I honestly hit the strings pretty damn hard. So hard that I constantly suffer from blisters and finger pain. Am I perhaps playing too hard if I keep getting these things? Should there be an acceptable intensity with which to strike the strings?
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How hard do you play?
- Thread starter drewsky2004
- Start date
I definitely have a heavy attack when I play. I like my action pretty high, too. When I first started I didn't have an amp so I think I developed the heavy attack because I was always playing unplugged.
there is absolutely no reason for finger pain, even if you play hard. i like to dig in and play hard sometimes, but you have clearly reached the point of diminishing returns. you don't need to kill the strings to sound aggressive. lighten up.
I smack the strings around as hard as I can, I don't feel right playing softly unless what I'm playing really needs that sound.
I used to play so hard I was pretty much punching and strangling my bass with my hands. If you really feel like it, go do it, but hopefully you will be more interested not ruining your fingers and sounding a bit less annoying than I did. You can get a lot of great, aggressive sounds with little effort if you find just the right way to do them.
There's a happy medium between 'pussy' and 'savage' attack on the strings. I like to think I'm a moderate hitter. I don't have enough restraint to play feather light all the time, nor do I enjoy banging the instrument out of tune. There is a level of firmness that makes sense in terms of energy spent vs. tone produced, but there most definitely HAS to be a feeling of physicality in the sound. Otherwise you're into the realm of synth.
Finger pain and blisters? On an electric bass? Definitely playing much harder than you should or need...
+1 ... in my last band I found that I was often playing too hard simply because I couldn't hear myself over the much-too-loud guitarist.
When I practice at home I play with a pretty light touch but when I play with the band I really dig in. Need to work on that and I actually paid attention to that last night at practice. I think when I'm playing too hard my amp is not turned up enough. Last night I turned up and played with a lighter touch and I think that really helped my playing.
I play it like I mean it, but I'm also careful to not constantly buzz the strings. That bugs me.
I play pretty hard.
Well not super hard, but hard enough that my stingray has an annoying clicking sound so i have to turn the treble down a bit. Its the way i attack the strings but after doing it for 11 years now, hard habit to break. Plus i like to play hard, dont like the softly style, just doesnt get me going.
When i first starting playing i used to get blood blisters alot, but it was under the skin. I simply put a safety pin in some hot water and lanced it.
Im not trying to sound hard and oh look at me, but blood blisters really hurt and this got rid of them. Although I found that you dont have to stab the finger, this can hut more and cause more damage in the long run. I used to sort of go at it diagonally and just graze the skin.
Dont get them anymore, although dont think ill ever get rid of my calluses!
Well not super hard, but hard enough that my stingray has an annoying clicking sound so i have to turn the treble down a bit. Its the way i attack the strings but after doing it for 11 years now, hard habit to break. Plus i like to play hard, dont like the softly style, just doesnt get me going.
When i first starting playing i used to get blood blisters alot, but it was under the skin. I simply put a safety pin in some hot water and lanced it.
Im not trying to sound hard and oh look at me, but blood blisters really hurt and this got rid of them. Although I found that you dont have to stab the finger, this can hut more and cause more damage in the long run. I used to sort of go at it diagonally and just graze the skin.
Dont get them anymore, although dont think ill ever get rid of my calluses!
Fingerstyle: I've cultivated a pretty light touch, most in response to tendinitis / carpel tunnel issues, but also because I like the sound better for my purposes.
Pick: a bit more aggressive (mostly for the specific sound of it), but not too much more so - I use a heavy pick and let it do the work for me.
Pick: a bit more aggressive (mostly for the specific sound of it), but not too much more so - I use a heavy pick and let it do the work for me.
My general principle is the lightest possible touch that still gives the tone I want. If you find yourself having to hit the thing too hard to get an acceptable sound out of it, I'd suggest getting a better bass. I.e. if you're gigging with a rick or some old 60's/70's Fender, yeah you're going to have to have the strength of a mountain gorilla to get distinct notes out of it.
What I did was ditch the frets and get good FL instruments. I.e. my carvin bunny and my L2000. The carvin especially, I just touch it and it gives these nice clean notes. The L2000 isn't quite as good at this as the bunny, but it still gives a very good Fender like sound but without having to smash up my hands/arms to do it....
LS
I will admit, after three hour long gigs, my fingers hurt.
But you must lighten your touch. I think you will discover that you all around tone and speed will increase.
But you must lighten your touch. I think you will discover that you all around tone and speed will increase.
I play light. I always thought you shouldn't fight with your instrument to produce a sound out of it. So I don't need to be very strong, many blisters from hitting the strings etc.
So now I can play very fast, without any strenght and I can play without a break for 5 hours. On top of that I think I have a good playing technic that keep my hands very relaxed and in strait angle.
So now I can play very fast, without any strenght and I can play without a break for 5 hours. On top of that I think I have a good playing technic that keep my hands very relaxed and in strait angle.
Same here. I used to play hard and dig in until I played back to back nights for 4-5 hours each and would get blisters. I lightened up my touch and think I increased my tone by doing so. I will dig in when needed or use a pick, but otherwise I live by the famous movie quote "lighten up Francis.".
