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too agressive
- Thread starter JWP
- Start date
sometimes people practice a lot without an amp and they get into the habit of playing pretty hard to be able to hear themselves, i used to play way too hard until i started making sure i am plugged in to an amp or a mixer almost all of the time now
i actually developed my light touch by playing unplugged. this allowed me to hear every bit of buzz/fret noise. it also helped me to notice all of the subtle nuances to each note. 
I agree I play unplugged for a lot of practice, and have a light touch. Just takes awareness of what you are doing all the time...
There's nothing wrong with being aggressive. 
UH-ONE TWO THREE FOUR!!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, I agree with jacojbass about the awareness of what you're doing.
UH-ONE TWO THREE FOUR!!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, I agree with jacojbass about the awareness of what you're doing.
Learn a new hand position..
I can play very dynamically when I copy Stings 'classical type' right hand position...
I can play very dynamically when I copy Stings 'classical type' right hand position...
Try setting up one of your basses with low action and low tension strings. The only way to get the notes to sound clearly and yet to be able to have a range of articulations will be to develop a light and controlled touch.
The other thing you could do is just go with it, raise your action, get some high tension strings and dig in to your heart's content. Maybe that's just your natural style right now. You might feel perpetually limited and out of sync with your bass if you play a "light touch" setup (low action/low tension strings).
The other thing you could do is just go with it, raise your action, get some high tension strings and dig in to your heart's content. Maybe that's just your natural style right now. You might feel perpetually limited and out of sync with your bass if you play a "light touch" setup (low action/low tension strings).
You can just play light.
I actually rely on a little overdrive to get away with playing as aggressively as I do. I set my gain so that it's clean when I play moderately and controlled and so that it breaks up a little when I hit hard. It makes for a spongier and more forgiving experience.
I actually rely on a little overdrive to get away with playing as aggressively as I do. I set my gain so that it's clean when I play moderately and controlled and so that it breaks up a little when I hit hard. It makes for a spongier and more forgiving experience.
I truly appreciate the advice. Just completed an hour of practice and the awareness helps. Also...will check out some sting videos...always loved his bass lines...maybe i can see if there is an adjustment i can make on my right hand. Really appreciate being able to bounce this off y'all!
Yeah, I hear ya. Speaking from experience, if you are use to digging in and playing hard it's a real effort to retrain yourself to play lightly. I've been doing this myself. I even write "Light Touch!" on the set list... but then usually forget to read it on the gig. As other's have said, repeated mindful awareness of light touch during practice. When there's lots going on, and the band is rocking, I'll still catch myself playing too hard... so, imo/ime remember it might be an ongoing and iterative retraining processes.
Playing with or without being plugged in won't make much difference. I noticed that when playing unplugged, you're forced to get better articulation in order to hear yourself properly (playing with headphones has a similar effect because you hear your mistakes more clearly). That can mean that you play louder however, so that you can be heard at all, or it'll make you play quieter so that you can focus on the finer points of your articulation, but either way (as you've probably guessed by now) it will make you concentrate on your articulation more, so that might make it an unequivocal benefit for you.
That all being said, lowering your action and/or reducing your string tension will force you play softer. Otherwise your excess plucking force will just produce more string noise and less fundamental, in terms of the actual notes you play. I use that string noise quite a bit to contribute to my generally aggressive sound (I use overdrive quite often too), among other things that are beneficial for me in having the strings lower, but even when generating that extra string noise you will be plucking the strings with more finesse than if they they were higher.
Having your strings lower may cut a lot of your sustain out when you play harder, but that will have the benefit of allowing you to have "attack-based" playing, and "sustain-based" playing, with there being a more clear distinction than if your strings were higher. That being said thougm you will ultimately need to just practise plucking the strings more gently quite a lot, regardless of how high or low your strings are, in order for you to have the required control over the dynamic shift. All I'm saying I guess is that having your strings lower will force you to do that more, for the sake of having clear tone.
That all being said, lowering your action and/or reducing your string tension will force you play softer. Otherwise your excess plucking force will just produce more string noise and less fundamental, in terms of the actual notes you play. I use that string noise quite a bit to contribute to my generally aggressive sound (I use overdrive quite often too), among other things that are beneficial for me in having the strings lower, but even when generating that extra string noise you will be plucking the strings with more finesse than if they they were higher.
Having your strings lower may cut a lot of your sustain out when you play harder, but that will have the benefit of allowing you to have "attack-based" playing, and "sustain-based" playing, with there being a more clear distinction than if your strings were higher. That being said thougm you will ultimately need to just practise plucking the strings more gently quite a lot, regardless of how high or low your strings are, in order for you to have the required control over the dynamic shift. All I'm saying I guess is that having your strings lower will force you to do that more, for the sake of having clear tone.
Either or, playing unplugged and plugged in is good. Once you break the habit and learn to play softer, it's all good.
I usually ran into trouble when I wasn't aware enough (as previously mentioned) and thought I couldn't hear myself very well, so I played harder with my right hand, and soon got sore and cramped.
I did this for years, and still do if I let my attention slip.
The last couple years I've been gigging regularly with a funk band and have learned a lot. It took a super busy weekend, about 9 hours of playing in 2 days (3 shows, 3 1 hour sets each), to figure the light touch out. By the 3rd show (2nd day, 2nd show) the whole band was pretty exhausted, but somehow that relaxed, not really caring (yet still unwilling to put on a bad show) made all the difference. I knew I still had 3 hours of music to play, in a high energy funk band, so I very consciously relaxed my right hand, turned up my amp, and feathered the notes. Being consciously relaxed is the key, I think. Usually, when I get excited about playing, get in the groove, my natural tendency is to dig in and play harder. This time I forced myself to play softer, especially when I had a hard time hearing myself. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it made me hear what I was doing better, and play cleaner. And the notes were soooooo much fatter, so much more awesome. Almost like a pure sine wave at times, but then you can vary your attack and put some "hair" on the note as much as you want, for a dramatic effect. And then of course you've got about 90% more dynamics too.
Since then it's been a whole new world for me, I feel like I've reached the next "level" as a musician, so to speak. I'm re-evaluating everything as I play it now, and the band has never been tighter. I know that partly because of this light touch I'm using now I'm listening better, blending better with the band, and it just keeps snowballing into more and better things. Awareness is really the key.
I usually ran into trouble when I wasn't aware enough (as previously mentioned) and thought I couldn't hear myself very well, so I played harder with my right hand, and soon got sore and cramped.
I did this for years, and still do if I let my attention slip.
The last couple years I've been gigging regularly with a funk band and have learned a lot. It took a super busy weekend, about 9 hours of playing in 2 days (3 shows, 3 1 hour sets each), to figure the light touch out. By the 3rd show (2nd day, 2nd show) the whole band was pretty exhausted, but somehow that relaxed, not really caring (yet still unwilling to put on a bad show) made all the difference. I knew I still had 3 hours of music to play, in a high energy funk band, so I very consciously relaxed my right hand, turned up my amp, and feathered the notes. Being consciously relaxed is the key, I think. Usually, when I get excited about playing, get in the groove, my natural tendency is to dig in and play harder. This time I forced myself to play softer, especially when I had a hard time hearing myself. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it made me hear what I was doing better, and play cleaner. And the notes were soooooo much fatter, so much more awesome. Almost like a pure sine wave at times, but then you can vary your attack and put some "hair" on the note as much as you want, for a dramatic effect. And then of course you've got about 90% more dynamics too.
Since then it's been a whole new world for me, I feel like I've reached the next "level" as a musician, so to speak. I'm re-evaluating everything as I play it now, and the band has never been tighter. I know that partly because of this light touch I'm using now I'm listening better, blending better with the band, and it just keeps snowballing into more and better things. Awareness is really the key.
I am reminded here of the day I walked and played 45 holes of golf, to see how much I could do (I'll never do that again, I'm telling ya---talk about some pain afterwards!). Anyway, I got so tired that I could barely make a backswing, only about half-way. Then, I didn't have the strength to pull the club through very hard. But, I found that I hit better shots, more accurate and just as far.
Thanks again all for the great advice. Last session - very aware of not being too agressive and with that - made some adjustomets on my set up and was able to dial in a sound that supported a lighter touch and the difference was NOTABLE! Got some really postiive comments from the session players. Even got a guitarist to tone it down a bit! So for me - being aware of how I am playing and trusting my gear to deliver the sound without having to feel like I need to force it is key. Thanks again!
