palmmutes and downstrokes

[napalmslayer]

I am a new bassist, i used to play guitar. I play metal and i was just wondering..do bass players palm mute the down strokes when playing really fast? or do they just keep the strings open? For example, the main verse riff for master of puppets by metallica. I can play that on guitar, and i play bass with a pick, but is it played palm muted just like the guitar?? sorry if this question is confusing, i just want to be able to play really fast clear down strokes, thanx for any comments

[unatratnag]

Originally Posted by napalmslayer

I am a new bassist, i used to play guitar. I play metal and i was just wondering..do bass players palm mute the down strokes when playing really fast? or do they just keep the strings open? For example, the main verse riff for master of puppets by metallica. I can play that on guitar, and i play bass with a pick, but is it played palm muted just like the guitar?? sorry if this question is confusing, i just want to be able to play really fast clear down strokes, thanx for any comments

Typically you don't palm-mute strings in metal as a bassist. You'll want to play the notes clear because as the bassplayer you want to get the lower fundamentals and power of the low end in the mix and lock in with the drummer. Try listening to guitars just chugging or playing low with distortion with the bass and then again without the bass. Feels a lot more empty without the bass.... But that's just a generalization, it's not that you can't ever do this. Cliff burton as a fingerstyle player you'll notice doesn't mute main riffs like mop as u mentioned specifically. Practice the riffs slower to get it cleaner and for the really fast passages in metal, they tend to get 'dumbed' down for the bass since it's not your job necessarily to double the guitar at all times. Good luck.

[panazza]

I don't even know how to do a decent palm-muting... and I play metal.... I have never seen a metal bass player palm-muting... but surely someone does that.