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Advices for reducing buzz / humm of frets

A

Awake928

Jul 10, 2011
14
0
#1
Hello,

thought my progress of playing bass was going fairly good, until I tried to record something, then I noticed lots of buzz in my overall sound. I have been playing a year and a half now, and this problem is a bit demotivating for me.

Please listen to the sample!

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The main problem seems to be that I get that sound of the strings hitting the frets on the fields I play. How to avoid this? This doesn't happen always, on "easier" songs it is rarely heard, but on more complicated ones I hear it more.

Even asked one of my friends who plays bass good to see what will happen, but he doesn't produce the buzz at all. So it is problem in me.

I practice chromatic scales every day for at least a hour, but it didn't help for now.

Any advice is more than welcome!
 
#2
Two things that complicate being able to hear what is going on are that you're using distortion, and the recording is clipping at times.

Still, it sounds to me like your plucking the strings very hard, and it's causing the clanking against the frets. You can try 1) plucking lighter (turning up the gain on the amp might help) 2) plucking more across the strings rather than up-and-down 3) raising the action on your bass..

You say you hear it more on complicated songs. I suspect that as you are trying harder, you're playing harder as well. Try to practice the songs slower and make sure you're RELAXED when playing them. Speed up gradually, but not so much that you're no longer relaxed.

And make sure you practice your technique without distortion so that you can really hear your what's going on.

Just my .02
 
#3
I thought of something else that might help. If you move your plucking hand closer to the bridge, it sometimes help. It's a trade-off as far as tone, but if you're doing this while playing live, the tone might actually cut through the mix better anyway.

I'd still try to get this in control using the other techniques, but if you find yourself doing this while playing with others, it is a small change that requires little else as far as adjustments.
 
#4
Thanks a lot man, I will try your suggestion and we will see what will happen. Might be too rough on the strings with both fretting hand and plucking hand. I have to work on that. As said, on easier songs or when I play chromatic scales that sound is not even heard.

I realized the problem happens mostly when I have to play fast, or do hammer on, most likely my speed is not enough to play the song comfortably with ease. There is no other way but to practice more.
 
#7
Awake928 said:
There is no other way but to practice more.
Click to expand...


I'm with parmezans -- that is a wicked tone. I agree with your sentimenta s well. However, from someone who has been recording for nearly 30 years -- your bass tone in a recording can and should be very noisy. It's all those clicks and scrapes and growls that make your sound in the mix.

I hear nothing at all wrong with your clip. Mix in drums and guitars and it would sound awesome.

If you are interested in changing your rh attack, don't just sit there and play scales. Find or make up a riff to play ostinato, and play it for like 10-20 minutes at a stretch, trying to stay on tempo and on groove. Vary your attack as you get bored of the riff. You will discover all kinds of cool stuff.
 
#9
Do you know how many bassist want to have that kind of tone?
You should try mixing it with other instruments to see how it turns out. I bet that the buzz will almost disappear and it will sound awsome.
 

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