Simple question :s

[Revent]

Hey im here again, i recently was here with a post about my strings clanging against the fretboard when i play fast riffs of one note,
Im here now to ask, please may someone tell me the best place to play on a bass with my fingers? e.g middle, near the fret board, or very close to the bridge for when im playing things like heavy metal and death metal.

please help me! im confused on what to do


Edit: does it matter where i play?

[Revent]

Any comments would be appreciated

[SpamBot]

You move around to get tonal variation, so they're all valid options.

[gidbass]

honestly you do what sounds good, and feels good for you. we are all different...

I play over the neck pickup sometimes, and over the bridge pickup other times as SpamBot said, to get tonal variation.

The string tension is greater closer to the bridge, so maybe that will help with your clanking. Playing in the neck position, you may need to not dig in so much.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[Revent]

what is the neck position?

[AgIdoc]

as others have mentioned, the place you pluck/pick/slap makes a difference in the sound, so it depends on what you like.

i have had jazz basses, and 90% of the time i'm plucking over the neck p/u b/c i put my thumb on it when i'm on the B or E strings. just a personal preference

[AgIdoc]

Originally Posted by Revent

what is the neck position?

he's talking about playing directly over the neck pickup...the pickup closest to the neck if your bass has 2 p/u's

[BassMan7530]

I usually play right over the pickup closest to the neck because it gives me the most even and balanced sound. I usually never play over the pickup closest to the bridge because it is uncomfortable for my hand and fingers, but sometimes I pluck between the pickups for a bit more of a punchier tone. And every once and awhile, I will play over the higher frets on the fretboard if I'm trying to get a Sabbath-esque Geezer Butler kind of tone.

But really, like everyone is saying, there's no right or wrong place to pluck the strings. It all depends on what's most comfortable, and what kind of sound you are trying to get. Just do plenty of experimenting!

[BDL1991]

Majority of the time I personally prefer to play inbetween the neck and bridge p/u's and I played Heavier stuff in an old band that began to branch into Death Metal of sorts before it ended.
In my opinion if you want the Fretsound, dig in, say inbetween the pickups or in front of the neck pickup, if you want something, tighter without the excess clang go for the bridge pickup, though do you use your fingers or a pick for heavy/death metal?