When lifting finger off and pressing frets the string buzzes?!

[Leon Damjanov]

So i recently started playing bass (Yesterday,lol) and i am having a big problem that i cant seem to fix...
When i'm playing a note on the fretboard ,everything is fine but as soon as i lift my finger up it buzzes. The slower i lift my finger up the bigger the buzz is . If i lift my finger up instantly there is almost no buzz but that's pretty hard to do and as i have seen other people lift their fingers up slowly that doesn't seem to be the problem.
How can i fix the buzz that i'm getting?!
I have tried lifting the finger off the fret but not the string and it doesn't make any difference
How do i solve this?

Im using the
Harley Benton PB-Shorty BK Standard Series with a
Harley Benton HB-20B.

 

[bholder]

Mute the string with another finger on the left or right hand before lifting the finger. Make sure you're fretting the string close to the fret too, that will reduce risk of buzzing. Practice.

 

[Qlanq]

Welcome to bass playing.
Check this guy out:

 

[96tbird]

You started yesterday. There's a long road ahead. Things will come with practice.

Now's a good time to learn the other part of playing bass... learning everything about setups. You need the know how because no one else can ever set up a bass for YOU as well as you can yourself.

 

[Leon Damjanov]

Thank you all , i pretty much learned the right hand thumb muting technique but i still cant get used to the fretting hand muting and its just putting your fingers down on the strings.

Also i am hearing less and less buzz so i seem to be doing things right, thank you all.

 

[jamro217]

Hi, Leon, welcome to TB. Are you putting your fingers on the frets, or on the fretboard in front of the fret? The correct way is to place your finger on the string and press it down onto the wood in front of (towards the headstock) the fret. That creates a fulcrum. If you are already doing that, it may be any number of things causing the problem.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Take heart. Our beast does growl and muting the strings is one of the skill sets we all had to learn how to do.

I use flatwound strings, this seems to help. And I put some foam rubber under the strings at the bridge, this seems to help. Plus I like the sound this gives.

I play with my thumb (as if I was using a pick) so palm muting is also necessary - right at first - do a Google. The more you play the less muting you will have to do, but, our beast does growl so muting is something you need to address...

For what it is worth, I no longer have to think about muting, it just happens.

Keep on keeping on.

Welcome to the bottom end.

 

[fearceol]

This clip should be of some help :



You only started playing yesterday, so be patient or frustration will set in and spoil the fun. Learning takes as long as it takes and everyone learns at their own pace.

Best of luck with your playing.

 

[Leon Damjanov]

Thank you all ,i've been having fun with the Bass (currently learning Sunshine of your Love) and you all have been helpful

 

[Bassbeater]

Many bassists start with a little bit higher than optimal string action and then lower it as their fret hand techniques becomes more refined. Some buzz is generally ok. It's WAY to early in your education to be worried about this as a technical bass problem unless you are experienced on other fretted instruments. Focus on playing at a speed that you can play notes cleanly. Good hand technique early on will make you a better player sooner than later. Use a metronome or drum or backing track to develop timing when you practice scales or songs. Record your direct signal and listen back. Play in front of a mirror.
Before you know it these extra mechanical sounds will start to fade out of your overall sound as you gain skill.

 

[Lobster11]

When you release a note after fretting it, don't lift your finger(s) off the string: Just release the pressure enough to stop the note from ringing. This way you are muting the note with the same finger(s) that fretted it. A good exercise to practice is playing a single note repeatedly, varying the length of the note by timing when you "un-fret" it. (Another benefit of this exercise is that it's a good way to learn how little pressure is actually required to fret a note in the first place, so you don't waste energy by squeezing any harder than necessary.)

 

[jamro217]

Thank you all ,i've been having fun with the Bass (currently learning Sunshine of your Love) and you all have been helpful

Well, the great thing about learning a Cream song is that you'll probably get a better tone than Jack Bruce's back then.

 

[Richard R]

Hi, I am about six weeks ahead of you, so we're both only just starting out.
That horrible buzzing goes away, if you're practicing good technique in general it just does. I can't say which particular thing stopped it, I just concentrated on doing the right things.
All the above advice about slow practice seems to be true - Yes we want to learn some tunes because that's the fun part, but playing them well is different to just playing them.
FWIW I would recommend studybass.com as the best on-line tuition site by far. Not very "hey-wow!", but really solid clear and helpful tuition.
Hope that helps.

 

[jamro217]

Hi, I am about six weeks ahead of you, so we're both only just starting out.
That horrible buzzing goes away, if you're practicing good technique in general it just does. I can't say which particular thing stopped it, I just concentrated on doing the right things.
All the above advice about slow practice seems to be true - Yes we want to learn some tunes because that's the fun part, but playing them well is different to just playing them.
FWIW I would recommend studybass.com as the best on-line tuition site by far. Not very "hey-wow!", but really solid clear and helpful tuition.
Hope that helps.

Welcome to TB.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Play closer to the fret.
Take lessons. Books, videos and internet experts cannot take the place of a real person watching you play and correcting you in real time.
Keep playing and the problem will fix itself.

 

[Cliff Colton]

I hear that same buzz on some basses, but not on others, so I don't think it's a technique problem. When you fret and hold the note, there is no buzz, but as you lift your fretting finger, there is a buzz which results from the string vibrating against the fret. IMO, it's caused by the combination of string type, string tension, fret condition, and setup specs.

Change the strings and get a setup by a qualified person. There's no way to completely eliminate that type of buzz, but it can be minimized to a point where it can't be heard.