This thing Jaco does...

[iwannalearnbass]

I don’t know what you call or how to do it, but he sometimes plays this really short abrupt note, it sounds like it’s muted, but it’s not. Hopefully someone know what I’m talking about.

How do you do it?

[iamthebassplayr]

Can you share a specific example? Song and the time it occurs =).

[REAPER52]

harmonics?maybe

[pacojas]

take your right hand, lay your thumb on the sweet spot (near the pups), and pluck the string as normally done. take your left hand and finger the notes as usual. this creates the sound of the note that been altered by the harmonic that you played with your right thumb.

i think thats what you mean,...?!?!

[4001]

False harmonics.

[iwannalearnbass]

He does it all the time in Chicken. Don't have access to my music right now so can't point out the time it occurs.

[Grantrudd]

would it be a dead note? it kind of resembles the pitch which you are playing, but very muted and staccato. he uses them in the chicken all the time, and all of his groove playing for that matter. this is achieved by putting your fingers on your left hand on the strings but not fretting. be careful not to do it by a natural harmonic, more fingers the better. hope this helps.

Grant

[4001]

Rest the thumb on the string with the same pressure you would use for making harmonics and pluck the string BEHIND your thumb and kind of under the palm of your hand.
Like a "thumbs up" thing, only laying lengthwise, sideways along the strings.

Uh, maybe that was a bit confusing??

It's hard to explain.
Gary Willis does this too.

[iwannalearnbass]

The thumb thing sounds like it could be it. I'll give it a try when I get home. Thanks!

[4001]

Once you get the placement and right pressure for the thumb and correct plucking of the string, you can slide your hand (same positions, dont change it) up and down the string between the pickups and find different harmonic places. And then you can start string hopping too!
It's a cool effect for a different color.
Don't overuse it though. You're a bass player.

[iwannalearnbass]

BTW, what do you call this technique?

[4001]

I thought it was called "false harmonics."
I could be wrong though.

[Craig_S]

um... Ghost note, maybe? It's a percussive sound. Very common in R&B and funk.

[Broadbent]

It sounds like you're talking about muted/ghost notes and not false harmonics. A great example is the Chorus in "Come On, Come Over".

[Akshat]

yea those are ghost notes or dead notes

[Darkstrike]

Stacatto?

[TheVoiceless]

Ghost notes, check out Tower of Power and Rocco Prestia(not sure on the last name spelling). Those are ghost notes.

[RestInPieces]

Originally Posted by 4001

Rest the thumb on the string with the same pressure you would use for making harmonics and pluck the string BEHIND your thumb and kind of under the palm of your hand.
Like a "thumbs up" thing, only laying lengthwise, sideways along the strings.

Uh, maybe that was a bit confusing??

It's hard to explain.
Gary Willis does this too.

These are ARTIFICIAL HARMONICS



But I don't know what the OP is looking for.

[iwannalearnbass]

Ok let me be more precise. I don't think it's a harmonic cuz harmonics are usually quite high pitched.

It basically sounds like a normal note, except it cuts out really sharp, bright and fast, like the string just broke or something. You also hear it in the chorus of Come on, Come over.

Is that just staccato?

[jgroh]

Yes sounds like Ghost Notes to me. And they really help funk up a bassline. I love using them to get a funky feeling going.