Smooth

[ninthwondernj]

this is like my first week actually taking time out to practice with my bass, and im working on the E string, trying to work on the pattern 1-3-4. and im finding it very hard to move from the 1st fret to the 3rd without getting extra vibrations in the E string and this different annoying sound of the string hitting the fretboard? any tips on which hand or fingers to use to mute these annoying sounds and like move from fret to fret more smooth?

[cowsgomoo]

so you're holding down the 'F' on the E string and using 1 finger per fret, with your pinkie grabbing that A flat and your ring finger grabbing the G ?

I can think of 2 main reasons you're getting buzzing from the E (assuming your bass is set up ok)...

1. your pinkie isn't stretched out far enough to hold down the string in the optimum position i.e. right behind the fret (which isn't anything to be ashamed of.. it's a long stretch for those of us with normal sized hands).. for the stretch to the G, remember your ring finger is naturally the weaker and less mobile of all your fingers, and it'll always probably always feel a bit of a poor relation to the others (something about nerve pathways & tendons i believe)

2. maybe it IS stretched out and in the correct place but the amount of finger strength you can apply isn't quite enough to hold it down firmly and let the note ring properly

either way, plenty of practice with 1-finger-per-fret exercises up and down the board will soon cure both of those things... it sounds like a case of a bit more stretch & a bit more strength needed... you'll be surprised how quickly it can be overcome

[ninthwondernj]

i assume that its setup properly, cuz its brand new out the box for like 2 weeks. thanks alot, ill be practicing my ass off

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by ninthwondernj

i assume that its setup properly, cuz its brand new out the box for like 2 weeks. thanks alot, ill be practicing my ass off

If it was sealed in it's shipping box, then I wouldn't assume proper setup.

If you ask me, a music store should unbox and check an instrument to check it and clean it and touch-up the setup, if needed. ..but I suppose some people freak out if something isn't virgin-in-the-box.

When I used to be on the road (as an audio tech), I'd request to be sent a floor-model demo item (processing gear) if they had one out. When I used to work at a smallish music store in the late seventies, we would always detail a new instrument before delivery. For guitars, at least, we'd also ask (or already know) what the buyer's usual favorite string guage and brand is, and deliver it with those.

That reminds me of something: It seems to me that basses on display at music stores almost always have what to me seems to be a real high action. I adjust mine very low - just-avoiding fret-buzz for normal to fairly hard plucking - Is there some other advantage to keeping the strings high, besides fret buzz?

Joe

[Eli M.]

Originally Posted by Joe P

That reminds me of something: It seems to me that basses on display at music stores almost always have what to me seems to be a real high action. I adjust mine very low - just-avoiding fret-buzz for normal to fairly hard plucking - Is there some other advantage to keeping the strings high, besides fret buzz?

I've noticed the opposite. A lot of the basses I've tried in stores have very low action, low enough that there is lots of fret buzz and other sounds that I don't care for. I find it very hard to try basses in stores for this reason.

For me, the advantage of high action is that it gives me the sound I want. I set my action quite high, and I find that it gives me a more well-defined attack, because I am able to pluck harder.