I am totally a self-taught player. After years of just messing around, I am finally getting the time and motivation to learn this thing the right way. So, a couple of questions. I am not sure if this is a bad habit that needs to be cleaned up or just my way of playing and ok. I see most bassist pluck the A,D and G strings and then bring their plucking finger to rest on the string below it and repeating this motion. This is the way all instruction videos say to play. The way I understand it this downward plucking motion gives the note a deeper, fuller resonance and allows for string muting on the string below it as the plucking finger touches the string below. So it serves a couple of purposes.
But, in my self-taught naivete, my technique is not like that. I taught myself to play in a small apartment where any real amplification would have brought howls of protest from my neighbors. So, I would either have the amp turned way low or playing without amplification at all. I think it taught me bad technique and never learned to mute strings because I wasn't playing at a volume that I could here the other strings ringing out. My plucking fingers scrape across the strings without ever touching the strings below it. Close but not quite. I'm not sure of any compromise in the tone but I have had to learn string muting techniques after all these years of messing around with my bass finally. The technique that I am learning is based on what I have learned from watching Scott's bass lessons. It took awhile but I feel fairly comfortable now with his floating thumb concept. It gets a little more comfortable each day and is pretty effective at muting the strings. But my question is really this. I seem to be the only person plucking a string without having the plucking finger come to rest afterwards on the string below it. Is this faulty technique if I have a legitimate way to mute the strings without using this plucking method. And I watch Scott Devine and it does not appear to me that he is using this pluck-then-make-contact-with-the-string-below method either. I can't tell for sure and I may be completely not seeing it right. But it looks like he isn't following all the way through either...and I idolize him as a bassist and if I were ever a fraction as good as him I would be very happy.
I don't know...I started playing bass by learning songs. Big Maiden fan...and speed was important. Found it easier to scrape across the strings than pluck all the way through and down like everyone says you should be doing. I just learned to play this way because it was easier to play faster. But it is worth it to completely overhaul my technique? Want to become an all-around good bassist. Also, learning to play with a pick and if feels strangely comfortable for some reason. Fingerstyle, I try it, try to pluck through and down to the next string but it feels very awkward and slow. But maybe it is worth the effort. Can someone either convince me that I need to invest time into changing my technique or tell me what I am doing is okay.
Thanks!
But, in my self-taught naivete, my technique is not like that. I taught myself to play in a small apartment where any real amplification would have brought howls of protest from my neighbors. So, I would either have the amp turned way low or playing without amplification at all. I think it taught me bad technique and never learned to mute strings because I wasn't playing at a volume that I could here the other strings ringing out. My plucking fingers scrape across the strings without ever touching the strings below it. Close but not quite. I'm not sure of any compromise in the tone but I have had to learn string muting techniques after all these years of messing around with my bass finally. The technique that I am learning is based on what I have learned from watching Scott's bass lessons. It took awhile but I feel fairly comfortable now with his floating thumb concept. It gets a little more comfortable each day and is pretty effective at muting the strings. But my question is really this. I seem to be the only person plucking a string without having the plucking finger come to rest afterwards on the string below it. Is this faulty technique if I have a legitimate way to mute the strings without using this plucking method. And I watch Scott Devine and it does not appear to me that he is using this pluck-then-make-contact-with-the-string-below method either. I can't tell for sure and I may be completely not seeing it right. But it looks like he isn't following all the way through either...and I idolize him as a bassist and if I were ever a fraction as good as him I would be very happy.
I don't know...I started playing bass by learning songs. Big Maiden fan...and speed was important. Found it easier to scrape across the strings than pluck all the way through and down like everyone says you should be doing. I just learned to play this way because it was easier to play faster. But it is worth it to completely overhaul my technique? Want to become an all-around good bassist. Also, learning to play with a pick and if feels strangely comfortable for some reason. Fingerstyle, I try it, try to pluck through and down to the next string but it feels very awkward and slow. But maybe it is worth the effort. Can someone either convince me that I need to invest time into changing my technique or tell me what I am doing is okay.
Thanks!
