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Originally Posted by Phlapp Thanks guys, I never really knew you could get that much dynamics from pops so I'll knuckle down and experiment with different strengths. Consistancy is my biggest foe at the moment but I guess as you say practice should remidy that.
I also was thinking of getting a multi effects box so perhaps making sure it has a compressor would be worth while also. |
Compressors are cool when used as a tool. OTOH when used as a fix or shortcut, there's the problem IMO.
One of the guys I listened to that amazed me when I first started out was Rocco Prestia with Tower of Power. He could pump sixteenth notes with or without dynamic changes so consistently but when I tried to do it I sounded like the audio equivalent of a dork marching with one leg shorter than the other. Over time I fixed that.
Here's a key part of it... practice slow. Don't try to play lines you can play at normal speed. Slow them down and strive for consistency in attack, volume and note duration. It'll probably seem boring at first but before you know it consistency will come.
Experiment with muting, one of the most overlooked techniques on our instrument and one of the most important. You can make a popped note stop immediately with your right or left hand. One of the other things you'll figure out as you go along is that because of the nature of the beast, you really don't have to pluck a string very hard to get whatever volume you need, that's what the amp is for... so work on being able to do what you normally do, at low volume. Learn that kind of control and you'll be way ahead of the game. You'll be able to go from playing super loud to quiet as a mouse, all without touching a knob or using a pedal, just by varying your attack. It really rewards you for the time you put into it.
