In which string do you play the dead/ghost notes?

[Marcelo Coip]

Hi, imagine you are playing the following line:

G on E string
Dead/Ghost Note (1)
A on E
D/G N (2)
C on A
D/G N (3)
D on A
D/G N (4)
C on G

In which string would you play each dead/ghostg note and why?

 

[Nashrakh]

I would always play the dead note on the same string as the preceding note, unless it would make more sense to play it on another (in order to facilitate faster or smoother transitions when crossing strings, for example).

 

[Mushroo]

If the composer has indicated in the sheet music, then try following the composer's suggestion as your starting point.

If there is no sheet music, then experiment which sounds best to your ear.

I like @Nashrakh 's suggestion, because it creates orderly phrasing of 4 notes per string.

 

[beaglesandbass]

I would just play it on the sting I just played.

 

[Les Fret]

Depends on the sound you want. You can play it on the string above or below the string that you play the normal note. But if you are not sure play it on the same string.

 

[Groove Doctor]

By ‘dead note’ do you mean Ghost Note?

Ghost note - Wikipedia

 

[Marcelo Coip]

By ‘dead note’ do you mean Ghost Note?

Ghost note - Wikipedia

Yes.

 

[Thumper]

My issue is more of a couple of weak (ghost) notes more than dead spots, so I have conditioned myself to fret, and more importantly pluck those notes harder. If they were truly dead I'd get rid of the bass, like I did my first early model Sadowsky (the second had no such problems).

 

[lz4005]

My issue is more of a couple of weak (ghost) notes more than dead spots, so I have conditioned myself to fret, and more importantly pluck those notes harder. If they were truly dead I'd get rid of the bass, like I did my first early model Sadowsky (the second had no such problems).

OP is talking about intentionally muted notes played for percussive effect. Not dead spots.

 

[Thumper]

Sorry, my bad, it's early out West

 

[interp]

I would play all the dead notes on my new bass that doesn’t have any dead notes.

 

[Medicine Man]

Wherever your fingers fall. (Probably the E, in your example.)

 

[red_rhino]

This is totally dependent on the line/pattern you are playing and technique being used. Slap vs fingerstyle vs pluck vs pick, followed by whatever makes the most sense ergonomically.

 

[blakelock]

it all depends on the sound and timing you want but here are my comments.

often i will play the ghost note on the string higher than the note that follows (i.e., ghost on D string followed by note on A string) because after hitting the ghost note, the plucking finger ends up on the neighboring string ready for the next note.
however, not all ghost notes sound the same. ghost on G string is thinner than ghost on A. since you are rocking notes on that A string, you might want to ghost on that string as well to get a fuller/thicker ghost note sound.

 

[RyanOh]

Either play on the same string as the previous note...or the string where the next note will be played. Usually same string, but doesn't have to be.

Could be a riff where there's a constant ghost/dead/muted note on the E string where you're all over the neck on other strings. No rules!

 

[mcnach]

I would always play the dead note on the same string as the preceding note, unless it would make more sense to play it on another (in order to facilitate faster or smoother transitions when crossing strings, for example).

same here

 

[St_G]

Either the string I just played or the string I'm about to play, except in VERY rare cases, where I might, like, ghost pop the G string as a percussive accent to a line being played on the E or A.

 

[maturanesa]

In the same string you are playing