Left hand muting question

[Horseflesh]

Another super basic question here if anyone has a minute!

Imagine that I am using my left index finger to fret a note, and then adding fingers 2, 3, 4 when I lift finger 1, so that all fingers are across the strings, and the string is muted. (Mark from Talking Bass calls all 4 fingers across the strings the "home" position, and in an early lesson he asks you to mute this way while you play some simple stuff.)

It is very easy to hear a moment of buzzing when I lift finger 1, before the other 3 join and lock it down. What is the best technique to eliminate the buzz? Is it simply a matter of coordinating the other 3 fingers coming down at the right time? I'm trying to get them into position as soon as I lift--not before.

Should I be simultaneously muting the string with the right hand also? If I choke with a plucking finger it certainly helps.

And lastly, is a tiny amount of buzz sometimes normal? I always read that some fret and string noise is perfectly normal, but as a rank beginner "normal" is still mysterious. All I know is I rarely hear fret and string noise in Mark's videos... but I hear plenty in my headphones.

(BTW, the instrument was professionally set up and I don't have reason to believe that there is anything wrong besides my technique!)

 

[Mushroo]

1. Yes, right-hand muting will help, a lot!
   
2. At this stage in your learning, there's no reason to worry about using all 4 fingers at the same time. Playing 4 notes at once is an advanced technique! At this stage, all you need to worry about is the 1 note you are actually playing. Your other 3 fingers (and your thumb) can go wherever is most comfortable, to support the 1 finger that is actually in use. It sounds like your teacher Mark gave you one possibility (what he calls "home" position) but please understand that is only one of many options. Don't force yourself to be exactly like Mark, if it's uncomfortable or sounds bad; everybody's hands are different size and shape!

I hope you spend lots of time on YouTube watching your favorite pro bassists and studying their technique, to supplement what Mark is teaching you. I especially like to study the "meat and potatoes" players who have had the same gig with the same band for decades (for example John McVie from Fleetwood Mac, Gary Tallent with Springsteen, Darryl Jones with the Rolling Stones, or Adam Clayton from U2), because I figure, they must be doing something right.

 

[Horseflesh]

I didn't explain well... It's not about articulating the other 3 fingers individually to fret 4 notes at once, it's moving them together to meet up with finger 1 and mute the strings. I'm just trying to play one note 100% clean. It's tough!

 

[BrotherMister]

I'd need a visual to understand what you asking. So as a general rule if I'm using my pinky, which we'll call finger 4, the previous 3 fingers are all on the string behind finger 4. There is zero pressure coming from the 3 fingers but just the natural make up of your hand relieves a lot of the pressure on the pink/finger 4. Likewise if you were to use finger 3 to fret a note you'll get more stability and less pressure on your hand if 1 and 2 are behind it as well.

From what I gather this has largely been the approach taught to you in the video? Your question, again as I understand it, is a question of muting a string when you are using your first finger?

Without seeing I can only hazard a guess at the most likely problem I've seen. The first one being that you are lifting your first finger off the string. The process of that coming off the string and the other 3 coming onto the string allows the string to have a free moment unfretted and if your fingers come onto that then you are effectively pressing a vibrating open string onto the frets. This is likely to cause a bit of noise until you develop a bit more control over it, it is however always a bit of a higher risk method as that vibrating open string is still there.

A way to effectively remove that happening is to play the note with your first finger. But don't lift the finger off the string, just release the pressure used to fret it. This stops the fretted note ringing out and since your finger isn't lifting off the string the string itself never has a moment to vibrate fully, by which point your other fingers are down to fully dampen the string and provide some support to you first finger.

Right hand muting does come into play as well but ideally you'll eventually want both hands to able to mute independently of one another. This all takes time so just go slow and don't be frustrated by it.

 

[Horseflesh]

A way to effectively remove that happening is to play the note with your first finger. But don't lift the finger off the string, just release the pressure used to fret it.

That's what I am trying to do, but often there is still a little buzz. I think they keys are lifting quickly (while retaining contact with the string) and good position relative to the fret. You can get the note to ring OK with sloppy fretting but it makes the lift noisier.

It's a lot to remember! Trying to be patient. Thanks!

 

[Mushroo]

You have to stop the note first before you lift your fretting finger. Every note you play should have a beginning, middle, and end.

It's like eating a meal in polite company: You finish chewing and swallowing what's in your mouth, before you move on from the table.

It sounds like your mistake is, you are trying to lift your finger, while the note is still vibrating. That's like talking with your mouth full! Try stopping the note first and then lift your finger. You can use your left hand, right hand, or a combination of both hands to mute, but you should definitely mute. I think you will hear a huge improvement.

 

[Horseflesh]

It sounds like your mistake is, you are trying to lift your finger, while the note is still vibrating.

That's exactly it and your reply makes sense. This video lesson is all about the left hand, and using fingers 2-3 together to mute... so maybe I am meant to bring them down to touch the strings before lifting 1 from the fret. It's just hard to see on the video exactly what he is doing, since they are such small movements.

 

[Horseflesh]

A little follow-up to this topic. Tonight I recorded myself playing to get a different look at how things sounded. I was surprised to find that compared to headphones, there was a lot less string noise. And the noise I hear when I lift a string off a fret doesn't seem to come through in the recording at all. That was actually pretty encouraging... what I played back sounded like a (poorly played) bass guitar, but not a dumpster full of garage door springs, which is how I feel normally.

Or course making a faithful recording is a whole different kind of task and I may be fooling myself.