Anyone else got lead-foot?

[EriktheRed]

Not when it comes to playing too fast (although that could also be a thing), but when it comes how hard you play the notes.

I've noticed recently how I'm so focused on getting the notes right, I'm not paying attention to how some song parts aren't quite as loud as others and just play everything the same way.


Are there good excercises out there for regulating...I guess...force...? I'm sure there's a musical term for it.

 

[srosenthal13]

If you were a drummer, I'd suggest getting a copy of "Accents And Rebounds."

But taking a cue from that book, try something basic like straight sixteenth notes on a single string, and accent the downbeats while keeping the "e-and-ah" as quiet as you can and still hear them. So, kind of pound on 1, 2, 3, and 4, but be really gentle on the rest of the figures.

I'm sure there will be some great suggestions coming from way more experienced players than me.

 

[Koshchei]

Not when it comes to playing too fast (although that could also be a thing), but when it comes how hard you play the notes.

I've noticed recently how I'm so focused on getting the notes right, I'm not paying attention to how some song parts aren't quite as loud as others and just play everything the same way.


Are there good excercises out there for regulating...I guess...force...? I'm sure there's a musical term for it.

Audiation. Listen to yourself playing it, and play it like you'd speak or sing it.

 

[JonathanPDX]

Turn your amp up. However loud you think it needs to be, go a notch higher.

The volume alone will force you to lighten up your touch and regulate dynamics with your fingers. If your baseline is soft you can always go up, but it's a lot harder if your baseline is loud and you trying to soften it up on demand.

Once you have good control over your technique, a great exercise is to practice playing accents on various 16th notes until you have a good feel for where each one lands and how it feels. You can practice simple grooves or even pedaling with accents on a given beat where you play harder (and even that you can control from slightly harder to a big loud snap that makes everyone turn their head).

Anthony Wellington's yardstick approach is a great start to working on 16th notes:

 

[2112]

After decades of covering Rush, I've developed a very hard touch. Since I've started playing more cover stuff, I pay a lot closer attention to what I'm doing. But, even after several years, I'm still adapting lol. I tend to default back to my hard touch when I'm not doing a good job of policing myself. And also when I'm not getting enough of my bass in my ears.

 

[mambo4]

Are there good excercises out there for regulating...I guess...force...? I'm sure there's a musical term for it.

"dynamics" is how loud your notes are

In music notation there's roughly 8 levels of dynamics
p= piano (quiet) , f= forte (loud) , m= mezzo (medium)

Dynamic self-awareness is something you have to practice
I was not used to thinking 8 levels of dynamics when I started focusing on it
So I just Imagined 3 levels I called 1 2 3
and as I played I tried to continually ask myself where I was at, and where I meant to be at

Turning up and plucking lighter also helped.