This is pretty dull, but these patterns and scales are being played with the goal of eliminating extraneous noise. For years I was the overtone King, and that really shows up fretless. The goal
Is to only make intentional sound.
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Playing Cleanly
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
This is pretty dull, but these patterns and scales are being played with the goal of eliminating extraneous noise. For years I was the overtone King, and that really shows up fretless. The goal
Is to only make intentional sound.
Turn it up. It makes for an even better dynamic range workout in addition to making unwanted noises more obvious.
My MTD 635 was a great training tool in that respect. I initially sounded like Tracy Chapman until I got the string noise under control.
My MTD 635 was a great training tool in that respect. I initially sounded like Tracy Chapman until I got the string noise under control.
Turn it up. It makes for an even better dynamic range workout in addition to making unwanted noises more obvious.
My MTD 635 was a great training tool in that respect. I initially sounded like Tracy Chapman until I got the string noise under control.
I was recording after midnight and my wife was in bed. The video I made on my Carvin around noon yesterday was at good volume.
The Tracey Chapman line was a good one!
I was recording after midnight and my wife was in bed. The video I made on my Carvin around noon yesterday was at good volume.
The Tracey Chapman line was a good one!
I sounded like an old school DJ.
I have been on the same quest as of recently.
Two things that have helped me are: floating my thumb, which you are already also doing.
And keeping my fretting fingers perpendicular to the neck and concentrating on “wrist down classical” technique.
It’s funny because I have been playing for thirty years and never before had a need for “wrist down classical” but I figured, “why not? Im bored let’s give a go with something new” lol
Two things that have helped me are: floating my thumb, which you are already also doing.
And keeping my fretting fingers perpendicular to the neck and concentrating on “wrist down classical” technique.
It’s funny because I have been playing for thirty years and never before had a need for “wrist down classical” but I figured, “why not? Im bored let’s give a go with something new” lol
I too have been on that journey lately. Before I was happy to just get the notes. And while I don't play fretless I started noticing how clean many recordings sounded and how I just didn't sound like that! I do boring routine stuff like that with sometimes just major scales up and down, trying to get my alternating RH fingers sounding even and my left hand in the right places so all you would hear is the pitch with nice front-of-note articulation. I know fretless has a whole 'nother level of difficulty involved. I've put my quest for a fretless bass on hold so as not to be fighting too many things at once.
I thought I was a pretty decent bass player until my teacher pointed out the “artifacts” while I was playing (overtones and string noise) I’m now very cognizant of this and my playing and technique have cleaned up quite a bit! I’m now floating my thumb and using other fingers to mute. I never realized how noisy is was! I definitely sound better now with other players as well. It’s like it’s its own challenge!
I do a lot of scales just to keep things simple to build good fingering habits. One thing I'm noticing that I never realized before is that the cleanest sound comes when I'm right ON TOP of the fret, almost as if I'm playing fretless. I'm just beginning to learn how much I don't know about the basics of playing with a high level sound. While I am most interested in getting more into pop, rock and theater, I'm shocked to discover there is so much fundamental work that I have to backtrack on first to be really good.
I have to liken this to when my daughter took private flute lessons in HS. Her teacher POUNDED fundamentals and cleanliness in all aspects to the point where after just two years or so very little was a challenge for her, even sight read. I'm putting myself in her shoes as that new student, in hopes of becoming a really good player someday soon.
