# Bass Dead Notes - Teach Me!



## Konfyouzd (Nov 17, 2011)

Okay folks. I have always wondered about how bass players get the rapid percussive dead notes in the middle of a groove. I can get them a little bit some of the time with plain finger picking just by muting but when it comes to slapping I can only really get dead notes on a plucked note which again, I'm muting the same way I would using the regular 2 finger technique.

When I see folks like Marcus Miller, Les Claypool and Victor Wooten slap it looks like they're getting some of these percussive notes using their thumb as well but it's not entirely clear what it is they're doing bc really it looks like their hand is just dancing to the beat of what it is they're playing if that makes any sense... 





In this Wooten vid I see the raking, but there seem to be a few more percussive notes he throws in there just after the rake and it's not very clear what he's doing there either... 



Is this all just double thumbing? It looks like Claypool bounces off the string rather than slapping through it like you would if you were double thumbing, but I'm still a beginner with bass so perhaps there's more to double thumbing than I think.

On a semi related note, I've been noticing some inconsistency with my plucks as well... Am I supposed to pluck then mute really quickly afterwards? If so I think the problem might be my muting hand.

Help!


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## need4speed (Nov 17, 2011)

I don't know either - I watched Micheal Manring play once, very closely, and it looked like pop-n-slap, but instead of the standard hit with the thumb, then pluck with the forefinger, (or as Flea does it, middle finger), it *looked* like Manring would pluck across the string with all four fingers in rapid succession before coming back with his thumb. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Q_Sxo9QKQ
(he starts doing what I'm talking about, right around 4:40-ish in this video, and this video has a long slow intro, so either fast-forward, or be patient and enjoy).

Manring does about a zillion different techniques and things with his hands, really fast, so he's really entertaining to watch, even if you don't like his style of music.


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## Konfyouzd (Nov 19, 2011)

Awesome vid! Thanks for the reply, man!


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## SirMyghin (Nov 19, 2011)

One way common in slap style to get extra dead notes is the left hand slap, you are slapping the strings with any fingers on the fret hand, and not fretting them, just slapping. An exercise to get used to this is slap, left hand slap on the strings, then play a muted slap and pop with the right hand, just to get a feel for how it works. Start with an open string, work up to being able to do it while fretting a note (with the index for starters, it is pretty difficult to do at that point, works best in conjunction with open strings). 

You also can do stuff like two pops in rapid succession, fret real fast after the first, to get a deader followed by a note, you can do this with 3 fingers also. The left hand slap is probably more useful overall though. 

The flamenco style struming with a note and muted strings, as mentioned can do it too, but that is a different flavour.

And as I about the only real bassist left around here, let it be decreed slap style is overrated.


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## Konfyouzd (Nov 19, 2011)

The slap style is a bit overrated, but it's a style I feel comfortable with. I think some ppl cheese it up with that technique bc it's a flashy one. I do it bc the hand posture for it just feels really natural and there are a number of cool things you can do with it.

I'm not even sure that what I do is "slap" per se... Just thumb through the strings (like a pick) and pluck really... I guess that might be the same thing though.

Thanks for the tips on the left hand slapping. I thought that might have been what I saw some folks doing but I wasn't sure. It definitely explains some things.


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## SirMyghin (Nov 19, 2011)

I was just tossing that last bit in to be smarmy, I use the techniques now and again for dynamics. I am a finger and tapping kind of guy though. Slapping is very specifically noted for percussiveness of attack. For example Wootens double thumb style can be slap, or not, depending how you do it. 

The slap is characterized by the string being hit INTO the fretboard on the attack. Same for the pop.

There are players who do it very well, but there are a lot more players who learna few, relatively simple techniques (usually revolving around a myriad of dead notes) and use it for a lot of flash, you are correct. It is those players I don't like


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## Konfyouzd (Nov 19, 2011)

I like that the slapping/popping/dead notes allow me to mimic drums in their absence since it's relatively difficult for me to find musicians that acutally come to jam when they say they will. My loop pedal is my best friend [musically].


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## SirMyghin (Nov 19, 2011)

Konfyouzd said:


> I like that the slapping/popping/dead notes allow me to mimic drums in their absence since it's relatively difficult for me to find musicians that acutally come to jam when they say they will. My loop pedal is my best friend [musically].



Yeah, not having people to jam with bites, as jamming is the most fun you can have as a player, imo.


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