The Quest to Find the Brown note

[pbass2]

I studied electronic music in college. We discussed brown notes a bit. I understood it to be an actual phenomenon, but obviously specific conditions have to be met. Certainly could be accomplished on a synth quite easily if so. Not sure about on a bass guitar...

 

[Adhesive_X]

Sounds unpleasant. The "brown note" is a myth.

Not sure if it's a myth. I was at a Kings X show in the early 2000's and Dugs bass was so loud I didn't know if I was going to puke or ruin a decent pair of pants. I had to move away from the speakers to avoid disaster.

It's why I always laugh when some people say his tone is only high end grind

 

[GBassNorth]

Sounds unpleasant. The "brown note" is a myth.

 

[RoadRanger]

1 string, 1 fret, drop "E"

 

[MrLenny1]

I have heard of tThe Blue Note.

 

[Savagehenry]

Standing in the back of the crowd with my back to a wall at a Ministry show, Psalm 69 tour, with a few other people. As they began their opener, a few of us just looked at each other sorta funny. After some very loud yelling we figured what it was. The sound was hitting us from the front, and rebounding off the wall. Each and every one had the feeling that their heart was palpitating due to the bass. I literally felt like something was WRONG with my chest. Moving from that spot stopped the faux myocardial infarction, but there was no preventing the ear assault.

 

[Dean N]

I have this dream that one day I will write a solo called 'low hanging fruit'

You have the name wrong. You'll have to name the song "Code Brown".

 

[Felken]

You ever heard of tiger tuning? Tigers can produce low frequencies that can paralyze its prey. If you can tune your bass to that point, you'll be able to paralyze your audience!

 

[BurnOut]

The Stone said in the early days girls would scream and pee at the shows. So much that it reeked of pee. So I guess they found the Yellow Note.

 

[Fender_Bender]

Given that I'm constipated most of the time I would wholeheartedly welcome it .

 

[CaseyJ]

No, that was Link Wray.

I always remember it being The Kinks. Sounds like a lot of speakers may have met an early death in the name of distortion.

 

[CaseyJ]

Not sure if it's a myth. I was at a Kings X show in the early 2000's and Dugs bass was so loud I didn't know if I was going to puke or ruin a decent pair of pants. I had to move away from the speakers to avoid disaster.

It's why I always laugh when some people say his tone is only high end grind

I had a similar experience seeing the Smashing Pumpkins. thought i was going to puke for sure. The bass freqs were cutting right through me.

 

[gidbass]

I'm old enough I had to actually google "brown note"...epic fail!

 

[Jack Wilcox]

I've heard that the idea came from a Motley Crue show in Tampa, right when cocaine started hitting the streets.

Apparently some hustlers were pushing serious weight outside the venue, and it was cut with baby laxatives. Everybody was coked up by the time the band took the stage. Between that and Nikki's super high volume rig, bad things began to happen.

And thus the legend of the Brown Note was born.

Oooor so I've been told

 

[TwentyHz]

I like to stand right in front of my cabs sometimes to feel it. Sometimes, I can make myself a little nauseous if I stay too long. My guitarist says my low D on the 5'er sometimes gets him in the solar plexus. Serves him right for his piercing guitar needles.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

Closest I've ever come to The Brown Note is when I hit a few wrong notes during a bass solo. Those sure are Brown Notes to me.

I have, however, found The Green Notes. They're all on and below the 7th fret.

 

[Pbassmanca]

according to music legend lemmy was the one who stuck a pencil through his speaker in order to achieve more distortion

You can actually get premium pencil mod kits through Stewmac.com. They're specially selected from an old stash of high quality Russian HB pencils that were used in nuclear weapons design for their tight tolerances. Once you try a premium pencil mod kit, you'll be spoiled by the smooth, creamy distortion that they give...............

 

[Coolhandjjl]

 

[GnarwhalNick]

I bought something recently that could help you reach said brown note... I've always joked that they made it in this color because that was what it was intended to do lol

 

[DwaynieAD]

Low A, thats cute. been way lower than that.