Bass Question

[Superman]

Pretty simple, and I know we have some old codgers here with thousands of cumulative years of experience, whom I trust and value as friends and mentors.

I almost never use the nut. I fret every note I can. My hand generally hangs around the 5th and 7th frets. Guitarists have often suggested I play 'open' strings more. Use the nut as a crutch, basically. But it rarely sounds better and I always feel like I have less control that way. Plus.....the bass player is in charge of cadence. And note decay is important. Like I say, fretting notes gives me good control, and that's what I do.

Do you?

[nostatic]

Sure, I use open strings. They have a different sound than a fretted note. And in fact, even fretted equivalent notes have different sounds (eg B played on the 7th fret of the E string vs 2nd fret of the A string). I don't know that I'd call the nut a crutch - if anything it often is harder to include those notes as when you're up the neck you're playing patterns that tend to not vary.

As for control, you've got two hands . Both hands play into shaping the sound. Your left hand can fret a note, hammer on, pull off, pluck a note, and also damp a note. Your right hand can pluck, slap, pop, tap, palm mute, and totally mute a note. Lots of things at your disposal. If you ignore any of those then you're removing tools from your tool box.

One thing that both Kai and Anthony insisted was that you know the bass - as in really know the bass. You should know where every Bb is on the instrument instantly. There are things that need to be automatic. Once you know those, then they get out of the way of you actually making music. I'm still working on that stuff every day (mostly getting my modes instant and seamless).

If you're staying around the 5th and 7th frets, then you're not getting your money's worth out of the instrument. While the saying goes, "there is no money above the 7th fret", there are colors up there that can serve a lot of songs if they are used correctly. Same with open notes. Music is a never ending exploration and is only limited by your imagination.

[nostatic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvKEpAYZjlE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_jFAhN6V9s

I highly recommend getting this DVD. I rewatch it every so often to remind me about the possibilities. In fact I'm using it as fodder for a lecture I'm going to give to an MBA class week after next.

[Gogar]

You can't flip anyone the bird or do rock hand if you have both hands on the bass.

[Superman]

Nostatic can flip the bird with one hand and play songs with the other hand. Depending on the sound he wants to achieve. Or he can flip the bird with both hands at the same time. Or he can flip the bird occasionally with each hand, several times throughout the song. Sounds better with one bird upside down, though.

I just need to play more. I'll work on the bird thing, though.

Yeah, NS, they have a different tone. I need a fretless bass, and my all my basses should perhaps have brass nuts. But still......those 29-19" notes are simply the thunkiest. They are. That's how I use them. The 29-33" notes are piano-ish. The notes that are shorter than 19" or so.....I have little use for them. They suck. So does the G-string, mostly. But that's another story.