I recently purchased a six string bass and after having only played on a four string, muting is a bit tricky. Before, muting the strings I wasn't using wasn't a problem a all, in fact I never thought about it while playing and practicing. Now that I have 2 more strings, I find it rather difficult to keep all strings but the ones I'm currently using muted. Any time I'm practicing and I hear lots of extraneous string noise from the ones not being used. Any tips on ways to minimize this and how to practice string muting?
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Screaming Strings!!
- Thread starter Nickayl
- Start date
Search for "floating thumb technique." Lots of useful info in that thread.
Check out Todd Johnson's thread on floating thumb technique for sure. Also, the Gruv Gear Fretwraps work well for dampening the ring.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
Another vote for the floating thumb, I learned it once I switched to six. Make sure you mute with both hands as well. A lot of practice is pretty much the easiest route. I wouldn't advocate using FretWraps to clean up poor technique though, that is a crutch.
Yes, it will take some time ( maybe even up to two months) to get comfortable with the FT. It's the same for any new technique.
Time and effort well spent IMO.
the floating thumb thing also felt weird and uncomfortable to me, i like to rest my thumb on the string below the one im playing, so i started to put my pinky between the b- and e-string to mute them when playing on the higher strings...now my pinky automatically reaches for the b-string when i play the a, and when i go higher it is between the two fattys and mutes both of them, my thumb mutes the rest (i play a fivestring...)
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Not saying this is the way, but, I learned the one finger per fret in a four fret pattern like most of us, however, this has evolved over the years to a semi barre index or middle finger for each note I fret. That in affect mutes the strings below the string being used. Yes I slide a lot...
So instead of playing four fingers with the four fret pattern I end up using my index, middle and sometime the little finger - pad - to fret the needed string and this helps mute the lower strings - like floating thumb does.
Not sure how this would work on your 6 string. Offered for what it is worth...
So instead of playing four fingers with the four fret pattern I end up using my index, middle and sometime the little finger - pad - to fret the needed string and this helps mute the lower strings - like floating thumb does.
Not sure how this would work on your 6 string. Offered for what it is worth...
