Any tapping advice?

[EatADeadGoat]

So I am learning tapping on bass. My issue is sometimes the strings still ring out after I leave that string for the next one. Any advice?

 

[kb9wyz]

I have seen people use that anti-slip stuff you would put under carpet on wood floors or in cabinets. Just shove some under the strings at the nut. Some people will use those thick hair ties or sweatbands or socks. Some sponge under the strings at the bridge.

The anti slip stuff seemed to work the best from what I've seen people use. Mind you, the person I say use that was the one-armed guy. He seemed to think it did a great job. You need to change periodically I guess. It dries out or whatever.

 

[EatADeadGoat]

Isnt there sone way i could avoid strings ringing out on my own without having to use any kind of socks or other junk like that? Id rather be able to do it myself vs needing an item or product

 

[DasClyde]

Used another hand/finger to mute the string?

 

[Flaggus]

when your two handed tapping and you release a string, your finger can still be making some contact with the string to dampen it. Also use the fleshy part of the right palm to mute, depending on what your doing. Just takes some practice.

 

[Infrasonik B.]

I know you said no products but I got this recently and I'm really happy I did.

GRUV GEAR · FretWraps String Muters · MAKE LIFE GRUV

Does the same thing as a sock/scrunchie but looks and works A LOT better!

Can't tell you how much it's improved my two-hand tapping.

Jay is also great to deal with, much recommended product/company!

 

[chaosMK]

I don't use a scrunchy (sp?) or anything like that to dampen my sound. I guess it's never been an issue for me and I've often used tapping on the front end of my band's music for years. Proggy modern metal though.

Left Brain with PRONG | Launchpad 10/18/2007 - YouTube

Left Brain - Solipsim CD Release 2010 - RIVERS - LAST SONG - YouTube

 

[Skitch it!]

when your two handed tapping and you release a string, your finger can still be making some contact with the string to dampen it. Also use the fleshy part of the right palm to mute, depending on what your doing. Just takes some practice.

+1 This.

I regard tapping as a couple of different styles, the hammer-on approach like Sheehan and the more chordal fretting approach like Stu Hamm. Both need a little different muting adjustment, the Sheehan type stuff I use more of the flesh at the base of the right hand thumb/palm, for the Hamm thing which is much more open, I tend to use the left hand fingers a lot more for muting.

 

[MistaMarko]

Isnt there sone way i could avoid strings ringing out on my own without having to use any kind of socks or other junk like that? Id rather be able to do it myself vs needing an item or product

In the studio, literally everyone in existence uses something like a sock or similar product. It's just going against physics honestly to sound perfect with no aid like that. However there are some tips to reduce it:

Try using a bit of compression when tapping (with some healthy 'sustain') -- evens out the tapping parts and brings them up in volume a bit so you don't have to slam your fingers on the frets so hard (thus causing the extra noise). Aside products and effects, it's honestly about 90% of your technique. Sometimes I mute strings I only occasionally tap with the underside of my forearm down by the pickups (holding my arm parallel to the neck when tapping). Mainly, though, it's about how you release the string. You can quite honestly 100% correlate this technique to that of playing the piano. When you play a piano, you don't strike the notes and then rear your fingers away as fast as you can (like touching a hot surface or typing on a keyboard), you liberally press down the keys and kind of pause for a split second before releasing them. It's a subtle difference, but when you press down the strings just a tad longer it allows a small timeframe for some of that extra clank noise to be suppressed. This post was way too convoluted for such a simple explanation, my apologies, but just trying to be as descriptive as possible.