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Anyone know any cool bass tricks?

#21
One that I actually use on occasions is to take a beer bottle (full or empty, doesn't matter) and simply slide on the G and/or D strings and you get that sound that was the intro to the Bugs Bunny hour. You only need to use the bottom corner of the bottle, so you can hold the bottle like you would if you were going to drink from it.

Now the variation of that sound is to bounce the bottle quickly on each string and you get a very useable "percussive violin", almost. It doesn't matter where the left hand is and you only really need to slide from the back pickup to the end of the fingerboard, but you can slide all the way down the neck too. I use that sound on the drum solo when things get a little boring, and it actually gives you a nice excuse to have a beer onstage with you.
 
#22
I would triple stop a chord (like E5 with the bottom E open) and hit the bass body with the heel of my hand. It made a deep, sustaining roar in tune that had no discernible pick attack. When I got real wound up, I'd get on my knees and do this while banging the end of the bass against the stage. I'd only do that with the old Hagstrom I had at the time, though. It was most effective on some of those long, drawn-out endings.
 
#29
Traver said:
If only Dragonforce could play their stuff live...
Click to expand...

Whaaat?? I saw Dragonforce live at the Astoria in London last year and they nailed it, they put on an awesome, entertaining show and were pretty much technically flawless, despite consuming several Coronas. They did a medley halfway through their set where they swapped instruments about, bassist playing guitar, guitarist playing keyboard etc, and they even nailed that too. Maybe you didn't see one of their better shows, or just been watching too many grainy amateur youtube videos
 
#31
Not really anything new, but try adding a little distorion and performing a lead guitar-esque 'pick scrape' by dragging your fingernails down or up the strings (1 finger per string, nails on a chalk board kinda thing).

Sounds amazing when it goes right. Ted
 
#36
technique, not effects, so here are a couple that are neat:

1. instead of plucking the string, rake your nail across them over the pickup. its not really a video game noise, but if you crank the treble, it sounds pretty neat. i have found musical applications for this one.

2. (on a four string) bend the e or g string past the neck. you can bend it and get a weird squelching type sound depending on how you bend it. i have found zero musical applications for this.

3. kind of technique, i guess, but using your fingers to play with the volume, treble, or bass knobs. i saw wooten do it with the volume knob to do a neato tremolo-type thing on late night with conan in the last six months or so, with bela fleck.

i think yngwie does that too, but he also doesnt play bass, and is supposedly the biggest douche in the universe (south park got it wrong, sorry). so, yeah, those are about all that come to mind.

EDIT: oh, i completely forgot to comment on the video. my favorite quote is "here are where the cool notes are." i laughed.
 
#39
RestInPieces said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSNLfa1VPwo&feature=fvw

Here's the real Dragonforce :D
Click to expand...

oh man! and a smiley face icon whatever thing! wow! thats so cool, and so new! break your keyboard bro. stop hating on an excellent technical guitarist. sure, they are one of those bands that you can hate and love at the same time, but you have contributed zero to this thread. again: break your keyboard and save us all some time. sometimes a personal attack is warranted. and yes, i post too much here, because i have nothing better to do at the moment.
 

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