Damping technique/help stop ringing

[MuseChaser]

I got more serious about improving my previously only-functional bass playing a few months ago and have been putting in at least an hour or two of more intelligent, focused practicing daily. It's paying off, and my left hand at least is really starting to feel like it's acquainted with the fingerboard (being a life-long violinist and string teacher didn't hurt), and the right hand is coming along too. Materials being used include Simandl, Rufus Reid's book, Clarke and Charlier studies for trumpet, Charlie Parker heads, and some of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for violin, on top of the usual huge body of jazz standards. I still have a long ways to go, but it's coming along.

The main thing that's driving me nuts, especially when playing things like "Donna Lee" or some of the notier Charlier things, is the amount of ringing that builds up... I can't seem to keep things damped. I primarily practice on a five-string fretless (Alembic Epic5) but also on a four string semihollow fretless (Ibanez SRH500F). The Alembic is much harder to control the ringing on.

I know a brief video of me playing would probably help diagnose the issue(s), but until I can bring myself to post something that embarassing, can anyone offer some suggestions as to how they approach playing fast passages while still keep things clean and damped?

 

[SteveCS]

A common and highly effective first-call solution adopted by a great many players is the 'Floating Thumb'. I won't go into great detail here - a quick search should get you on the right path.

 

[FullumMusic]

Choose the right bass for the job. If you're playing something like Jaco's version of Donna Lee, play on the 4 string. The song was performed on the 4 string and written for the 4 string. Yes, there's no law saying you can't play it on a 5, but like you've noticed, a 5 string takes a lot more work to mute the non-playing strings.

In my mind, the main increase in difficulty when going from 4 to 5 or 6 strings is re-learning how muting techniques (muting the non-played strings, not muting for tone dampening). All the other differences are really easy to overcome in a week of playing. Muting technique takes a lot of getting used to and re-learning.

There's a lot of technique you can employ on a bass to reduce unwanted ringing of strings you're not playing. These all work for 4, 5, 6, or more stringed bass guitars.

(assuming you're playing right-handed)
- Use the fingers on your left hand to lay across the non-played strings. Your index finger resting on the strings can go a long way because it can do that while the other fingers play notes, and while it plays notes itslelf. But all the fingers will be useful and easier/harder to use depending on what you're playing. This is really mostly useful for the strings higher in pitch than the note you're playing.

- On your right hand, when you play a note, let the finger land on the next lower-in-pitch string and let it rest there until you need to pluck with it again. Don't pluck with your finger into the air or into your palm.

- On your right hand, use one of your non-plucking fingers to rest on a lower-in-pitch string while you play. If i'm doing 2-finger plucking with my index and middle, i can sometimes rest my ring finger and/or pinky on the E or B strings while i'm playing on higher strings.

- Rest your thumb on the lowest string (E or B) instead of on the pickup or neck. Or if you're like me and really love anchoring that thumb on something solid, rotate the thumb so it also touches the low string.

- Learn to play "floating thumb" where you don't anchor the thumb on anything and use the side/back side of the thumb to mute the strings below where you're playing. Gotta admit i'm terrible at this method. But i think SBL and Adam Neely have videos of how to do it.

- Use a string dampener by the nut.

- In certain positions, you can use your left-hand thumb around the edge to mute the low string, and your finger or palm to mute the highest string, just by the nature of those strings being on the edge of the fretboard and you're wrapping your hand around the edge of the fretboard.

All of this is way easier on a 4 string for obvious reasons.

Also, coming from violin, i wonder if there's some good-habits on violin that are actually hindering your bass playing? I remember when i was first learning bass and my teacher was originally a classical guitarist. So he taught me to finger the bass using classical guitar fingering "rules." Things like: only ever use the very tip of your finger on the string, and only ever touch the string you're playing, and keep all your fingers down on the string behind the note you're playing if you are playing multiple notes on the same string sequentially... That doesn't work on the bass guitar. With bass guitar you have to be constantly re-adjusting your hands to mute anything you're not playing, because they will ring out. Your muting technique can be almost as important as your playing technique, and any playing technique that doesn't let you also mute what you're not playing isn't "good" technique.

It took me a bit to learn that the "proper" technique i was taught wasn't actually "proper" technique. But once i did it was great because it helped me mute notes, and also, it's much easier to play when i'm not stiffly using classical guitar technique on an electric bass guitar. I can just move my hand into the position that's easiest to play the line, irrespective of some arbitrary hand position rule made up 200 years ago for a different instrument.

 

[MuseChaser]

Thank you both for the thoughts and suggestions. The floating thumb technique is something I definitely need to explore. It also makes sense that my approach to the fingerboard with my left hand IS informed by my background on other stringed instruments, and that I do indeed try to cleanly just finger the string being sounded (decades of working on the Bach and Ysaye sonatas w/ all of their double,triple, and quadruple stops). The idea that "muting technique can be almost as important as ... playing technique" is one I'm finally coming to realize, and I have much work to be done in that area.

Just a quick response to "Donna Lee," not to be obnoxious after receiving such great help, but it was written by Charlie Parker as a bebop head to be played over the chord changes to "Indiana," on pretty much any instrument, but was originally played on alto sax and trumpet. Jaco's version is just one of hundreds of recordings of the tune.

Thank you both!

 

[chris_b]

You can use floating thumb or not, but instead of trying to figure it out for yourself, get some lessons from an experienced player.

IMO it's easier to learn one thing at a time. I'd focus on muting which you'll need to some degree whether you anchor or float.

 

[Les Fret]

A common and highly effective first-call solution adopted by a great many players is the 'Floating Thumb'. I won't go into great detail here - a quick search should get you on the right path.

Yes that’s always the first thing that comes up when someone is asking about damping. It works great but it’s not for everyone and it’s not the only way. I use it sometimes on my six string too. Especially when soloing. But for grooves I still prefer other ways of playing. And obviously for slapping you can’t use floating thumb. So you have to find other ways to damp as well.

There are all sorts of ways to damp, either right or left hand. Without seeing what the OP does it is very hard to diagnose what’s going on.

 

[SteveCS]

Yes that’s always the first thing that comes up when someone is asking about damping. It works great but it’s not for everyone and it’s not the only way. I use it sometimes on my six string too. Especially when soloing. But for grooves I still prefer other ways of playing. And obviously for slapping you can’t use floating thumb. So you have to find other ways to damp as well.

There are all sorts of ways to damp, either right or left hand. Without seeing what the OP does it is very hard to diagnose what’s going on.

Agreed, and there are many ways in various contexts for the left hand to discharge its indisputable duties with respect to damping/muting. Damping/muting is an intricate aspect of the electric bass that I don't think really gets the focus it requires when talking about general methods. As always you are right to say that checking and correcting the movement/positioning of the hand/fingers is something that really needs direct 'eyes on' to diagnose and solve on a case-by-case (player-by-player) basis.

 

[factory presets]

Also worth saying that methods that work well for some might change the tone a bit for people with different size hands.

Another technique is to anchor your thumb on the B, damp the E with your pinkie and the A with your ring finger.

 

[Marco Belli]

Hi @MuseChaser, I came from piano where when you raise you hand the note stop playing ( thank to dampers).
I don't know very much about violin and his damping needs, but I have learned the hard way that on bass all the string want to ring.
When I started studying bass, the difficult part wasn't to play notes, it was to not let ring all the other strings.
It took me more or less one year to consistently mute non playing strings. Obviously I needed to relearn muting when switching to 5 strings, when playing with pick or when slapping.

The short story is: playing bass is not about playing one string at a time, but to not let the other 3 strings ring freely

After some time it became natural, you forgot that you are muting them and you concentrate in playing notes

 

[mambo4]

I unconsciously use both hands for damping/ muting. I have no explicit “right hand mutes B &E, left mutes ADG” type of approach: whichever hand is available mute whichever string needs muting.

The one “rule” I follow is : muting the strings as my default pose. If I am not intentionally ringing a note, then my hands are on the strings, preventing them from moving at all times. Actively playing the silence, as it were. I think, simply bringing that awareness can help a lot.

 

[kalanb]

Something I picked up from the Jaco video that works well for me (4 string player, and I anchor my thumb on the E string) is using my right hand pinky finger to mute the strings I’m not playing.

 

[thunesBARROW]

If you’re having trouble with open strings, you could try a fret wrap.

FretWraps String Muters (3-Pack)

 

[Bighands Bill]

Didn't Jazz basses at one time come with a foam strip glued under the ash tray? Was this designed to stop ringing?

 

[SteveCS]

Didn't Jazz basses at one time come with a foam strip glued under the ash tray? Was this designed to stop ringing?

The permament loss of tone and sustain in the notes you do want to play is too high a price when it is so much easier to do it by hand.

 

[Les Fret]

If you’re having trouble with open strings, you could try a fret wrap.

FretWraps String Muters (3-Pack)

That's cheating! First get your muting in order before resolving to that.

 

[thunesBARROW]

That's cheating! First get your muting in order before resolving to that.

I agree, I’m just bringing this up as another possibility for muting.

My fretting hand usually mutes the treble strings while my plucking hand mutes the bass strings. If you think about it this way, you’re always covered. Works with a pick or fingers too.

 

[Element Zero]

Also worth saying that methods that work well for some might change the tone a bit for people with different size hands.

Another technique is to anchor your thumb on the B, damp the E with your pinkie and the A with your ring finger.

Exactly what I do. Though I use floating thumb as I move to the higher pitched strings.

 

[longfinger]

I got more serious about improving my previously only-functional bass playing a few months ago and have been putting in at least an hour or two of more intelligent, focused practicing daily. It's paying off, and my left hand at least is really starting to feel like it's acquainted with the fingerboard (being a life-long violinist and string teacher didn't hurt), and the right hand is coming along too. Materials being used include Simandl, Rufus Reid's book, Clarke and Charlier studies for trumpet, Charlie Parker heads, and some of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for violin, on top of the usual huge body of jazz standards. I still have a long ways to go, but it's coming along.

The main thing that's driving me nuts, especially when playing things like "Donna Lee" or some of the notier Charlier things, is the amount of ringing that builds up... I can't seem to keep things damped. I primarily practice on a five-string fretless (Alembic Epic5) but also on a four string semihollow fretless (Ibanez SRH500F). The Alembic is much harder to control the ringing on.

I know a brief video of me playing would probably help diagnose the issue(s), but until I can bring myself to post something that embarassing, can anyone offer some suggestions as to how they approach playing fast passages while still keep things clean and damped?

Muting happens with both hands.
Generally:
Left hand mutes the thinner strings than what is being played
Right hand mutes the thicker strings than what is being played. Floating thumb helps, especially with 5 and 6 strings. With 4 string simple thumb rest on A or E string works well.

For bass, I don't play on the tips of the fingers primarily to help mute the thinner strings. Fingers are less perpendicular to the fretboard to help this. Try a 45º angle and go from there. (Very unlike guitar technique beginners struggle with trying to play a C major chord, where being on the finger tips with perpendicular angles is wanted to allow ringing). Good luck.

 

[MuseChaser]

A followup "thank you" to all of you for all of the great suggestions. I've put in a couple more hours over two sessions, experimenting with some of the ideas. The vast majority of my issues were on my five string, and due to resting my thumb on the B, leaving the E unmuted almost constantly and the A unmuted when playing passages mostly on the G string. The suggestions for leaving the pinky and ring finger of my right hand on the lower unused strings is probably a good one for lots of folks in lots of styles, but that feels really awful to me; I have very small hands, and it puts my hand in kind of an unnatural shape and slows down/interferes with my ability to pizz rapid passages, either raking or using index and middle finger alternate, evenly and cleanly. Perhaps with practice I could make it work, but it seems to cause problems in the pursuit of solving other ones.

The floating thumb thing, however, is a new concept for me, and it makes GREAT sense and works really well. It'll take some time to get used to it, but if anything it feels like an even MORE relaxed way to approach rapid passages in the RH, with the added plus of continuous damping of unused lower strings. Right now, without the anchored thumb on the lowest string, I confess I'll occasionally wander onto the wrong string or lose my bearings, but I know that will resolve itself with practice. A GREAT tip. Very grateful.

The upper strings, as many have said, are taken care of by the left hand; that's what I've been doing all along instinctively. Still, it was affirming to read "upper strings taken care of by left hand, lower strings by right hand." A great way to look the issue, simplified.

The only downside? I've never really bonded with the fifth string on my two five string basses; I don't have a use for it, it widens the neck, makes the bass heavier, and for what? An occasional (unnecessary) foray below E in the jazz styles I play? No one cares. Still.. it made a nice thumb rest. Now... it's not even useful for that...

Thanks again, everyone. I'll continue working on your tips.

 

[Element Zero]

I’m always curious about the “small hands” claim. What’s your finger spread reach? Like, from tip of thumb to tip of pinky? I’ve got medium sized hands (I suppose) and mines 8 in on the dot. I’ll agree that 5 string basses make my plucking hand have to stretch more, but where’s it on my 5 that’s 19mm spacing, or my other 5 that’s 17.5mm or my other 5 that’s 16.5, doesn’t change my approach or technique.

Glad you’re asking questions seeking to become a more proficient player.