Members Perfessor Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 There are times when a light touch is nesessary but I usually like to dig in and play hard. I prefer to get volume from plucking hard on the strings. What is your string attack like?
Members One Bad Monkey Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 There are times when a light touch is nesessary but I usually like to dig in and play hard. I prefer to get volume from plucking hard on the strings. What is your string attack like? Same thing you have here. I keep all dynamics controlled by the hands and rely less on amp volume.
Members bnyswonger Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 I play pretty hard. I break about 4 or 5 strings a year. C'est la vie.
Members lyricpoet Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Pretty damn well dug in, but dynamics are important too.
Members bassman1956 Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Aggressive. Am learning to be softer. Sure helps lower the hand stress and increase agility by doing this. But it's a struggle.
Members L-1329 Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 I've had a very heavy touch , fretting hand too, since my upright days and I've never been able to develop a softer playing style. My biggest problem is when I do try to play softly, and have the amp up higher than I normally do, I kind of need a compressor to keep the spikes down when I let those occasional unplanned heavy hits fly. My technique feels like I'm dragging a boat anchor all the time.
Members Hunter6 Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 On bass, I've managed to develop a fairly light touch. The way I have my bass set up, it doesn't buzz when I play because of my light touch, but when other bassists play, it buzzes like mad... Guitar is a totally different story; I play ridiculously hard on guitar.
Members Optimus Prime Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Both. Some songs I know go from quiet and mellow to heavy as {censored}. And for it so sound right you have to play as soft as you can then crank up the overdrive and play like a {censored}ing madman.
Members hans_the_double Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 pick. hard. loud. aggressive. i really need to stop that or buy a compressor.
Members Thunderbroom Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Same thing you have here. I keep all dynamics controlled by the hands and rely less on amp volume. +1 I think I learned my light touch by watching catphish play with UBP. I'm not the same caliber of player as he is, but I noticed early on that he plays with a light touch and lets the amp do the work.
Members chubrocker Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Sensual.......VERY sensual. In all seriousness, I play with a lot of dynamics. I play with a medium attack for the most part but I like the option to hit the strings soft or really whack them to get more grit or oomph when needed. The sound guy at church continues to piss me off too. Whenever I play soft or hard, he adjusts the volume. It drives me nuts!!!!!!! How many times/ways can I say "Don't mess with my volume once its set!!"
Members Death Hands Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 It really depends. I normally play VERY hard, and I still have fair room for dynamic change, but if it's a slow, soft piece, I use less string attack and a more lenient fretting style. I play with a medium-high action, normally. A rep at a local shop blamed the fretbuzz from a bass I bought there on my technique. That made me angry, because I normally get compliments on my technique, if nothing else.
Members Emprov Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 I used to be pretty aggressive on the strings but lately I've been playing with a lighter touch. My tech set the action on my 55-94 a bit low for my tastes and I'm too lazy to take it back to him. When I start to get aggressive on the strings, I get all kinds of fret noise. Now, I've come to like the lighter style of playing.
Members Captain Fathead Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 I hate clickity clankity. My main bass has relatively low action, so if I dig in, it sounds too clickty for my liking. I have another with slightly higher action so i play pretty hard on it.
Members BassMaster General Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 As light a touch as I can manage with as little movement as possible. The less effort I have to put into it the longer I can play.
Members willsellout Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 I play with a light touch for the most part but have my strings high enough so if I dig in it doesn't sound like {censored}. Dan
Members Super Bass Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Light to Medium touch, I prefer to let the amp do the work.
Members rummy Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Light to Medium touch, I prefer to let the amp do the work. +1 Light & snappy
Members Thumper Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Medium. I let the amp work harder.
Members Robin Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 Depends on the song really. Generally, I use a medium touch. Near the bridge I tend to dig in a little harder sometimes. Just depends.
Members Bassius Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 i use the touch of God! but only when I grant it to you.
Members 82Daion Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 For the most part, I play with a medium to light touch, although I've been hitting the strings a little harder lately since it sounds good that way on fretless. Thanks to jazz band, I can play really dynamically when the tune calls for it. Generally, I try to play at the borderline of click for the given setup.
Members timmerz Posted October 27, 2007 Members Posted October 27, 2007 My biggest problem playing bass.... When I first started the only amp that was in my "affordable" range was an Acoustic 150B on a 1x15 Acoustic bottom (8-ohm). The first band I was in had a smokin'-hot drummer and two killer guitarists with Marshall half-stacks. Needless to say, I practically had to rip the strings to be heard at all, and since it lasted for about 8 months until the Acoustic 360 surfaced in my price range, that style of play became ingrained in my psyche, and to this day I have to reign myself back in on occasion, especially with the super-pickup/preamp combination on the 'Ray...I can pretty-much drive any preamp into clip with the 'Ray by playing as heavily as I used to...
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