I expected more than one.... the title did look rather... lets say odd. I figured there'd be a few more jokes in there.
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Are You a Soft or Hard Player?
- Thread starter Roger W
- Start date
I expected more than one.... the title did look rather... lets say odd. I figured there'd be a few more jokes in there.
I voted cover it all, but I'm predominantly on the hard side. Self taught rocker guy, like many others I'm consciously trying to tone it down (getting older, hands hurting more), but heck, I get excited, and onstage adrenaline is an intoxicating thing. Playing music that needs more finesse or dynamics will get the softer touch, but if it's rockin or bumpin, I have to think about it more.
Depends on what I playing. If I’m covering The Who for instance, It’s pretty violent. If I’m playing Carpenter covers ( man the thought of that just made me a little nauseated) I’d be rather delicate.
And yet Entwistle was a notoriously soft player.
Early on he played he played with a pick and PB (Live at Leeds). To get that sound using fingers, you need to play fairly hard.
Or a low action and a wall of tube amps……that go to 11.
I would charitably describe my technique as "violent." I've calmed down as I've started playing easier-to-play basses with lighter strings, but I'm still a much more physically aggressive player than most.
Or a low action and a wall of tube amps……that go to 11.
pretty sure he was pounding however, but I will agree that lower actions will help to a point, as you go too low and you bottom out. Which is a problem when you play other material. Loud wall of amps = Really good, but impractical today on a number of different levels. It’s is much more practical to adjust your technique which was the point of my OP.
I think there's at least one important lesson to be learned from this thread for younger/less-experienced players: Notice that quite a few people have said that when they first started out they plucked very aggressively, but as they became more experienced have either learned to soften their touch or are trying to do so now. Unless I overlooked it (please point me to it if I did) exactly zero people have said the opposite.
Well….I wasn’t advocating for the use of a wall of ultra loud amps,but that’s what Ox did back then.
I was just basically repeating what I said earlier in the thread about using volume and a reasonable instrument action instead of having to horsewhip the strings.
Early on,in the paleolithic beginning of my bass playing, (the mid 70s,ummkay?),
I developed a few blisters from learning/playing.
Even though it was generally accepted that this was to be expected, it just seemed wrong to me.
I could definitely see it happening for URB players or someone playing steel strings on an acoustic guitar,
(Or, in my case, heavy gauge Rotosound Swingbass 66 steels).
Within a year or so of playing, I’d sussed out Superwound Linea finish roundwounds and Pyramid flatwounds. I’ve used smoother and lighter gauge strings ever since.
I developed a few blisters from learning/playing.
Even though it was generally accepted that this was to be expected, it just seemed wrong to me.
I could definitely see it happening for URB players or someone playing steel strings on an acoustic guitar,
(Or, in my case, heavy gauge Rotosound Swingbass 66 steels).
Within a year or so of playing, I’d sussed out Superwound Linea finish roundwounds and Pyramid flatwounds. I’ve used smoother and lighter gauge strings ever since.
Europa, USA and Canada act like that… you can’t say anything without hurting someone or someone call you a racist… i think that it started with the right intend but of course when too far
Life is a pendulum; always too far one way or the other, rarely in the middle.
dangerously close to politics. I dont want this tread to close.... let's change it's course back to question OP asked.... or silly comments that make people laugh. Either is good by me. there's at least a few more jokes that can be made on "hard or soft"
I feel, sound and play better when I'm digging in, I feel I have better control of the bass but can also play softly when it's called for, quick jazzy stuff I'll play easily for example, swingy blues too. I started out on a cheap bass with high action and played flats for 5 for 6 years.
Playing too hard can really hurt you though, I do know that John Wetton who I feel got one of the best sounds ever from his heavy touch played so hard he really hurt himself and had to play with a thumb pick taped to his fingers for the last 4 or 5 years he was alive.
Playing too hard can really hurt you though, I do know that John Wetton who I feel got one of the best sounds ever from his heavy touch played so hard he really hurt himself and had to play with a thumb pick taped to his fingers for the last 4 or 5 years he was alive.
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Entwistle played very lightly with both fingers and pick, at least he did in 1999. I stood ten feet in front of him twice with him on a 2 foot stage. When he did his triplets he barely touched the strings.
I play so hard that I didn't realize at first that the reason I didn't like the sound of low action was because I needed high action for my technique. I have since adjusted all my bridges.
