What is a ghost note?

[ClayPole]

anybody?

[Prashant]

See the thread "ghost notes and playing in key", in this topic. One of the posts takes a stab at answering this question.

[Scottzo]

Ghost notes are rythmic hits with no tone. I use them mostly when laying down a funk groove. If they're over used they loose the effect and you can sound too busy.
Listen to Jaco's "The Chicken" for ghosts notes he uses to lay down an ass shaking groove.

Ghost notes are also used when doing fast runs. It allows you have a thump for each 32th or 64th note run, but you don't have to hit the note perfectly, that takes some time to use effectivly. But it makes it easier.

That's what I think anyway.

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Thump

[Williamsburg Jim]

Claypole,

One easy way to do these is using 5th's, and maybe not so easy-octave's, as your ghosted note. Say you want to walk, and you're on the IV chord D, skip down a 5th-A with your finger on both frets, then proceed to walk on the low DFA arpeggio. That way if your technique is bad and the note rings, it will still sound good. Did that make sense?