/ Register

Could anyone tell me how to do a proper dead note?

Discussion in 'Technique [BG]' started by Tupac, Apr 11, 2012.

  1. Apr 11, 2012 #1
    Tupac

    Tupac

    May 5, 2011
    I've been practicing trying to get down the "pat" kind of dead note, which results in two dead notes with an interesting tambre to it. But how is it done? Do you pull both fingers off after the pat and then pluck, or leave one on? It sounds like I'm over complicating things, but I'm serious.


    Here's what it sounds like
     
  2. Apr 12, 2012 #2
    FretlessMainly

    FretlessMainly

    Nov 17, 2010
    Jazz bassists do this all the time, but they are overrated.
     
  3. Apr 12, 2012 #3
    jmattbassplaya

    jmattbassplaya Supporting Member

    Jan 13, 2008
    Thanks, very helpful.

    To do them all you have to do is mute the string you're plucking on with your fretting hand and then strike the string as if you would if you were playing normally. It can take a while to get it to sound right, but it's definitely not a hard technique to do.

    Play around with where you're muting on the fretboard and you'll notice that you're able to get all kinds of different sounding dead notes (some wide and flabby sounding, and some very tight and percussive sounding). Hope that helps!

    *edit* Ah, I see what you're talking about. For those you just pluck a regular dead note and then hammer on the strings while remaining muted. Although those aren't the dead notes you're hearing in that song. To my ears, he's just raking down on the muted D and then A string.