Muting (worst ever)...

[OldSchoolFlats]

I did a search, but didn't see any long threads...
...I am getting back into bass, using headphones, and find I have the WORST MUTING TECHNIQUE EVER!
I used to use flatwound strings, with a pick, and did just fine palm-muting.

Now, I am giving round-wounds another shot, and working more on finger style (and maybe a little slap). O.M.G.

Having a 5-string complicates things, but having played 6-string bass most recently, a 4-string would seem too empty to me.

Anyway, I am looking for some tips to clean-up my act.

Finger-style, I "play through", letting my finger stop on the adjacent string. Other strings, though ring horribly.

I do not want to use a foam mute, but when playing finger-style, I find my fretting hand grabbing the neck like a "baseball bat" to mute strings. Not good.

Is the "trick" a combination of floating-thumb, with some subtle fretting-hand muting?

The muting is not as noticeable through an amp as through headphones, but it is still pretty bad.

Help!

Note: I now subscribe to Scott's Bass Lessons, and am sure there is something on muting there. Still, I was hoping posts here might nudge me in the right direction...

 

[fretlessbass]

There’s a whole bunch of muting techniques:
Floating thumb, left hand (palm) muting and rest strokes are all excellent.
Add in right hand (palm) muting, muting with individual left fingers...
BTW If you get the chance to watch Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power) in action, you’ll see that his left hand moved around a lot more than most players; that’s because he liked to use his first finger as much as possible to fret notes:
This made left hand palm muting easier; it also resulted in very short percussive
notes—his trademark.
If you try this technique, you can play around with muting pressure to vary the tone and attack quite a bit.

 

[mambo4]

For me , muting with my left and right hands is my default state. Unless I’m consciously and deliberately playing a note, I’m unconsciously and instinctively enforcing silence. Usually I use turn fingers off my left hand. It’s not a “baseball bat” grip at all, it takes very little pressure to prevent the string from ringing. I suppose I use the meat on the outside of my index and pinky mostly

if I pluck the E string fretted with the index then the 3 fingers rest against the ADG strings for example

if I pluck the G string the right hand ring and pinky rest against the EAD

I guess the only “trick” is that my hands are very relaxed. I can imagine a tense plucking or fretting would make it harder

 

[dreamadream99]

Right hand: play with fingers one and two, mute trailing lower strings with three and four.

Left hand: mute higher strings by resting flat part of non-Fretting fingers on them.

 

[mambo4]

I suppose it would help to clarify if the OP means muting = silence unwanted vibration vs muting = produce muffled sound (as in picked palm muting)

two common usages for the same word unfortunately.

 

[OldSchoolFlats]

My problem is unwanted vibration.

Been watching videos to get a feel for the alternatives, but I suspect dreamadream99's way is the way I'll end-up with...
...except maybe a hairband when I try to slap.

Palm-muting with a pick was my go-to in the past. Palm-muting and plucking with thumb seems useful, but only in a few cases.

 

[Snarf]

I did a search, but didn't see any long threads...
...I am getting back into bass, using headphones, and find I have the WORST MUTING TECHNIQUE EVER!
I used to use flatwound strings, with a pick, and did just fine palm-muting.

Now, I am giving round-wounds another shot, and working more on finger style (and maybe a little slap). O.M.G.

Having a 5-string complicates things, but having played 6-string bass most recently, a 4-string would seem too empty to me.

Anyway, I am looking for some tips to clean-up my act.

Finger-style, I "play through", letting my finger stop on the adjacent string. Other strings, though ring horribly.

I do not want to use a foam mute, but when playing finger-style, I find my fretting hand grabbing the neck like a "baseball bat" to mute strings. Not good.

Is the "trick" a combination of floating-thumb, with some subtle fretting-hand muting?

The muting is not as noticeable through an amp as through headphones, but it is still pretty bad.

Help!

Note: I now subscribe to Scott's Bass Lessons, and am sure there is something on muting there. Still, I was hoping posts here might nudge me in the right direction...

Post a video, difficult to offer feedback based on this description without actually seeing what you're doing. Baseball bat grip is fine, depending on what you're doing. I'll go in and out of different hand positions/shapes depending on situation.

I wouldn't get hung up on some kind of floating thumb technique. I think that stuff is superfluous for anyone with normal size hands, and I think people teach it because they want to produce "content." Thumb on the E string unless you're playing it, nice and simple.

This is most likely entirely a left hand issue. Without actually seeing what you're doing, here's some broad advice: Don't fret with your fingertip, use more of the pad of the finger and keep the finger more straight than curved. The index finger should naturally be a mute for the G string if fretting on the D string, all the way to being a mute for the G D and A strings if fretting on the E string. Then for more aggressive muting to achieve the Rocco Prestia technique (useful at certain times in most musical styles, in my experience), use the rest of your fingers ahead of the fretting index finger.

 

[OldSchoolFlats]

Post a video, difficult to offer feedback based on this description without actually seeing what you're doing. Baseball bat grip is fine, depending on what you're doing. I'll go in and out of different hand positions/shapes depending on situation.

I wouldn't get hung up on some kind of floating thumb technique. I think that stuff is superfluous for anyone with normal size hands, and I think people teach it because they want to produce "content." Thumb on the E string unless you're playing it, nice and simple.

This is most likely entirely a left hand issue. Without actually seeing what you're doing, here's some broad advice: Don't fret with your fingertip, use more of the pad of the finger and keep the finger more straight than curved. The index finger should naturally be a mute for the G string if fretting on the D string, all the way to being a mute for the G D and A strings if fretting on the E string. Then for more aggressive muting to achieve the Rocco Prestia technique (useful at certain times in most musical styles, in my experience), use the rest of your fingers ahead of the fretting index finger.

I'm too new back to bass to post a video (just got first bass in several years yesterday), but I do wonder about curled vs flat fingers on frets.

On Scott's Bass, he says to use curled fingers. Two seemingly respectable other youtube vids says flat is better (and critical) for muting. While palm-muting with a pick is my former "go-to", flat-finger seems more natural. Curled fingers seems more like guitar technique.

I know there are many ways to play, but I am hoping to get back on the right track, and not practice a "wrong" way. Playing with fingers (not pick) is what I am trying to improve right now. Also hammer-on/off: never did that in past years (please don't laugh).

 

[Snarf]

Scott is wrong, then.

I play guitar professionally as well, and while yes, certain things require using the fingertips, in the grand scheme of things you're constantly blending hand positions and techniques to achieve different things on that instrument. On bass, however, the only possible situation I can think of where it's at all beneficial to use the tip of the finger would be if you're holding out a note while playing harmonics on the surrounding strings. So basically when you want to be like, "look at this guys, I'm super cool and hip and this is probably the most complicated chord you've ever heard" and you bust out the Jaco POT chord.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

In general, my left hand finger(s) mute the string(s) higher than the one played, and right hand thumb mutes the string(s) lower than the one played. My left hand doesn't hold the neck like a baseball, bat but the fingers lightly rest on the strings instead (thus the muting). I play 4 string basses mostly, and the left hand thumb also mutes the lowest string sometimes when I'm slapping. That's when I hold the neck like a baseball bat occasionally. When I'm playing on the higher string(s) of a 5'er, sometimes my right pinky mutes the lowest string, and sometimes it's the floating thumb depending on what I'm playing.

 

[pingvuiini]

I have the opposite problem: I normally play fingerstyle and I can mute pretty well that way. Recently I have been inspired to play fretted (after 35+ years of fretless only) and with a pick. So I bought a cheap but great Ibanez Mikro and borrowed some picks from my guitar friend and gave it a go, and I sucked. SUCKED!!!! The main issue was muting and I just couldn't make it work and it was most frustrating. So now I just play the Mikro fingerstyle and I am happy again. I will probably give the pick another try after I get used to the frets again.

 

[Ellery]

I play a 5 string, and what's worked for me is a combination of floating thumb, anchored thumb with right hand muting, and left hand muting. Toughest part for me was transitioning between these techniques while playing and not banging or scraping on the strings. It depends on the riff, it's location on the fretboard and how many strings it crosses. It took me a long time to get this down and I still catch myself allowing string noise on the more challenging lines, but this is how I can play the technical stuff cleanly. Don't dismiss any particular technique and keep playing!

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I did a search, but didn't see any long threads...
...I am getting back into bass, using headphones, and find I have the WORST MUTING TECHNIQUE EVER!
I used to use flatwound strings, with a pick, and did just fine palm-muting.

Now, I am giving round-wounds another shot, and working more on finger style (and maybe a little slap). O.M.G.

Having a 5-string complicates things, but having played 6-string bass most recently, a 4-string would seem too empty to me.

Anyway, I am looking for some tips to clean-up my act.

Finger-style, I "play through", letting my finger stop on the adjacent string. Other strings, though ring horribly.

I do not want to use a foam mute, but when playing finger-style, I find my fretting hand grabbing the neck like a "baseball bat" to mute strings. Not good.

Is the "trick" a combination of floating-thumb, with some subtle fretting-hand muting?

The muting is not as noticeable through an amp as through headphones, but it is still pretty bad.

Help!

Note: I now subscribe to Scott's Bass Lessons, and am sure there is something on muting there. Still, I was hoping posts here might nudge me in the right direction...

Yes, you mute with both hands. Mostly your thumb, but yes, both hands.

 

[OldSchoolFlats]

I have the opposite problem: I normally play fingerstyle and I can mute pretty well that way. Recently I have been inspired to play fretted (after 35+ years of fretless only) and with a pick. So I bought a cheap but great Ibanez Mikro and borrowed some picks from my guitar friend and gave it a go, and I sucked. SUCKED!!!! The main issue was muting and I just couldn't make it work and it was most frustrating. So now I just play the Mikro fingerstyle and I am happy again. I will probably give the pick another try after I get used to the frets again.

If you like the old-school "thump", muting with a pick is easy. Rest the side of your hand next to the bridge, then pick away with reckless abandon! Same idea as placing a foam "mute" under the strings at the bridge as was done when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and Jamerson was king!

Jazz basses (at least as late as early 70s) used to come with covers over the pickups. The cover at the bridge pickup was huge, and had some foam rubber next to the bridge.

 

[drumvsbass]

Fretting hand mutes from the top down with the index,
the plucking hand mutes from the bottom up with the thumb.

 

[lermgalieu]

I honestly haven't really analyzed my muting, but I know I do it constantly. As other have said, it requires a variety of techniques, both RH and LH. It's part of almost every note played, and it needs to be assimilated to the point of being unconscious.

 

[JonathanPDX]

In my opinion, muting comes far more from the left hand than the right. I can play with my thumb, a pick, fingers, palm mute, tapping, etc. and it doesn't really change my muting technique at all unless the passage has an unusually high amount of string skipping and/or ringing/harmonic tones.

Look at your major scale (starting with the root played by your second finger on the E string.) As you play the root, what are your other fingers doing? Which fingers are making contact with each of the other strings? You should be able to play that root note and immediately pluck the other strings and get either all dead notes or all open tones, and control that choice with minimal left-hand movement.

As you play each note, evaluate each other finger and their contact points with the other strings. Practice playing each note with the other stings muted, and again with each other string available to play a clean open note.

Holding my bass now, when I play A (5th fret) with my second finger, that same finger is making very light contact with the A string, my first finger is laying across the other 3 strings at the 4th fret. My 2nd finger is naturally muting the A string, but I can lift it slightly to let the first finger take over, and that finger can give me a 4th fret harmonic, shift slightly to mute all 3 strings, or lift up so they are all open.

Since I'm playing with right hand fingers, they usually mute the string underneath where I'm fretting by landing on that string to stop, and my thumb rests on either the E or A string, so most of my muting technique has to cover the higher strings rather than the lower ones. But it's good to practice keeping everything dead, even if you're plucking your G string, having the control to have a left-hand finger or two stretch out to keep the E string from ringing regardless of what the right hand is doing.

 

[mrcbass]

You're smart to deal with this early on. It gets even harder to correct poor habits. Unfortunately it's not a one size fits all kind of thing.

I hoped to use the floating thumb technique as a mute, but I have high arches in my joints so my thumb doesn't really rest on strings besides where the knuckle is. I learned on my own (had developed bad habits before even thinking of looking online for lessons/tips. I naturally started "hooking" my low E (and now the E and B on my fivers) with my pinky on my plucking hand to deaden the big strings. There are some times when this isn't effective, but for most of what I play, this works fine. IF probably hinders my speed, but I can pluck as fast as I can fret, so no need to worry about it too much.

Try everything you can - something will emerge as the right technique for you.

 

[phillipkregg]

As someone mentioned earlier, Rocco Prestia (RIP), from Tower of Power, had some of the best muting technique ever - especially with the left hand.

Watch some videos of him and study his playing and how he mutes.

What Rocco does is pretty similar to what’s shown here:

 

[OldSchoolFlats]

As someone mentioned earlier, Rocco Prestia (RIP), from Tower of Power, had some of the best muting technique ever - especially with the left hand.

Watch some videos of him and study his playing and how he mutes.

What Rocco does is pretty similar to what’s shown here:

Yep, watched that one!

BTW, the tips here, and a little pondering, got me back on track, and 80% of the muting problem is gone for 20% of the effort. Gotta love those Italian tax-collectors: Pareto(s law).

Anyway, many thanks for the encouragement! Yesterday was the first time I'd picked-up a bass in years, and while my pick-playing was still intact, I never realized how terrible my finger playing was due to ignorance of muting.