Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Getting a louder sound when tapping?
- Thread starter Pickftw
- Start date
Start doing some finger strength excersizes. Make sure you are hitting the right part of the fret. Lower your action. If you're playing with a group, use a boost or light overdrive when you start tapping. Just some things I do.
It takes heavy compression, and be sure your EQ is pushing a lot of mids and your bass cuts through well enough in general. Active pickups will also help pick up tapping - as far as technique, you do have to have good finger strength and hit the string solidly and as near the fret as possible.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Compression and EQ both definitely help. But first things first:
1. Make absolutely sure you are tapping with deadly accuracy as coldfoot_luke said.
2. Get off the string very quickly after the tap! The slightest delay in doing so will partially (no pun intended) or completely choke the tapped note. You're finger literally has to leave the string faster than the speed of its eventual vibration. This point is the one that is most overlooked with this technique. Think of (or look at) how fast a piano hammer bounces off a string when it strikes.
1. Make absolutely sure you are tapping with deadly accuracy as coldfoot_luke said.
2. Get off the string very quickly after the tap! The slightest delay in doing so will partially (no pun intended) or completely choke the tapped note. You're finger literally has to leave the string faster than the speed of its eventual vibration. This point is the one that is most overlooked with this technique. Think of (or look at) how fast a piano hammer bounces off a string when it strikes.
My Friend,
I tap a LOT. The things that were recommended to me by a guy WAY better at it than I am:
* Lighter-gauge strings - 0.040 - 0.100 are about as heavy as you want.
* Uber-low action - the lower the better.
* Compression - evens out your playing, bringing up lower-volume notes and limiting spikes.
* And the most important factor - practice. There is no substitute for just spending hours hammering away at the bass. When I started tapping my right hand hurt - a lot - and this was after many years of playing bass. It's a completely different thing than plucking and will take a while for your fingers to get used to the new movement and gain the strength to do it cleanly and consistently.
Like anything else on bass - take it *slow*. Work on accuracy and getting clean, ringing notes. Speed will come.
----
Kurt
I tap a LOT. The things that were recommended to me by a guy WAY better at it than I am:
* Lighter-gauge strings - 0.040 - 0.100 are about as heavy as you want.
* Uber-low action - the lower the better.
* Compression - evens out your playing, bringing up lower-volume notes and limiting spikes.
* And the most important factor - practice. There is no substitute for just spending hours hammering away at the bass. When I started tapping my right hand hurt - a lot - and this was after many years of playing bass. It's a completely different thing than plucking and will take a while for your fingers to get used to the new movement and gain the strength to do it cleanly and consistently.
Like anything else on bass - take it *slow*. Work on accuracy and getting clean, ringing notes. Speed will come.
----
Kurt
I think you are thinking about harmonics.
When you tap notes, your finger stays on the string holding it against the fret for the duration of the note.
Disclaimer: This is my opinion and may not work for you. It is offered as free advice. Take it for what it's worth.
I have to disagree with all this compression/limiting talk. By going that route, you are merely fixing the symptom and not the problem. If you have good technique, you won't need compression and if you don't have good technique, the compression will hide your shortcomings (some). However, if your compressor is squishing a dominant note, all the other notes will be squished behind that note and that's another problem.
I use ZERO compression in my rig. I use compression in the studio AFTER tracking. It is very difficult to un-compress something after it's squished. One could also argue that compression can add a lot of mud to your playing if you aren't careful (and that is your ENEMY).
I'm a Chapman stick and bass touch style player... been playing touch style for decades. Here are a few of my observations as far as ways to improve:
1. Practice. This is the thing above all. I suggest looking into some touch style technique books too. Look up Bob Culbertson and Greg Howard on Youtube. Those cats will give you something to shoot for. Stanley Jordan is also a good person to look at.
One thing that I have found is that many guitarists and bassists that employ touch style as a gimmick. They don't really pursue learning and using it to it's full potential. Rarely, they will play 2 lines, like playing a melody with the right hand and supporting it with chords on the other (more like a piano). Most of the time, it's just about " look at me".
2. Think about getting an instrument that is designed (or at least set up) to play touch style. Your regular set up can work mind you but it's not optimal for this technique.
A VERY low action is necessary to learn control and feel. Also, it is a common belief that within touch style, you should try to play faster and not harder. Use more speed to generate the note. There is NO point in hammering away at your strings.
I also suggest a VERY straight fretboard and you might have to get your p'ups very close to your strings to get what you are after.
3. Be sure to play directly behind the frets. The frets are your friend in this technique.
4. Start SLOW. Play things correctly. Be sure that you hit that note properly and sounded that note nicely.
Hopefully this will give you something to think about at least.
Be good,
Dan
I have to disagree with all this compression/limiting talk. By going that route, you are merely fixing the symptom and not the problem. If you have good technique, you won't need compression and if you don't have good technique, the compression will hide your shortcomings (some). However, if your compressor is squishing a dominant note, all the other notes will be squished behind that note and that's another problem.
I use ZERO compression in my rig. I use compression in the studio AFTER tracking. It is very difficult to un-compress something after it's squished. One could also argue that compression can add a lot of mud to your playing if you aren't careful (and that is your ENEMY).
I'm a Chapman stick and bass touch style player... been playing touch style for decades. Here are a few of my observations as far as ways to improve:
1. Practice. This is the thing above all. I suggest looking into some touch style technique books too. Look up Bob Culbertson and Greg Howard on Youtube. Those cats will give you something to shoot for. Stanley Jordan is also a good person to look at.
One thing that I have found is that many guitarists and bassists that employ touch style as a gimmick. They don't really pursue learning and using it to it's full potential. Rarely, they will play 2 lines, like playing a melody with the right hand and supporting it with chords on the other (more like a piano). Most of the time, it's just about " look at me".
2. Think about getting an instrument that is designed (or at least set up) to play touch style. Your regular set up can work mind you but it's not optimal for this technique.
A VERY low action is necessary to learn control and feel. Also, it is a common belief that within touch style, you should try to play faster and not harder. Use more speed to generate the note. There is NO point in hammering away at your strings.
I also suggest a VERY straight fretboard and you might have to get your p'ups very close to your strings to get what you are after.
3. Be sure to play directly behind the frets. The frets are your friend in this technique.
4. Start SLOW. Play things correctly. Be sure that you hit that note properly and sounded that note nicely.
Hopefully this will give you something to think about at least.
Be good,
Dan
