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 rid of those nasty overtones when tapping...
- Thread starter AdmiralBumblebe
- Start date
That would require putting it on before stringing the guitar
(I get the idea, don't worry)
He means over the strings, not under.
What you are hearing aren't overtones, though. I'm assuming you are hearing this when unamplified? You are hearing the note (with a bunch of inharmonic content) that correspondends to the speaking length of the other half of the fretted note (ie, from fingers to nut). However this isn't amplified so it doesn't matter.
The only thing you'll hear when playing through an amp at volume that isn't the tapped string would be the other unmuted strings ringing sympathetically.
What you are hearing aren't overtones, though. I'm assuming you are hearing this when unamplified? You are hearing the note (with a bunch of inharmonic content) that correspondends to the speaking length of the other half of the fretted note (ie, from fingers to nut). However this isn't amplified so it doesn't matter.
The only thing you'll hear when playing through an amp at volume that isn't the tapped string would be the other unmuted strings ringing sympathetically.
That's not good advice- tapping harder isn't going to help. It's just wasted energy. I don't see how faster helps, either.
Behind the fret is obviously true and important, but has nothing to do with the problem he's describing.
Behind the fret is obviously true and important, but has nothing to do with the problem he's describing.
I'm still hearing this when amped, and I'm pretty sure the term 'inharmonic overtone' would apply since the string is being bisected and producing 2 different but related pitches.
What you describe is what is happening. It also greatly affects my "feel" while playing in that I can feel the inharmonicity buzzing against my chest.
fwiw, I can hear this sound somewhat frequently in other tapping bassists playing, especially wooten's at various clinics.
You shouldn't hear it when amped, unless you have a pickup in the nut or headstock. The pickups can only read the velocity of the string length forward of the fret, so any other tones you are hearing may be loud and you can probably feel them, but they aren't being actually amplified. Record what's coming out of the amp and if it's what you think, you won't hear them. It sounds really loud to you, but not to an audience or in a studio.
Inharmonic overtone would not be the correct usage in this case, since it's not an overtone of the speaking length of the string but rather the sound coming from the other section of the string that isn't fully damped. It's not an inharmonic overtone of the amplified sound because it isn't an overtone, and thus harmonic/inharmonic doesn't matter...it just isn't in tune with it.
You aren't using taper-core or exposed-core strings, right? Those can actually cause proper inharmonic overtones in the string, particularly at higher frets, though you hear it when played fingerstyle/picked also (which is why I hate those strings; exposed-core are particularly bad).
That all said, the hairband trick does actually work even if it looks stupid.
Hmm... might be the strings then, as I am using exposed core.
I love the feel of them, but this sound is AWFUL.
I love the feel of them, but this sound is AWFUL.
Playing the same notes as a tapped line, yes. This is not something I thought of as most tapping I do is above the 10th fret, and most 'regular' playing is below it.
It never occurred to me until now that it may not be the technique, but the location of the notes.
Sounds like you have a bad batch of strings. Often people describe the effect as an unwanted "chorus" sound that occurs even when unamplified.
You're free to say what you'd like (and you don't have to dare), but it appears that we found the problem, and it wasn't fixed by tapping faster.
To be honest, I've never encountered a set of exposed cores that didn't do this, particularly on the B and E. Every single bass I've ever tried with them did it (F Basses are a great example because they come with them standard). Instruments just need more scale length to get away with exposed cores without causing overtone problems- which is why pianos can use them without trouble. I'm sure good examples exist, but I've never found one.
To be honest, I've never encountered a set of exposed cores that didn't do this, particularly on the B and E. Every single bass I've ever tried with them did it (F Basses are a great example because they come with them standard). Instruments just need more scale length to get away with exposed cores without causing overtone problems- which is why pianos can use them without trouble. I'm sure good examples exist, but I've never found one.
Ah, I didn't do a good job of explaining it.
I meant, tapping the note itself faster, not tapping more notes
This is a bit disconcerting to me that a type/batch of strings could sound so... bad.
I've been playing 18 years and never experienced this, though admittedly having never tried exposed core strings.
I've been playing 18 years and never experienced this, though admittedly having never tried exposed core strings.
Tapping harder is just going to intensify the problem. Never play anything harder than you have to, especially when tapping.
If you are hearing the dead side of the string (which I am assuming you are), a mute will help. Without one, you can definitely hear this playing acoustically. Playing amplified without a mute, the dead string will still sound - the question is whether you're playing loud enough to drown it out.
If he was tapping hard enough in the first place, he wouldn't have the overtone issue.
And I'm a great believer of economy of motion and effort, I hardly expend any energy when doing legato or tapping, but that's not the case for everybody
