Yuck!
Can't say I understand the yuck... getting the oil from the side of your nose vs. repeatedly licking fingers plucking strings?
Did you think it came from inside the nose?
BTW "Getaway" is on top of the beat... and he created the bassline.
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Verdine White on a Peavey and really playing!
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Can't say I understand the yuck... getting the oil from the side of your nose vs. repeatedly licking fingers plucking strings?
Did you think it came from inside the nose?
BTW "Getaway" is on top of the beat... and he created the bassline.
Upon closer examination, I agree. Makes sense -- more sanitary and, one would presume, a more efficacious string lubricant, along the lines of the storied pizza method.
Can't say I understand the yuck... getting the oil from the side of your nose vs. repeatedly licking fingers plucking strings?
Did you think it came from inside the nose?
BTW "Getaway" is on top of the beat... and he created the bassline.
I thought you were talking about wiping his nose. I don't want any grease on the strings because it can dull the tone.
Yep. If your fingers have any drag and your skin has any oil it'll kill the drag. I haven't done that in years... once I got really comfortable on gigs my hands stopped sweating. Weird.
How about saliva?
I didn't think this was about personal preference, just talking about what someone else did to aid in plucking ease.
The couple of times I did it I didn't hear any noticeable long term effect on the tone. You could always wipe the strings off afterwards. Besides, we're not talking about a lot of "grease"... it's not like it was vaseline or anything approaching that. You couldn't see it on your fingers. And it was natural.
How about saliva?
I didn't think this was about personal preference, just talking about what someone else did to aid in plucking ease.
The couple of times I did it I didn't hear any noticeable long term effect on the tone. You could always wipe the strings off afterwards. Besides, we're not talking about a lot of "grease"... it's not like it was vaseline or anything approaching that. You couldn't see it on your fingers. And it was natural.
You are more accomplished than me. If it works for you, cool.
He should sell that...
Jeff Andrews Professional Grade Nosegrease Finger Balm
If it made me play anywhere near good as him, I'd buy a lifetime supply.
I don't do it... I mentioned that. I'm lucky that my hands don't get sticky though they did when I first started. I don't have any callouses either even though I originally did. Go figure.
I just didn't see where licking would be less of a yuck than even snot... especially considering you're not putting the snot back in your mouth.
Betcha didn't see this thread heading this way, huh?
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My bad. My hands tend to be dry and hard. I will put on lotion and really rub it in before I start a service.
Do they still make Finger-ease? Same principle except you put it all over your strings. I tried it and gave the spraycan away. Seemed like overkill to me.
I remember someone talking about nose grease in Guitar Player or another magazine back in the 80's. Not as drastic as Jaco with the fried chicken.
Good idea... and some lotions are probably better for that than others. I make sure my hands are clean whenever I can... and try not to think about it when I'm playing strange basses. Who knows what are on those strings.
No joke... as I'm typing this an infomercial for Navage Nose Cleaner just came on. Too funny.
Carry some petroleum based string wipe, like Dr. Duck's Axwax. It keeps the neck and fingerboard oiled, and it does help make fast parts easier.
I'm not recommending this but once I developed callouses I used to sand them down. Read that in a magazine too. Part of my plan to be a pro musician by night and a cat burglar by day.
I have bassist friends whose hands are like velcro. Chicks dig that, right?
I have bassist friends whose hands are like velcro. Chicks dig that, right?
Cool. I don't need it. People think I baby my instruments because they seem so clean. I wipe down a brand new set of strings to polish off the drag and rarely wipe them down again. AND they last a ridiculously long time. I got lucky.
So, back to the OP... just listened through the whole video. Verdine White -- cat can play, and he's articulate. I'll admit that, among the several wastelands of my ignorance, I was never very aware of Earth, Wind, and Fire. I knew of them, and knew (via youtube) of Verdine White as this guy with big hair who danced around a lot. Listened to a couple of tunes that didn't catch me and never went back. I'll have to add them to the long list of music that I need to explore further.
I saw Verdine live when EWF opened for Stevie Wonder back in the mid-70's. Was already a fan, their music was advanced for the time. When they went in the magic/pyro/David Foster direction I moved on. It was kind of sad seeing people ragging on him years later as if he never could play. It seems he chose to concentrate more on the show than playing.
Every now and then my fingers will be very sticky so I'll swipe them across my forehead and use the skin oil to lube my fingers. Never did the licking thing though. LOL
In this linked video White is pretty clear that he is all about hit songs. He was looking to simplify his playing and even mentioned that he avoided dominant chords and just played 1,3,5 voicings. It's pretty obvious he was steering away from improving his technical playing and focused on simplicity and a mainstream audience.
Quite honestly, I don't think he had the capacity to improve upon what he was capable of. His left and right hand technique aren't very polished at all. Zero slap skills. But he developed into a very good pop bass player. The music got just what they needed. He was perfect for the band.
I believe Verdine had the education and knowledge to become a chops heavy player if he had wanted to. His solo on Gratitude showed what he could have done if EWF had moved in another direction. Not slapping was a stylistic choice. I can slap: case closed.
