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Taming the overtones

CrewsControl

CrewsControl

Dec 6, 2011
1,112
48
Hollywood, CA
#1
The D string seems especially prone to emit unwanted overtones and harmonics. When I am playing on the D string, I find that I need to be extra careful how I release the string after playing a note, or else my left-hand mute will just allow the overtone to ring on (3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th frets, 7th being the loudest with the overtones). So on the D string, I have taken to fretting in the middle of the frets, so when I lift my finger at the end of the note, it is not sitting on a spot that allows the overtone to ring on. I am also having to involve my right hand in muting the D string, to keep those overtones from ringing on after the note is played, mostly for the open string.

The challenge is less on the G string, but still a task. The 7th fret is the wolf fret on these strings. It loves to howl harmonic overtones when the note is done. The lower strings are a lot more forgiving in this regard.

This behavior is consistent across many different basses. My 5-string Peavey with steel strings does it. My Gibson SG with nylon flats does it. Maybe my practice room reinforces the overtones on these strings - but it's very consistent from bass to bass.

Is this a problem every bass player must learn to overcome? Or is it just me and my practice room?
 
#2
Ask your teacher to show you proper left- and right-hand muting technique. In my opinion muting is the most frequently overlooked technique to becoming a solid intermediate player.

Whatever you do, don't learn a second bad technique (fretting in the middle of the frets) to compensate for the first. :)
 
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#3
Mutes - most professionals play with mutes. If your bridge has them then adjust them up a little or you can always stuff a piece of foam under the strings right next to the bridge. I have a few basses without bridge mutes and for them I "borrowed" some of the wifey's "Invalid Link Removed" and slip one over the the head so it's about 1/2 way between the nut and the first fret. Depending on the song your playing, you can sometimes move the scrunchie up the neck which will help more. But a bridge mute works best.

Foam Rubber mute ---> see secs 0:23 ~ 0:27 (look at the bridge) better look at 0:48 ~ 0:59
Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home - 1969 - YouTube
 
#4
Mushroo said:
Ask your teacher to show you proper left- and right-hand muting technique. In my opinion muting is the most frequently overlooked technique to becoming a solid intermediate player.

Whatever you do, don't learn a second bad technique (fretting in the middle of the frets) to compensate for the first. :)
Click to expand...

+1

-1 on mechanical or scrunchie mutes. Learn how to properly control unwanted sound with your left and right hands - which is called muting but is not using tools as mutes.

Bridge mutes won't make the harmonics stop ringing - they are there to provide a more 'old-school' sound and to dampen the strings.

Vic's scrunchie mute is used to tame all the excess noise generated by atypical playing techniques (crazy tapping, double-thumb double-plucking, etc.) - it is not there to compensate for poor, standard technique. In Vic's case, both hands are doing crazy, non-standard things and because of the nature of the technique, being able to also keep the other strings quiet while flailing like that is almost impossible. Hence the scrunchie - which he immediately slides off the strings when he's playing more typically.

Yes, bass players learn how to use their left and right hand to keep things like this under control. Fret at the fret - don't teach yourself to fret at the fret on 1, 2 (not 3) 4, (not 5) six (not 7)... Not only will that result in way too much work for way to little payoff, if you ever decide to go fretless, your intonation will be all sorts of bad.
 
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#5
Also, muting is about so much more than simply eliminating unwanted noises. Good muting also allows you to play more musically by giving each note you play a controlled beginning, middle, and end. Many beginning players do not realize that stopping a note at the right time is as important to the groove as starting a note at the right time! :)
 
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#6
Mushroo said:
Also, muting is about so much more than simply eliminating unwanted noises. Good muting also allows you to play more musically by giving each note you play a controlled beginning, middle, and end. Many beginning players do not realize that stopping a note at the right time is as important to the groove as starting a note at the right time! :)
Click to expand...

Amen, brother shroo.
 
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#9
Jeff Mills said:
Mutes - most professionals play with mutes.
Click to expand...

Um... what?

Jeff, I have to respectfully disagree with you there. Mutes fell out of favor (and out of the mainstream) decades ago. While you can certainly get a great tone with mutes (I use them on some of my basses - and Bob Babbet uses a huge kitchen sponge... and I'm not about to say he's not a professional! ;) ) but I wouldn't say mutes are the norm by any means. I would actually say that most professionals don't use mutes, particularly in the rock world.
 
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#10
I agree with all of the above so far but to be more technique specific I generally play with my left hand in a mitten shape. That Bering that all 4 fingers of the left hand stay very close together. Try this, fret the 7 fret of you D string with you middle finger but rest you pointer (index) finger behind it (towards the nut). You can use this technique with any finger except the pointer where you would have to use a more traditional ( muting to stop the note with the other 3 finger) muting technique. Hope this helps and keep shedding!

-Tim
 
#11
The fingers of the fretting hand that are not busy making notes can be used to tame the other strings and the thumb, side of the hand, and the entire palm of the plucking hand can be used to do the same thing. When to use which and how is entirely up to the part at hand (no pun intended).

The key to getting good at playing cleanly is to include 'playing the silent notes' in your practice. Each rest or space in a part is the equivalent of 'playing' silence which seems counter-intuitive, but is critical in making a part sound properly articulated and nuanced. Otherwise it sounds noisy and clumsy even if the part itself is in time and meshes with the band in general.

In loud situations, the extra noise is typically ignored by all. In less noisy situations it becomes a significant distraction. In the studio it can be the reason you spend hours (-$$$$) on a part instead of minutes (-$).
 
#15
And now the correct answer:

You're getting overtones on frets that have pretty prominent harmonics. If you just let off with your fretting finger, of course you're going to get an overtone on those frets because your finger is causing the notes to turn into harmonics. So you need to not let off the notes with your fretting finger, and mute your notes by stopping them with another finger. Done. It's tighter and less noisy to not let off with your fretting finger to mute notes on frets without prominent harmonics, too.
 
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#16
JimmyM said:
And now the correct answer:

You're getting overtones on frets that have pretty prominent harmonics. If you just let off with your fretting finger, of course you're going to get an overtone on those frets because your finger is causing the notes to turn into harmonics. So you need to not let off the notes with your fretting finger, and mute your notes by stopping them with another finger. Done. It's tighter and less noisy to not let off with your fretting finger to mute notes on frets without prominent harmonics, too.
Click to expand...
Definitely the best bit of advice as far as arresting the issue but I'm still wondering about the underlying cause i.e., exposed string core, pickup height, maple vs rosewood, design flaws etc.
On my Sadowsky MV5, the B string is useless past the 7th fret, still ringing out that discordant harmonic even after extreme lowering of both pickups on the bass side. On the Fender Elite V the problem is easily arrested after moderate height reduction.
An issue which is easy to work around but still!
 
#17
stringtheory6 said:
Definitely the best bit of advice as far as arresting the issue but I'm still wondering about the underlying cause i.e., exposed string core, pickup height, maple vs rosewood, design flaws etc.
On my Sadowsky MV5, the B string is useless past the 7th fret, still ringing out that discordant harmonic even after extreme lowering of both pickups on the bass side. On the Fender Elite V the problem is easily arrested after moderate height reduction.
An issue which is easy to work around but still!
Click to expand...
That's odd...do you get them on frets that don't have prominent harmonics, too?
 
#18
JimmyM said:
That's odd...do you get them on frets that don't have prominent harmonics, too?
Click to expand...
Yeah, any fret past the 7th on up.
I think it was an issue involving both the pickup height and the string being twisted (info I read from another discussion).
Now much better. Plus I also use my pinky just a bit to mute the B string to completely eliminate any overtones along with firm finger pressure as you mentioned:)
 
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