Muting

[shughey]

How would you play a mute as follows

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---------x------
--3-x-3-----------

What's the proper technique for getting agood muted stroke sound playing fingerstyle?

[K2000]

To mute the note on the E string, I would release some of the tension so the note sounded dead. I would stay in the same position on the neck, and just lower my hand and let a fleshy part of my finger(s) mute the A string note.

If there are other notes before/after this example, it could alter the technique depending on where those other notes needed to be played.

Mute using anything... just use a light 'dead finger' or even grab the whole neck lightly, it almost doesn't matter in the example you gave. Sometimes I'll mute like I'm grabbing a baseball bat (only lighter) just glom your hand on there.

[BullHorn]

Yeah, just mute a note with your finger wherever you were, or better so, go to the place where you will have to play a note after the muted note, pick the muted and then you're on the spot for playing the next note.

I also use my thumb to mute the E string incase I'm popping the D or G strings and then slapping on the E again (A la Get Up And Jump by RHCP).

[shughey]

When it comes to muting strings from ringing out, what technique do bassist like Geezer Butler use who anchor in one position?

[exin]

if the mute is just a ghost note why not just shift it to the same string? .. of course the sound will be a little different muting on the A string instead of the E string but it's just a mute .. so .. to get the mute sound out .. just use the same string?

[shughey]

Originally Posted by shughey

When it comes to muting strings from ringing out, what technique do bassist like Geezer Butler use who anchor in one position?

.

[K2000]

Are you taking about muting, or ghost notes? That's two different techniques.

If you play fingerstyle, you can mute either hand, depending on what notes are being played, on what strings. With pick, it may be a different skill you need to learn, with your picking hand. With fingerstyle, you have the advantage that you are always touching the strings with your plucking hand.

Anyway muting is a big topic, it's something you have to work on, and it takes time to learn and it takes practice. And whenever you learn a new bass line, you'll also be learning how to mute it, in the way that is best for you. Muting isn't something that you learn as a beginner, and then that's it you're all done learning. You'll be working on it with every new riff you play, and it's a matter of adapting the best technique to whatever line you're playing, based on your own preferences.

One of the first things I was taught on the bass is to do whatever it takes to "get" the notes... in other words, in this case, use anything you can to mute the strings... the palm of your right hand, the fleshy part at the bass of your thumb (right hand), the non-active fingers on your picking hand, the fatty parts of your left-hand fingers.... whatever. Anything that works, which sounds good, which leaves you in best position to play the next notes. There's probably 10 different ways to mute the strings in your first example... just find a technique that works, using any part of either hand, as long as it's efficient for achieving the next notes.

[zazz]

for me muting comes from within....its all tied up with ghost notes and right and left hand damping technique.

and the thing is i never conciously thought about it or was taught it...it just evolved naturally over time. It was only later on that i acctually realised that what everyone was talking about i was already doing anyway. In fact if i try to analyse whats really going on down there ..i supprise myself at whats really happening...its like im on complete autopilot.

my point is that if you know what you want to hear from your bass...then your fingers will start to dampen naturally in their own way...subconciously....just follow your ears.

[bloodline462]

i'd play it by fretting the g (assuming its tuned standard) with my middle finger, then i'd let off the note but still touch the string and play a dead note, and then the g again, then touch the a string with my index and play a dead note. alternately, for the a string mute it roll my middle finger down so it touches the a string as well as the e string, and just use that one finger.