# Silly question, but do bassists also palm mute when the guitars do?



## Rev2010 (Apr 10, 2016)

I'm not a bassist but I lay down backing bass tracks when I'm recording and pretty much always also palm mute for parts where the guitars palm mute. But I use a pick and I got to wondering, since many bassists use only their fingers, what do they do? Is it common for bassists that pick to do palm mutes? And I know it doesn't sound anywhere near the same since bass usually isn't distorted. So, sorry for the dumb question, but what's the most common thing to do - play the notes open, palm mute, something else?


Rev.


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## setsuna7 (Apr 10, 2016)

I do. So does J. Newsted.


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## Bigfan (Apr 10, 2016)

I will usually either play it open or mute with my left hand depending on preferred tightness. Muting with both hands is also possible. Usually palm-muting on a bass will sound really boomy, which isn't what you want most of the time.


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## Mike (Apr 10, 2016)

I've played bass almost as long as guitar mostly for the same reason as most guys here (to lay our backing bass tracks). I opt not to palm mute the same way with bass as a guitar. For me it doesn't really add punch or the same desired effect a guitars palm mute does. Just kind of sounds like a fart or a missed note.

What I do instead is either play it open and stop it with the fretting hand as necessary, or I'll slap it for a more aggressive sound.

Some guys say they palm mute bass just like a guitar and get good results so to each their own I guess. Don't really think there's a one right or wrong way.


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## Promit (Apr 10, 2016)

For those who are blending clean and distorted bass tracks, do you palm mute the distorted track?


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## TedEH (Apr 10, 2016)

As someone who's a dedicated bassist, rather than a guitarist who happens to do bass tracks when recording, I don't palm mute usually. With a pick, sometimes it feels natural to mimic what the guitar is doing, and I do think it's appropriate to have a different dynamic between muted and not muted sections, but it doesn't have the same effect as it would on a guitar IMO.


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## Señor Voorhees (Apr 10, 2016)

Our bassist does on occasion. It never hurts to try it with and without to see which you prefer. It's usually only really useful when you have a tone with higher frequencies involved though. (ie: distorted) 

You just do whatever sounds best to you. There is no right or wrong.


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## Rev2010 (Apr 10, 2016)

Thanks so much guys, very much appreciated! 


Rev.


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## LordCashew (Apr 10, 2016)

The guy from Dead Letter Circus does some pretty sweet left-hand muting. It creates a pulsing, electronic type of staccato effect.


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## Asrial (Apr 11, 2016)

Left-hand muting.

Regular palm muting is an artifact brought on by guitar playing, and while it's easier to perform with a pick, you're playing all the way down at the bridge as well, which affects tone. Left-handing the muting allows for picking/plucking at the neck pickup and allow for a smoother sound.
It's a matter of personal taste and what works within the genre. Yeah, it works pretty well within a thrashy metal sound to palm mute as a guitar. No, I wouldn't do it while covering TesseracT or Haken.


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## hairychris (Apr 11, 2016)

I don't mute along with guitars, but fretting-hand muting is definitely an effect that can be used.


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## hairychris (Apr 11, 2016)

Promit said:


> For those who are blending clean and distorted bass tracks, do you palm mute the distorted track?



No, because I run fuzz/distortion in parallel to the clean signal (it's difficult to double-track bass when you're playing in a live band situation!  ). However, I would definitely look at running a wet/dry signal path with bass. Some fx pedals have a clean blend, but if you're running multiple pedals, modulation, etc, I'd definitely look at dual amps or some thing like a Boss LS-2: in my case I have a RAT, 2 fuzz pedals and 2 delays in a loop to blend with my clean signal because I'm that sort of person!


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## House74 (Apr 11, 2016)

I actually do two things for this, 1 I run an ISP decimator in my chain to help alleviate any unwanted carried out noise when trying to mute, bumping strings etc. Then for picking technique i'll definitely use a pick, and will use both hands to mute when trying to get a nice tight sound. Kinda deaden the strings with the fretting hand, and then pick at or even just above the neck pickup where the string is it's "floppiest", which seems to deaden the string fastest and gives you a decently tight sound. String gauge and tension also play a factor in this I'm sure


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## hairychris (Apr 11, 2016)

House74 said:


> I actually do two things for this, 1 I run an ISP decimator in my chain to help alleviate any unwanted carried out noise when trying to mute, bumping strings etc. Then for picking technique i'll definitely use a pick, and will use both hands to mute when trying to get a nice tight sound. Kinda deaden the strings with the fretting hand, and then pick at or even just above the neck pickup where the string is it's "floppiest", which seems to deaden the string fastest and gives you a decently tight sound. String gauge and tension also play a factor in this I'm sure



Aye. Having only played bass properly for past 2 years it's a definite learning curve, as what I've done for decades on guitar (palm-muting, especially) just doesn't work due to mass of strings, etc. This is on a purely technical level, without taking into consideration the different role of bass.


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## House74 (Apr 11, 2016)

hairychris said:


> Aye. Having only played bass properly for past 2 years it's a definite learning curve, as what I've done for decades on guitar (palm-muting, especially) just doesn't work due to mass of strings, etc. This is on a purely technical level, without taking into consideration the different role of bass.



yeah I'm admittedly a newcomer to the bass world as well, relatively speaking. I've been doing it about 3 years now. That just seems to be what works best for me, but I'm also admittedly not the strongest finger style player so that just comes more naturally to me. Like stated above though by others, ultimately it comes down to what is most comfortable and efficient for YOU, there's not necessarily a right or wrong way


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 11, 2016)

Even with a pick, I don't. Sometimes I even pick harder because I feel the extra aggression could add to the chugs. Only time I mute is when the other guitarist does a fretting-hand mute.


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## A-Branger (Apr 11, 2016)

nope I dont

Im mainly a bass player who only plas guitar to crank distorsion and be happy. I also only play with my fingers, never liked the feeling and sound of a pick

and nop, I dont palm mute. In a guitar it cuts the high freq making the guitar more bassy and muted, thats pretty much the bass already, so you are actually adding more punch and sound to it. The guitar is trying to be "quiet" and to (in a way) "mimic" you, so this is your time to shine and let people heard you lol

also you can only do palm mute with a pick. But due to the high pitch attack/sound of a pick playing bass, palm mut can have a place on it. But as the finguer sound of a bass is already more muted/bassy, then you are already there

Left hand mute is not the same as palm mute. Way two different things. Left hand are silence notes. "X" notes, they dont have any place or any harmony, they are a percusive sound only, to add to groove parts. Like on a funk riff groove. Or on your Djent guitars muted sound. A palm mute still have a frequency and a designated note and harmony, its just the sound of it would change

is not the same to do ooooOOoooo11ooooOOoooo11 than to do xxxxOOxxxx11xxxxOOxxxx11


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## punisher911 (Apr 12, 2016)

I do, but not to the same extent as on guitar. On guitar I do it for the muted chug and the sound of it. On bass, I do it just barely off the bridge to deaden notes and stop them from ringing when not needed. Sort of like when people use the fretwrap things. I play flatwound strings with a pick.

So in my case, it's mostly to cover up my bad fret hand muting technique and sloppy playing.


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## bostjan (Apr 12, 2016)

There are a lot of bass guitar techniques, so everyone plays a little different, and there is no wrong way.

Personally, I never palm mute bass. If I mute, it's with my left hand. Anything on an open string sounds like complete .... if you try to palm mute it, since there is too much momentum from the mass of the string to get a palm mute to work effectively. Also, as your rig is tuned more to bass frequencies, palm muting usually just results in a lot of noise.

Then again, I never use a pick, except on occasion when I overdub a distorted track.


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## Alex Kenivel (Apr 12, 2016)

I palm mute slightly for jazz tones, but it's not exactly the same technique as guitar palm mutes


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## eloann (Apr 12, 2016)

The right answer is: whatever works.

I found a Rocco Prestia inspired left hand muting works wonders to keep a heavy distorted bass in check without resorting to a noise gate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I74yWsfO4DI 

I personnally associate palm muting with very old school rock (with a pick) or motown (with the thumb) tones. Preferably on a Precision - or at least neck pickup.


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## LordCashew (Apr 12, 2016)

A-Branger said:


> also you can only do palm mute with a pick. But due to the high pitch attack/sound of a pick playing bass, palm mut can have a place on it. But as the finguer sound of a bass is already more muted/bassy, then you are already there



It's actually possible to mute with the side of the palm and play with thumb and index finger. It's a fairly esoteric technique which can be used to emulate upright tone. Maybe not super relevant to this thread but I thought I'd mention it anyway because it's pretty cool. 



A-Branger said:


> Left hand mute is not the same as palm mute. Way two different things. Left hand are silence notes. "X" notes, they dont have any place or any harmony, they are a percusive sound only, to add to groove parts. Like on a funk riff groove. Or on your Djent guitars muted sound. A palm mute still have a frequency and a designated note and harmony, its just the sound of it would change
> 
> is not the same to do ooooOOoooo11ooooOOoooo11 than to do xxxxOOxxxx11xxxxOOxxxx11



Ahh but you can in fact emulate palm muting with your left hand! Fret a note with your first finger and _lightly_ rest your second and/or third finger just beyond the fret. You can vary the pressure (and number) of the fingers beyond the fret to control articulation, ranging from a very subtle deadening to very thumpy and staccato ghost note. There will still be a pitch until you apply a considerable amount of muting.

This technique is a little tricky and definitely has some limitations, mainly the fact that it really works best only if you're fretting with your first finger. (Obviously you can't do it at all if you fret a note with your pinky.) But if you're dwelling on one note for a long period of time, having some extra control over the articulation can be really effective. You could in fact use this technique to play "ooooOOoooo11ooooOOoooo11" for example.

I should have been more clear, because usually "left hand muting" means exactly what you said, ie complete deadening to create ghost notes or control sympathetic vibrations. I don't really know what else to call it though. Left hand staccato?


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## A-Branger (Apr 12, 2016)

I know what you mean I have done a bit of that to emulate an upright bass while playing salsa music, but dont like it that much and I dont dominate the technique much either, I rather use otehr muted "X" left hand for groove.

, but what you are talking is not "palm mute", well kinda... but its more to deadened the note faster so there is no sustain or less sustain. You can argue that its the same as in a guitar because on a guitar you are also cutting the sustain of it, but on a guitar you are altering the attack too. In a bass you are already altering the attack while you play with your finger vs a pick. This technique dont really alter the attack of the note. Unless you leave your thumb on the string and play with the index finger so kinda the same as muting the string with your palm

I would say its different but not the same.


still for metal I much rather just play openly and loud, let the guitars get muted and go into chug, the chug + bass is what makes the chug, be a "chug" . mutting the bass only makes the chug less of a chug


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## Veldar (May 6, 2016)

I don't palm mute on bass for metal, but I do use it when playing different styles.


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## cGoEcYk (May 6, 2016)

I like how this thread has brought up all kinds of fine points about LH and RH muting.

If guitar palm mutes are chugging around I am probably down there slapping. I like to add a punchy attack while the guitars slush around.


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## BubbleWrap (May 6, 2016)

I just can't get used to playing bass with a pick, so I never palm mute. There are plenty of other techniques to use to alter your attack.


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## MajorTom (May 15, 2016)

I mute the strings that I'm not playing all the time to prevent them from giving off noise, but when appropriate and desired I mute the strings that am playing for the muted sound, - I hope that makes sense.


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