Bass Muting Technique (Controlling Your Tone) [ AN's Bass Lessons #1 ]
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- Опубликовано: 25 янв 2025
- Starting up Adam Neely's Bass Lessons with a short and sweet primer on bass muting technique, and how to shut the bass up so it doesn't ring out and annoy sound engineers dealing with low rumble.
Please let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to hear about! This is a new series, and will be ongoing - every Monday for the foreseeable future.
Harmonic Series
en.wikipedia.o...)
(I told you it was just the wikipedia article....)
Peace,
Adam
![5 Ways to Make Your Electric Bass Sound Like an Upright - [ AN's Bass Lessons #2 ]](/img/1.gif)
at 1:43 you say "A" and it's perfectly in tune with the A note you play on the bass at the same time... wow
I'm a bit late but when you start saying notes out loud, They have a referred "pitch" to the letter. So saying A forces you to say it perfect pitch. Although it's purely practice and exposure to these notes that it gets sub-consciously automatic.
You're dumbing it down. I can say a perfect E3 in tune because that's my "perfect pitch note". But that note only doesn't allow you to have perfect pitch for all frequencies.
Can it also be a case of synesthesia, where you associate certain notes with their pitches just because you're accustomed to putting the two together?
Check out Adam's vid on synesthesia btw, it's really interesting.
Hi
Hi Adam. I've just bought my first bass after >30 years just playing the guitar. Sounds like I'm throwing gongs down a well so excellent video and much needed help. By the way, I've been watching your videos for a long time now and it's a real shock to see how far you've come since this one in 2015. Brilliant work and many, many thanks.
This was one of the most important, yet underrated techniques to learn as a bassist. Thanks Adam!
You've lived inside of my recommendations and watch history for years with your modern vids on theory. Today is the day I watch for the actual bass lessons that always appear in the intro screen
OK, this is the first video I ever watched on this but bass'd on your intro alone, this is already my favourite.
I keep going back and forth between new and older vids cause I'm still learning, thanks for everything. You've grown so much ♥
this was the video i needed to watch to fix my issue. I'm a producer so I only record and have to deal with bass in a studio setting. unfocused notes for funky basslines which muddied up everything in the mix. I had to do so much doctoring to get it right. This whole time it was my lack of technique that was the issue. This fixed everything.
your lesson are very precious. many thanks
I've been watching his videos and only his videos for the past month... Im a woodwind player
I was once like you, a [guitar] player who didn’t know why he was watching bass videos. Well now I have a bass, and soon so will you.
I play flute at school but I have barely practiced all quarantine and summer, and instead I've been playing bass (an acoustic one we've had for no reason for decades, lol)
Almost 5 years later and 1 million subs mark finally reached! The world is a little better because of people like you sharing your passions - with so much eloquence, by the way! Education is the way to go! Congratulations and thank you, Adam!
On a unrelated note, I understand the intro doesn't make that much sense anymore given the channel shifted to a broader audience (which is great), but, damn, I miss that intro :(
Adam, you have one of the best channels on RUclips!! Keep it up! You editing is also really great!
I wish you were a pianist... (or that there were piano and keyboard stuff like this on RUclips).Though I've learned a lot about bass and music in general by watching your videos, great channel!
He was a pianist
I'm almost afraid to ask what to do with my right hand as a pick player
Drop the pick, that's what.
Why would you drop the superior way to play?
znazz uhoh its begun
angryheretic I'm gonna get the popcorn
With your right hand palm like a guitar player maybe?
The Danny "Mo" Morris of Berkley College technique is another method which is awesome. He mutes with left hand all the time by playing with first finger on every fret. Its another way to get that Motown sound and flexible to return to other techniques.
Andre
Sorry Adam, but clearly you missed an opportunity by NOT titling this video "Shut your Bass the F@#$ up". lol. On a serious note, when I was first learning bass I read that playing with flat fingers was bad technique. It's part of my playing I have worked on for a long time now, and still wrestle with. Its nice to hear that maybe it isn't hurting my playing, but helping with muting. At least, now that can be my excuse ;) Thanks!
Perfect advice. Between you and Todd Johnson (thumb-muting technique) I'm golden. ;)
Adam, I appreciate the details you reach on explanations. You are a very impressive artist and bassplayer.
Thanks - i just started recording and ran into this. I didn't know what it was called, but now know how to make the bass shut the $#*& up.
Great approach to the lessons. And I love the opening lol
Great vid Neely! Hope to gig out with you again soon :)
I prefer to play on my fingertips with electric bass because it gives me a more round sound, gives more control over my tone and sound, all that good stuff. But I do cheat a lot to cut out those symapthetic vibrations, it's just a necessary evil. It's funny, I have been playing electric bass in my junior high and high school bands for 5 years now, and I learned very quickly all these techniques you are talking about, because yes, symaptyetic vibrations just sound sloppy and bad. Good to see I was on the right track though. Also, I have been marathoning your videos since I found them yesterday. Great stuff!
How do you mute if you're jumping from, say, G string to E string? I can't seem to figure out a good rest stroke technique to mute. I'm a beginner, by the way.
wondering that too
This is one of the situations where muting with your fretting hand is going to help- see roughly 2:15
i don't even play bass but these are so good
What do you think about fretwraps (a.k.a "pro hair crunchies") for muting, Adam?
Ah I always wondered about curling fingers as classical guitar was my introduction to the guitar family.
Thank you so much!! This video was really helpful
This was excellent, if a little fast paced . The graphics are great, and also that you hint at the theory, without being heavy handed. Got more?
I normally mute the E-string by pressing on it with my thumb while playing the A-string, and rest my hand on top of the strings when playing the D and G-strings. And when I'm doing fast switches between strings (particularly the E and A-strings) I mute the low E with my left thumb by just bending my hand back, seeing as I already have to bend my hand back to fret higher strings. As for changing between the A, D, and G-strings, I have no self taught way of doing that, so this video was really helpful. I'm not saying that I'm good at anything I've mentioned, because I'm not. My total time spent playing bass probably only adds up to maybe 30 hours, maybe even less, and I suck immensely.
Also, any help with getting more consistent with finger picking (especially on the G-string). I'm not really worried about playing super crazy fats, though I do plan on playing thrash metal, so I'll have to worry about it eventually, but just being able to pluck the string and get consistent noise from it. Whenever I try to play the D and G-strings, even at slow consistent paces, sometimes it's nice and full sounding, but sometimes I pluck the string and barely make any noise at all. Please help.
First of all, thank you for the very interesting and valuable content that you include in your videos. Regarding muting technique, when i try to slap i always fail to mute other strings (specially the ones that i should be muting with my right hand). Maybe you could do a video explaining how to do it correctly so i can get it right XD. Thank you! :B
This thumb muting technique was mastered by James Jamerson. His hands were huge and he was trained on Stand Up.
great lesson
I JUST started playing so I'm not quite as good as Sid Vicious yet. I bought an acoustic/electric bass guitar to learn on. Im playing unplugged so the muting isnt much of an issue at this point but Im making a point of it so Im learning it from the getgo. Its frustrating paying attention to it while learning all the other basics but at least I wont hafta relearn it if I progress to the point where I buy an amp n electric bass.
Regarding right hand: my technique - thumb always rest on pickup, and 3rd and 4th muting strings, very comfortable and dynamic.
Carol Kaye, a top session bass player in the 60s/70s used to attach a felt on the bridge. She always played with a pick, so the and mutes the other strings a bit. Have you ever heard of someone who uses such a technique?
mfsbrz Paul mc cartney
thanks for this information man !
At 2:31, man how low is that action set?
Hi Adam! first of all I want to thank you for all your work, many bassist I know in my country comment how good your videos are for improve our skills. Can I do a suggestion? An important part as musicians is to take care of our instruments and gear (for me is like an investment), Can you make a video with your personal suggestions of what things we can do for setting up our equipment and taking care of our instrument and gear? Just a suggestion... Greetings from Bolivia!
Thanks for all your hard work, Adam. From one of many freeloading viewers, I hope you're getting paid. Anyway, have you got the whole Motown-fretting-hand-muting thing down? You know, when you mostly finger frets with your index and mute the plucked string with other fingers on your fretting hand (or something)? If so, any tips?
great video!!!
did you produce the intro? its awesome
Yeah, he made a video about how he did it, also.
What about when you slap? When I try to play the riffs like higher ground by B string rings. And yes...it is even trickier to on a 5 string bass.
Adam I use as much left and right hand muting as I can but wondered if there were any products out that help? For years I used a sponge under the strings at under the bridge cover of my p bass. This worked fine except that it apparently started to acquire moisture and eventually rusted my strings and got a bunch of rust on the bridge. I was able to clean it off and replaced the strings and the bass is fine but am wondering if there is a preferred option available?
thanks man, but what about things like pieces of foam people add just before their bridge?
I use a clean sock for this kinda problem. I always tight it good at the knob
... And thus a the journey started
I usually use my pinky finger to stop the A string while I'm playing on the G string.
Hey Adam.
Thanks for this video.
But how can I avoid this terrible sound between the played notes. When it usually shall be quiet. I mean the sound when I played one note and then I rise the finger and move to the other place/fret/note. On its way, there shouldn’t be any sound to be heard. But unfortunately my finger is still slightly touching the string. This produces a terrible sound, while recording. Not so bad while playing live, but while recording you can hear it pretty badly. Have I really to lift my fingers up more? This Seems to me a bit uneconomic and making me slowly. Do you have an good advice for me? Sometimes I even think it is just because I have played too much bass. Because my fingers have really got a very hard skin on their tips, which seems to make this terrible sounding even louder. So. Any advice? Many thanks in advance.
Karim.
Hey Adam! I'm a drummer who is just picking up the bass, and have played some guitar, the right hand muting technique is the most frustrating part for me at the moment. I'm starting to figure this out, but i'm having trouble on deciding whether muting the e-string when I pluck the D-string or straight when i'm plucking the a-string. Maybe this is a silly question, but i'd love to know if you have any opinion about this.
Adam, in another video about 5 ways to get closer to a double bass sound, you show the chicken wing RH posture, which is also near the fretboard. Which muting works wiith this?
So yes, I want to play jazz. Maybe the noise is a bit less of a problem than in some other genres and postures, but I'd still like to mute the strings more than I'm doing. I'm using a Sigma electro-acoustic bass, and I'm new to bass playing, but not new to music.
I don't have a bass I can play, but I have some ideas.Thumb anchoring could help with control if your chicken wing stroke isn't so wide. Maybe try rolling onto the string(s) below straight after the pluck? I find most of the mud is from low strings sympathetically resonating higher, whereas the higher strings are quieter and give sparkle to the tone.
Aren't 2 Tek bridges supposed to reduce sympathetic vibrations somewhat? Have you tried a 2-Tek equipped bass, and did it seem to have that effect? I suppose it may not matter much if one has professional muting technique.
From string to string: you mean through the air? I'm sure they are, but I would have thought that the solid bridge transmits them a bit more efficiently.
As Osa said, it's mostly marketing BS. The only way a bridge is going to eliminate sympathetic vibrations is if it includes a mute like Rickenbacker.
Wow epic intro.
I have a student that I've told this too many times unfortunately he would rather play the way his first Bass teacher taught him letting things ring out and sounding like crap. Anyway I guess he has lots of money to spend because he keeps coming back every week other than that he's a pretty good bass player
how about when you're going down from the 4th to 1st string? How would you mute those? currently this is something I struggle with
Do you refer to the 1st string as the E or G?
If it's the E string: try using your left hand to mute the strings
If it's the G string: try using the palm of your playing hand (specifically the meaty part of the thumb to mute the strings
I use a sock at the end of the neck to block out extra string noise
Christian Whitmore Yeah, I use one of those hair-scrunchies. Works well
yeah, but for 5string works really well
I should try that. I have a sock on my guitar, yes I only own one, but I should really put one on my bass, yes, again I only have one and it's not even mine, I'm just borrowing it until I can buy my own bass guitar and amp (and I'm getting pretty close, despite not having a job, and having not collected on dog walks for several months. I should really do that too).
Also, Momo, you can still use the open strings, they just won't ring out as long. And you can fix this by sliding the sock to the other side of the nut and it stops muting the strings in case you want to play chords/ double stops.
anywhere past the seventh fret when I let up the string after fretting it my amp still rings, even with my finger still lightly on the string. Does it if I fret the string and let up with my finger off the string. Why is this? Sympathetic vibrations? bad technique, bad amp?
It sounds like it may be harmonics ringing out accidentally. Try muting with multiple fingers or slightly more pressure on your left hand. Also try implementing the right hand technique mentioned in the video using your thumb and the rest strokes from your plucking fingers if you haven't. If you're a pick player look into palm muting with varying degrees of pressure.
If none of this solves your issues then start isolating different variables if you have another bass try that, have a friend play the same notes try another amp etc.
rockonwood1965 From what it sounds, it might be how your bass is setup.
Thanks, I did go through the set up on my Bass and it off some, but it also in my technique some, I really notice it on the D string seventh fret. I think my letting off the string is probably closer to a unintentional pull off. As 40cam mentioned I have been trying to work on my muting.
How do you mute if you play with your thumb?
Don’t play with your thumb probably
I HAVE FOUND LESSON 1 PRAISE BE TO THE DOODOODOODOODOODOODOODOO
This is why I play with my thumb
Woo hoo bass lessons
I see _a lot_ of bassists at shows not doing this 1:26
Make sure you get that one down ^ Do not move on until rest strokes are your bitch.
Adam shouldn’t muting the bass be the job of the sound guy?
No, your tone as a player should be clean and not come out shitty that someone else has to clean up. You can clean it up to an extent with a gate just for your signal, and when recording filtering out the junk as required, but it's time-consuming, can filter out other desired elements and isn't something the engineer should be wasting his time on.
Ron Williams I think you mistook the statement. I meant mute as in muting the bass entirely on the soundboard.
@@McOuroborosBurger That's not the "mute" this video is about. It's about muting strings that you aren't plucking because the plucked string can cause the others to resonate and cause a muddled sound. That's super difficult for a sound guy to fix. The soundboard "mute" you're talking about cuts the whole signal out entirely.
Ron Williams that’s the joke.
A bass with turntable in place of whammy bar
I like turtles
Adam you seem so angry here hahaha
tsk tsk classical guitars have exactly the same problems and use the technique of muting strings all the time Adam
Hey Adam! What do you get when you don't protect your ears or keep a straight wrist? Tentinnitus!
I grant you the right to use this joke 3 (three) times in a circle of no more than 20 musicians. Enjoy!
Bro, you look like Elon Musk.