• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Different, New or Uncommon Techniques.

mickeyj4j

mickeyj4j

Dec 5, 2006
256
43
#1
I was thinking about playing style and techniques. And wondering apart from playing with fingers, picks, hands, slapping, Harmonics etc which lots do. Has anyone tried using different techniques, or things to play their bass.

Finger Picks: I have been testing out some finger & thumb picks. these are usually used by guitarists, or players of other stringed instruments.
Products59242-1200x1200-272011.jpg


I have found these picks to be good the finger ones help to train to play lighter on the strings and they give a nice edge t playing. the thumb pick is nice too.

Gloves: Scott Devine from Scott's Bass Lessons needs to use gloves to play. Invalid Link Removed. He is also a member Here at TalkBass going by the name Devine.

Ebow: this is the first kind of handheld string resonator. it is an electronic Bow originally designed for Guitar it works equally well on bass. Ebow


Combining techniques: this is a cool way to play bass. Here is one idea. What else have you done.


Closing: Would love to hear your ideas and tips for playing bass in a different way. Happy playing. check out this great Playing i found on youtube.Lots of ideas of cool bass songs to learn and play.


P.S. Sorry if this has been talked about before kindly post some links to other posts so we can find them.
 
#3
Clef_de_fa said:
You could play bass with a bass but in the end it still sound like bass and in the mix it doesn't matter what you use to make those strings vibrate
Click to expand...

The point is expanding the range of just what it is a bass sounds like. Give the instrument a little more credit in the versatility department, wontcha?

And to say that in the mix the technique doesn't matter is just plain wrong. A pick gives a VERY different amplitude envelope and overtone blend from a finger pluck. A heavy pick sounds different from a light one. A wood one different from a plastic one. Just like a thumb pluck sounds different from a finger pluck. And yes, how it's mixed (mainly in how compression is applied, but also EQ selection) is affected by these factors.

Now, it may be beneficial to do more of this kind of exploration when the bass is exposed rather than when it's at the bottom of a funk four-piece, but there's a place for everything.

I'm playing with strings lightweight enough that if I fade in with a volume pedal, I can do vibrato swells pretty easily, and they sound cool higher up (esp. doing chords) and alternated with subby thumb plucks down low. Probably needless to say, I'm curious about what I could do with an EBow.




Sidenote: focal dystonias are the weirdest things. I suffered from one that eventually led to me stopping playing brass instruments. Props to Scott for not only finding a way past his, but then going on to create such a great resource.
 
#4
Real Soon said:
The point is expanding the range of just what it is a bass sounds like. Give the instrument a little more credit in the versatility department, wontcha?

And to say that in the mix the technique doesn't matter is just plain wrong. A pick gives a VERY different amplitude envelope and overtone blend from a finger pluck. A heavy pick sounds different from a light one. A wood one different from a plastic one. Just like a thumb pluck sounds different from a finger pluck. And yes, how it's mixed (mainly in how compression is applied, but also EQ selection) is affected by these factors.

Now, it may be beneficial to do more of this kind of exploration when the bass is exposed rather than when it's at the bottom of a funk four-piece, but there's a place for everything.

I'm playing with strings lightweight enough that if I fade in with a volume pedal, I can do vibrato swells pretty easily, and they sound cool higher up (esp. doing chords) and alternated with subby thumb plucks down low. Probably needless to say, I'm curious about what I could do with an EBow.




Sidenote: focal dystonias are the weirdest things. I suffered from one that eventually led to me stopping playing brass instruments. Props to Scott for not only finding a way past his, but then going on to create such a great resource.
Click to expand...

My view is you could create the most amazing tone of all time but it won't matter if it doesn't work with the other, you could create a new tone and whatever but if you only play quarter note on the root it is useless. I prefer to concentrate myself on creating interesting music and in doing so it will take care of the tone all of by itself.
 
#5
I don't know if anyone else does this, but one thing I like to do is play a particular line with a pick in order to get a volume boost, then I'll maneuver the pick against my palm and hold it there with my last two fingers so I can play fingerstyle. I even bring a pick with me to work so I can practice manipulating it. Works well for me, and it's a technique a bass player might consider adding to their toolbox.
 
#7
stratovani said:
I don't know if anyone else does this, but one thing I like to do is play a particular line with a pick in order to get a volume boost, then I'll maneuver the pick against my palm and hold it there with my last two fingers so I can play fingerstyle. I even bring a pick with me to work so I can practice manipulating it. Works well for me, and it's a technique a bass player might consider adding to their toolbox.
Click to expand...
Yeah! I've heard of that before, it's a guitarist technique, I believe. Sweet. Imma try that out soon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stratovani
#11
sg101 said:
how common is the movable anchor technique? I've seen many bassists play, even youtube cover bassists, and I rarely see the movable anchor technique. I feel like I'm the small minority that uses it
Click to expand...
You don't see it much because most bass players have poor technique. I use it for finger-style playing and I'm working on a way to use it when using a pick.
 
#14
I don't understand how folks are comfortable playing with it anchored to the top of the bass. That's a heck of a stretch to get to the G. I can kinda see where the "on the pickups" guys come from though, but it still seems easier to keep things nice and muted if you move your thumb around.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back