Double Bass Muting/stopping Strings

[kay98bass]

Question on Technique -
I have been playing bass for about 12 years a simple 1/5 with a couple of walks between chord changes.

Instrument/Strings - Kay Bass with G and D Gut and E and A Spirocore.

I would like to know the preferences for Stopping or muting the G and D strings. Currently I let them ring out with out muting them the warm sound of the Gut Strings has always been welcomed and enjoyed.

Just wondering if the preference would be to Mute or Stop them. What is the best technique.

Help. Please

 

[Matt Ides]

I mute the open strings with my left hand. When stopping the string I mute it the same way by lifting fingers off and leaving my hand in place.

 

[swingingoodtime]

I mute the open strings with my left hand. When stopping the string I mute it the same way by lifting fingers off and leaving my hand in place.

That's the technique I use; I find it leaves my right hand free to keep the pulse of the beat nice & steady. As a plus, my wedding ring makes a nice 'clack' sound on the fingerboard on the offbeat if I let it.

 

[wallawallabob]

I also mostly mute with my left, but you can get a percussive sound by muting with the right, if wanted - sort of a not-quite-slap....

 

[Matt Ides]

I also mostly mute with my left, but you can get a percussive sound by muting with the right, if wanted - sort of a not-quite-slap....

This works great too. I usually line up the slap with snare drum, mando chop, or guitar. Works great in many styles and adds nice percussion aspect to some tunes.

 

[BigSpikeBass]

I find the length of the note(when to stop it) defines the groove

 

[Jay Corwin]

Mute with my left, and play the occassional "pluck-slap" like others are describing.

 

[Rattlebass]

Left and this 'pluck-slap' sounds kinda like what i do. If your at a section where the string rings out and you don't want to mute it abruptly you can put a finger from your right hand on the string as close as possible to the bridge and push down slightly. You'll get a nice 'fade out' effect. Works best with open strings.

 

[Steve Swan]

I play gut strings too. I like a really short, fat note, so I never play open strings. The fngered note is realeased almost as soon as it is played for a short percussive "bass drum with a note value" sound. It leaves a lot of room for other players to fill in any syncopated stuff that they want to do. It halso has the effect of reducing the "wall of sound" effect that so many bands have. It's more like a steam engine with short and strong on-beat and off-beat bursts that keeps the rhythm easily humming along on its own.

 

[Matt Ides]

Also, depending on tempo you can mute/staccato tech. with the right has as well in addition to muting with the left. I usually end up doing some combination of both.