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Claw Technique

cman227

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Dec 21, 2014
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Does anyone incorporate the claw technique? This is a right hand technique where you use your thumb and fingers to slap and pluck but it's not as aggressive as a traditional slap pluck. I have tried this and really like the tone it yields but I am currently having an issue with the low b string ringing. Can anyone inform me of any muting techniques to implement in this scenario?
 
Does anyone incorporate the claw technique? This is a right hand technique where you use your thumb and fingers to slap and pluck but it's not as aggressive as a traditional slap pluck. I have tried this and really like the tone it yields but I am currently having an issue with the low b string ringing. Can anyone inform me of any muting techniques to implement in this scenario?


That's just fingerpicking. Very common on guitar, less so on bass.
Use the meaty part of your right hand, below your thumb, to mute the thicker strings.
 
That's just fingerpicking. Very common on guitar, less so on bass.
Use the meaty part of your right hand, below your thumb, to mute the thicker strings.

It looks to me like he is also using his thumb to mute the string he is playing.

Also: on a technical note, I object to the idea of debasing an interesting approach to the bass by dismissing it a guitar technique.
 
Also: on a technical note, I object to the idea of debasing an interesting approach to the bass by dismissing it a guitar technique.

That's cute.
All that person is doing is a faster version of how Sting applies guitar fingerpicking to bass.
It's old hat.
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Does anyone incorporate the claw technique? This is a right hand technique where you use your thumb and fingers to slap and pluck but it's not as aggressive as a traditional slap pluck. I have tried this and really like the tone it yields but I am currently having an issue with the low b string ringing. Can anyone inform me of any muting techniques to implement in this scenario?

 
Anyway... It's a bit different from guitar as there is a bit more slap in the thumb and a bit more aggressive pull involved. It yields a nice tone but the muting technique can get complicated. I read that some bassist use a hair scrunchie (sic?) on the first fret to help with muting.

That's also useful for holding the cigarette in place for a bass because of the thicker strings and wider spacing relative to guitar.

I found this technique useful for playing octaves foR a euro-dance tune.
 
That's just fingerpicking. Very common on guitar, less so on bass.
Use the meaty part of your right hand, below your thumb, to mute the thicker strings.

He actually has a video where he gives a VERY quick, high level explanation of the technique.



Hate to break it to you but that is nothing like fingerpicking on the guitar.
 
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Hate to break it to you but that is nothing like fingerpicking on the guitar.
I do guitar-style fingerpicking on bass for some of my tunes (really simple stuff), and I agree, it's nothing like Remco's claw technique. He's much close to what Billy Sheehan does, I think, but in a completely different way (groovy not wanky).
 
IMHO, Similar to some facets of Victor Wooten's technique which integrates claw, double thumb, single thumb, pop, and hand mutes. Wooten claims much of what he does is an adaption of flamenco guitar technique.

Exactly.

I've been using that technique on both guitar and bass for 30 years. You can do it cleanly by plucking parallel to the body or more percussively like he's doing by pulling the strings away and letting them slap back against the frets. But it's still basically fingerpicking.

None of which is to say the guy isn't good at it or that it doesn't sound good, but it isn't anything new.
 

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