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string slide noise?

Bass.

Bass.

Jan 23, 2006
607
24
San Diego
#1
should this happen?

and i know i should have searched i jsut wasn't sure how to put that into a search box.

when im playing (i usually have a more mid-oriented tone) and if im doing something other than the typical supportive bass line i get the noise of my fingers sliding across the string

is this typical?
if not how can i avoid it?
 
#2
Let's face it...bass is a little noisy. There are some things you can do with technique to combat it (too in depth to cover proper technique in a short message), but you're always going to get a little finger noise when you do slides.
 
#3
don't worry about it, in 99% of real world musical situations (i.e. not practicing alone in your bedroom), the string noise will probably not be audible

if you play with a guitarist, you can guarantee it won't be heard over their racket
 
#6
The less string noise the better unless you are using it as an effect or going for a "dirty" kind of sound. JimmyM is correct about the difficulty in describing all the various techniques players use to combat extraneous noises. It is natural to try to EQ these noises away but if you can avoid this while practicing you will most likely become a cleaner player. Often when bass is recorded it's plugged right into the board and that can be a frustrating and embarrassing experience. Imagine playing your bass parts with cold metal hands while sporting an extra small thong backwards, yea, that about sums it up!
 
#7
Two things to help with finger noise:

-technique
-SIT Silencers strings

My Warwick is notorious for picking up finger/fret noise even when you're using the absolute cleanest technique, but of all the strings I've tried, the Silencers pick up the least noise. Feel and sound great too. (They're compression wounds, so they don't really have much crispy zing.)
 
#9
Buy some kinda fret lube, either the spray kind or you can get some thats like a little cloth stick and you rub it on. Or there's the fried chicken method, of course...

Get some right hand muting skills, or if thats no good, don't be lazy with your left hand (ie. lift it off strings when changing position)

A bit of noise is okay though, adds a nice 'dirtiness' to your tone.
 
#12
Rids said:
Buy some kinda fret lube, either the spray kind or you can get some thats like a little cloth stick and you rub it on.
Click to expand...
I tried some 'Kyser Dr.Strangefellow String Lubricant' spray and it made the sliding noise worse! (probably because it did nothing to remove the noise but made it easier to slide around) :crying:
Get some right hand muting skills, or if thats no good, don't be lazy with your left hand (ie. lift it off strings when changing position)
Click to expand...
I'm talking about actually sliding while playing the string e.g. sliding into a note.
A bit of noise is okay though, adds a nice 'dirtiness' to your tone.
Click to expand...
I never hear this high-pitch string scratch noise on my favourite music or the radio :( But thanks anyway for the suggestions

Looks like I'm going to have to switch to flatwound strings...or try find the discontinued Exlixir Polyweb strings.
 
#13
Though it's good to tighten up your technique, if you play in a band you'll hear it a lot less. In recordings there's lots of things they do to prevent ever knowing that stuff occurs. I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Just watch some of the demo videos from some of the top bass players on bassplayertv. You'll see that their technique is a lot "dirtier" than you think.
 
#17
A Little bit of clank and noise is good in a band situation, all those sounds that are harsh on their own can actually help you cut through in a band situation.

It also depends on the sound your after, I actually like some clank, esp with overdrive or distortion (I'm a Meshuggah fan). I use a set of 95-40 strings tuned to D. I play with a pick and like to hit my strings hard.
 
#19
I used to play drums in a band where the bass player (not really a bass player, but a keyboardist/trumpeter/come-bassplayer) had a NASTY habit...during rests in songs, he'd just let his left hand slide all OVER the neck...squeak, squeak...YIKES!

during the course of playing and changing positions, it's quite ok to have a little bit o' squeak...but what he was doing was just plain unconscously STUPID! :eek:
 

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