Another variation I had discovered is to pluck with the side of your finger…a bit more sideways using a larger surface of your finger….similar to an upright bass. This also changes the tone
And diagonal movement over the string. Just ending beyond the side of the nail. You get more 'texture' or 'touch' in the note. And if you 'release' the note more energetic, you get more punch in the notes on the low strings and more 'zing' on the high strings. The effect is more accentuated over the bridge pickup. Have to keep the nails short, however or you get a nasty sharp attack in the note.
This isn't just about tone, it is about the mechanics of how to pluck so that you are not overcoming string tension. Something that is is usually never discussed or glossed over by online tutors who say how wonderful their $500 courses are! Thumbs up for showing this. It isn't just a tip, it is crucial for playing fast. Essentially you are grazing the quadrant of the sting that faces directly opposite to that which makes contact with the frets. My mistake for years was to dig in my plucking finger on the same quadrant you would start a pop on and try to pull the string towards the ceiling. When you see people playing bass it looks like that is what they are doing. But I couldn't get any speed because of the string tension I was trying to overcome. Why didn't anyone use a few simple diagrams that could have been used to illustrate the contact surfaces and direction of pluck? I don't aim to land on another string because I think that stops fast plucking and you can't do it for slap either.
Some good points there Graeme. I agree with what you said but I wanted to keep things simple for this lesson and focus on tone. But you are right when you say it’s also connected to speed.
Thanks for the lesson Greg.Very useful as always.Half of my problem is not changing my strings more frequently(now changed them)and playing through mediocre headphones..
@@GregsBassShed I'm going to start changing mine every month or so(6 weeks max).I play every day and think this is long enough.I love the sound of a new set of strings.Are you still getting yours from the "Bass centre" in London ?
@@jonswift7174 good idea, the sustain is so much better on fresher strings. Yes still get my strings from the Bass Centre although it’s been a while as I get a load at once. I need more soon though!
I admit I do pluck up a little because when I stroke across the strings I ring the string below it sometimes instead of deadening it.Could be because my action is very low.
A low action might be contributing to this issue, it’s hard to say without seeing you play. I have heard others saying they have this problem as well. Make sure that you land on the string firmly.
Cheers, yeah it’s often easy for us all to forget that when we are practicing at low volumes at home. The first festival back after Covid was a bit of a shock to me as my ears had forgotten that sound! 🔊💥
