeling for fret wire".
Hope this helps - J

[stoob]

Cool reply, thanks! I've taken what you said and really studied my fingering. It looks like I touch the string above slightly with my little finger, so creating a buzz on that string.

The only way to really cure this is to curl my fingers more on the strings and lift the headstock upwards more. This is totally awkward and will be a steep relearning curve but hey, we must suffer for our art!

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by john grey

Edit:
I actually got off the phone with someone who had this issue & what they did was freeze their hand in a "perfect position" (for them) up near the nut and sounded pinky notes until they were clear as a bell and would repeat this over and over (with variations of plucking tempo, etc) throughout a practice session so they could remember what their hand "felt like" to be in the correct position for pressure to be exerted on the weakest finger.

Great advice and the only way to find out if it is you or the bass.
On a technical point, push in the middle of any fret, it provides the least point of resistance.
For a good tone the string has to be tight to both sides of the fret....fret buzz can occur behind the fingers as well as in front of them and far away from the fretted note as well and even on a string not being played?

Practice any little finger work above the 7th fret ( away from the headstock) and don't be afraid to use the ringfinger behind the little finger to suport it until it can function on its own.

check out the link

Simandl Method for Electric Bass

[john grey]

Originally Posted by stoob

Cool reply, thanks! I've taken what you said and really studied my fingering. It looks like I touch the string above slightly with my little finger, so creating a buzz on that string.

The only way to really cure this is to curl my fingers more on the strings and lift the headstock upwards more. This is totally awkward and will be a steep relearning curve but hey, we must suffer for our art!

Again only my opinion here (I've never taught....but had a lot of lessons).....Your observation is extremely important. You have isolated the problem by close observation of your technique & seen it's implications in other areas of your playing. You must find what works for you in a manner that may NOT be natural at first.
Often we seek the easiest course to accomplish the result we want at the time but may not realize that later on; further adjustments must be made. But if we take a more difficult route we may have solved the issue for good.

You say that you have noticed a buzz due to contact with the string above and that might be the key to the method of practice that might totally lock in a clean note. A hammer-on from the sounding pinky/string to the one above!
This would be a difficult exercise but it may totally clean up your little-finger soundings.
Select a position in the middle of the neck where you are NOT stretched out and do a hammer-on with the pinky and then hit the string above: lets say on your "D" string at the 10th fret you make your first hammer-on (with the pinky), then make a hammer-on to the "G" (above) without moving the rest of your fingers what-so-ever. Hammer-on "D" then "G". Eventually move close to the nut; stretching out your fingers wider. Eventually with a few minutes and several repetitions of this exercise before your regular sessions your coordination will improve to a remarkable extent as your mind becomes totally conscious of the need to co-ordinate that pinky finger. It may only take a week or two to lock in a completely solid method of controlling your weakest finger.
This is the classic "self-teaching" modality that is part of many lessons. the "self-discovery" and discipline issue are paramount to faster progress - IMO.

EDIT: I've been playing for a long time and have learned from my mistakes. One of my big mistakes was to not "look ahead" toward what a short-cut in my practice would result. I just wanted to play the lick or whatever; so I took the shortest, simplest method to accomplish that. AND I found that a year or so later I would have to "un-learn" what I was doing instead to having the disciple to stay with something the 1st time. Now I practice the most mundane scales and patterns. It's become a question of discipline to keep myself from "noodeling" or playing what was easy or fast rather than running off different scales or whatever. I found myself "un-learning" more and more as years went by. Annoying & strange; but true.