Another thing for bassists to remember: what sounds good in the practice room won’t always sound good in a mix (or even be audible for that matter). I am completely at peace with the fact that my practice tone and band tone are miles apart.

@Ensign_Redshirt

3 жыл бұрын

The amount of times I needed to turn down for a gig... in the end I got hacked off with carrying an amp and 6x10 cab about and just used a compressor into a DI. If the sound engineer is going to ignore what I sound like why break my back. With good enough foldback and an active bass I really didn't miss my amp at times.

@kylec2761

3 жыл бұрын

In fact the tone that sounds good with your band might sound like crap when isolated! That’s life on the low end, folks.

@crimfan

3 жыл бұрын

@@kylec2761 It's like that with a guitar too. A good guitar tone in a two-guitar band definitely needs to have a very different EQ than in a one guitar band. A lot of tonal mud in a band is caused by a guitarist with too much low end. Once that gets dialed back, the mix will clean up, leaving more room for bass and not fighting with the drums as much. Another big one I learned from a Rick Beato vid was that the bass and kick drum fight a lot. He said something to the effect of "decide who's going to be the lowest tone and then EQ accordingly". It really, really helps.

@bassmanjtfunk

3 жыл бұрын

It's my opinion that a Bass Is relatively easy compared to guitar in a live situation.. I know guitar players that have spent hours and hours refining their Tone at home. With fancy boxes that aren't easily adjustable. And when they get on the gig there tone sucks. This is why for bass And guitar for that matter. I like to use Boxes I can just reach down and adjust. These boxes were you have to go through pages and pages to fix your Sound. Are useless to me. If you want bass effects my suggestion is to get ones that are easily Adjusted.

@patrickfarley8036

3 жыл бұрын

I'm just finding this out myself! I'm a drummer by birth and a newly minted bass player. I've known for years my cymbals and drums sounds were at the mercy of the room until I got drum mics! I'm finding out now though that the great sound I have in my home studio doesn't come with me to any of the rehearsal spaces we play in! I'm wasting a lot of time trying get an even tone to carry me through rehearsal. My biggest problems of all is I'm playing the right notes but I always sound flat when we're playing together and also the lowest F, F# and G on my E string all sound like the same note most times. By myself it's fine, it's when we're all playing that it sounds off. Any ideas?

There's a performance tone, and a practice tone. To practice, I turn up the treble, and back down the low bass, then turn up the tone knob to create a brighter, cleaner, hotter tone, more Entwhistle style. This clearer tone exposes every misstep made on the fret board by the hands. It forces more accurate placement of the fingers to control the tone, muting, and you hear all of the little nuances that otherwise might be overlooked. It leads to more relaxed, accurate and confident playing when fully amped in a performance situation.

one bass tone fail i would say is constructing a tone that dosent suit the application that you play in. what i mean by this is even though you might love the tone john entwistle got from his status buzzard you cant use that tone in a motown style application. i spent years trying to get an entwistle/ mark king kinda tone but for the indie band that i play in with 2 guitarists and a keys player a tone like that dosent fit so construct your own tone based off of many different influences that fits your application

@KirillAfonin

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, this is me from 2002, playing in reggae band on hi-end bright as hell 6-string.

@chrisdiboll2256

3 жыл бұрын

I would also say, try your tone out in your band setting. So you might have a great tone on your own, fully appropriate for your style, but when your band kicks in you never know if any of the frequencies clash or if you’ll be drowned out for whatever reason. This was me for years playing metal with that scooped sound. Sounded great on its own in my room, as soon as a couple of syrup thick guitar tones were laid across it, all you can hear is clank and the actual notes being played don’t cut through

@slash196

3 жыл бұрын

I had my tone completely dialed in - four string jazz bass with the neck rolled about halfway off, Markbass 115 cab, really old dead strings for a nice flat, round, warm thump. Then that band broke up and I joined a heavier band, NOTHING worked anymore. Now I'm on a five-string active multiscale bass with a 210 and three different dirt pedals. Gotta stay flexible!

@garyferguson9934

3 жыл бұрын

It's an excellent point. I've always played a Fender P bass and don't know whether it's factors such as the way I'm plucking, not changing the strings often enough (as it does brighten it up) or simply just the tone of the instrument, maybe all combined. But what can be described as "warm" in some styles/genres, can also sound a bit of a "dull" tone in others. Doing a recording session today, the new band I'm playing in have an eclectic mix, and my playing seemed to suit one song more than the other. Now if I don't want to start playing different instruments, can I fix this.. Well it's just occurred to me I'm texting this before watching the video, haha! Oh my will I be a bit of a d1(k if Scott has given the correct solutions. I'll send this anyway for a laugh... :)

@ixa-3140

3 жыл бұрын

Well if it's really even a entwistle tone you would turn the treble up. Your bass pickups should give you all that versatility in terms of what you need to play in your band with a good tone naturally. It's more about the context of your bass in the band and less about the genre. Although I understand the clash with frequencies that's highly unlikely. Usually theres a way to make it work unless your pickups are crap. Or your doing some extreme tone sculpting it shouldn't be that bad lower your dam treble put it flat. You can play a jazz bass on any gig for example. Really it's the pickups that define tone as well as the electronic components but you can always switch that out if you like a certain bass models. Anyways its complex we cant simplify things man it limits expansion and creativity. Let's get weird guys take care.

"we gotta be changing our strings" James Jamerson: *unsubscribe*

@kennet7837

3 жыл бұрын

This applies more for roundwounds. Flatwounds like Jamerson used just last longer.

@rodshop5897

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, I've had the same set of flats on my bass for about 20 years. They sound great.

@richardwilliams877

3 жыл бұрын

@@kennet7837 use Roundwounds on my bass for like... 3-9 months maybe? I use Rotosound Swingbass and love the way they die down slowly quite equally. I think it's quite good advice for a beginner though. Dead strings can be harder to deal with imo

@kennet7837

3 жыл бұрын

@@richardwilliams877 Slapping sounds horrible on dead strings.

@richardwilliams877

3 жыл бұрын

@@kennet7837 I can only just about slap to save my life. I'd generally instruct my band to stop me (using any means necessary) if I ever started to slap seriously in a song. So not applicable to me xD

Great general information. After years and years of playing, I think one of the most important things to getting the tone “you“ want is to have a properly set-up instrument f i r s t. $100 instrument, properly set up, with a fresh set of strings can sound like 1 million bucks right off the bat. Cheers!

@FrederickTSchurgerDC

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed. It also sets your intonation right. A good bass will likely hold in tune without much work. The guy who would set-up guitars and basses back in Ft Wayne was so good that he didn't have to adjust my bridge after about the 3rd set of strings (GHS Progressive strings with the E-saddle hugger). That was a Charvel bass. When I took my Smith bass in, he barely changed anything. The quality of the bass makes a huge difference!!

@EvilSean62

3 жыл бұрын

one of the best things i ever did was dig into set ups and wiring ... saved me a fortune and allowed me to realise the bass can sound very different with a few tweaks obviously pickup placement and type make a massive difference along with string type / age / cleanliness but to be clear ... most basses can sound wildly different with a few tweaks so dont rush out and buy 6 ...and you can get your rick tone back with a jazz bass without re-spending ££££££££ ( ask geddy lee)

@Treklovful

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video. I've got a Squier VI. Watch The Beatles Get Back documentary: occasionally John and George are playing the VI as well. Amazing different tones can come from that. But I realise I didn't experiment with it the last 5 years or so. And I just loved the 60's twangy sound. I'll start experimenting with it straight away!

I get so many ads for Scott's Bass Lessons that sometimes when I click on your videos I forget and think I'm waiting for an ad to play

Bought a brand new bass, but it had sat on the shelf for two years and I couldn't figure out why the A string was dead. I was starting to regret the purchase until I put a new set of strings on, and bam! Now I love it. Don't be afraid to change your strings!

My tone fail - since I am self taught I always thought I had to be in the middle of the frets when hitting a note . Learned bass starting at 16 years old and I’m 43 now and still learning always striving to some day be a master .🤔🤟✌️

@TheTwangKings

7 ай бұрын

If u want to get a bit of that rasp & rattle we all love, play toward the back of the target fret.

Thanks to my bass guitar I cut my nails so often.

@Skelterbane69

3 жыл бұрын

I'm the opposite

@bassman5123

3 жыл бұрын

It's the only reason I even bother to cut mine. And that's good thing, because my nails grow like weeds. If I didn't play bass, I'd probably be unable to turn a doorknob and I'd scratch this hell out of everything. Lol

@HazTheGuitarApprentice

3 жыл бұрын

I CAN RELATE AHAHAHA

@juggernog1236

3 жыл бұрын

Dude yes lol if i don't cut them,they break,so ever since i started playing bass,my nails don't grow 🤣

@Taylor_5724

3 жыл бұрын

I'm out here using a pick

Many new players also forget or dont know about intonation - may be helpful to mention that. Keep up the good work Scott

You guys are the best. These tips add precision to what I learned through years of trial end error. Versatility of setting up the tone wether I play with my head set, the bands shed or on stage shure brings it to an other level of challenge and fun.

As a ex-player that learned many things the hard (read: embarrassing) way, I truly appreciate the effort and skill put into this. Bravo, Scott.

@godzillandmore

Жыл бұрын

Why an EX player? Moved to a different instrument?

@pabloxanaxbars4664

Жыл бұрын

Once a bass player always a bass player, lol

My god! You are so super friendly and casual. You are a gift to all potential bass players. Thank You!!

Thank you so much.....I have suffered from all of these mistakes, but I discovered the finger nail problem a while back on my own, did not like the tone then realized my nails needed trimming, but you helped me so much, like tuning my Bass everyday...….that's why I am a member of SBL

2 things I'd like to mention. One is to instead of boosting frequencies low mid and high. Also experimentings with cutting frequencies. This for me personally gives a clearer tone . Also when you are practicing sitting down. Don't put the bass on your right leg if you're right handed If you normally play standing up this changes all of the angles and all of your techniques will feel Foreign. Stand up put the base in a good position that you play in every night and when you sit down tried to keep it in the same position. Give it a shot. You might like it. Don't be afraid to experiment. Scott. You're a wonderful musician and teacher. Bravo.

It always seems to be the fundamental issues that can change everything. This time, the fretting technique was my wow moment, you also helped me with correct hand position too sometime back. That was over thirty years of fighting my neck because of the little things I never thought of. THANK YOU KINDLY!!

Hey that was very helpful for me, I’ve been working on that for awhile, you cleared everything up, Thanks

Pickup height also made a big difference in over all tone. Especially during recordings. Many years of buying and selling basses due to NOT knowing about this. There is also pickup upgrades. Yup many other tiny things to improve on tone. I have all the mentioned necessities on video. Then I mucked around with pickup height and found yet another smooth to harsh tone with no $$$ out of pocket. Great video Scott. Keep em coming.

I always watch your tutorials and I learn a lot and even though I don't have my own bass, I just borrow to use it, and sometimes I can't play well because, he has something wrong but I just persevered to learn. I hope you give me a new bass so I can practice and be better at bass 😊

Definitely feeling the correct fretting problem.. I love the sound of Pino, Sting, Jaco and the like so I started out on fretless and while it is getting easier (starting on a wind instrument and already having developed my relative pitch helps a LOT) it’s still hard to make sure I always fret in the correct place

@josephinecaruana3847

Жыл бұрын

Well done on fretless I never played fretless been playing four string bass 6 years No prior experience with music Lent a unmarked warwick fretless bass had it for four months wow Played it at a gig before I gave it back What a sound lush although it was a struggle at first i was shocked I sounded rough Four months hard work gave me more clarity I have now ordered an unmarked fretless Ibanez She's beautiful can't wait to get her this is for my enjoyment So different to fretted

Music is kinda like nature: either you adapt yourself, or die. Living in a place (Brazil) where a set of good new strings can cost more money than a musician makes in a gig, I managed to develop a taste for the sound of old strings. Today, I even find the sound of new strings a bit annoying. Here, it's not rare to buy strings and split the payment in up to 10 installments.

@diegodefante

3 жыл бұрын

então compra flatwound já vem com o som mais apagado e dura até uns 10 anos

@Igor_Vinicius

3 жыл бұрын

@@diegodefante Na verdade, duram até arrebentar. Esses dias o Ed Friedland, do canal The Bass Whisperer, estava vendendo um baixo com cordas de 20 anos.

@thebigempty_5792

3 жыл бұрын

I'm sure some American friends would gladly send you some strings...if your Brazilian customs agents wouldn't steal them (very likely)

@bassman5123

3 жыл бұрын

I couldn't agree more. The new string sound is highly overrated and it greatly depends on what genre of music one is playing anyway. For example, new strings and Reggae never mix! However, for rock and funk, new roundwounds do kick ass! But like you said, new strings, especially roundwounds, sound annoying. To me, that means they have way too much top end until they're broken-in.

@jery3385

3 жыл бұрын

@@bassman5123 i personally think that for metal, especially for a newstedish tone, new strings are a must, you get that zing without having to EQ the shit out if your tone.

Hey Scott, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I am a 61 year old bass player from Puerto Rico, and I wish I had someone like you when I was starting, but there was no internet then :-) I like to use my nails some times specially when playing super fast Flamenco because it gives it more definition, but it has to be controlled (not at random). I like round wound strings because I get more of an "electric bass sound." I use an acoustic or electric contrabass for the flatwound dark sound, and I also have a Moog Multimoog for a really funky keyboard bass sound (making a video on that right now). I would tell my students to experiment more at home, when practicing, and play in a more deliberate way when they are at a gig. You can be free at a gig, but everything should be closer to "under control." Great luck in every endeavor, and keep up the good work!

Excellent tips Scott thanks mate

Great video, again, Scott. Many thanks for them.

8:05 notice where he plucks the strings depending on which pickup is on

@groovegcs

3 жыл бұрын

you actually don't have to necessarily do that to sound good... It's just more frequent that people do that...

@iqi616

3 жыл бұрын

Probably subconscious on his part but it does compromise the A/B comparison.

I feel like I struggle a lot with finger placements on the fretting hand. I was always taught to go in the middle, but now that I’m getting back into it I’ll learn the “behind the fret” way. Thank you so much!

@buckemptier

2 жыл бұрын

I've been playing 30 years and I didn't know that. I honestly don't think lots of people play that way, but if you ever switch to fret less it will help a lot to play near the frets now

Great tips as always! Love your channel!

3:24 Get a bunch of those microfibre cloth type things for cleaning guitars and wipe down your strings after you are done with a long session. That'll keep lots of gunk off of your strings. We could all stand to wash our hands more for non-bass reasons, but this will also help keep crud off of your strings if you do it right before picking up the axe. Also, I played a set of flatwounds for a loooooooong time on a P bass, they were probably old enough to vote by the time I had to replace the nut on that instrument and did the strings at the same time. If you are going for a very bright tone you'll need to swap the strings out but if not I don't see why to drop $50 constantly.

@ethanlocke3604

3 жыл бұрын

Well flatwounds don’t need to be replaced nearly as often as rounds. Flats can last years, but you just don’t get the same punch with rounds if you don’t replace them ever several months. Not that I’m not guilty of not replacing them enough 😂

@carlmontney7916

3 жыл бұрын

What I did for years when I gigged nighty was to use those Alcohol prep pads. I'd religiously use them to wipe down the entire length of my string on every break. Just so I could keep that *piano* sound. We played clubs all through the 70's and 80's and that tone with a P bass was essential.

@miahorg

3 жыл бұрын

I made my mother very, very unhappy by using one of her nice pans to boil a set of strings after reading a hawt tip online that this works. It clean the strings, but it also ruined the pan. Live and learn, love you mom.

@jery3385

3 жыл бұрын

@@carlmontney7916 I'll start using that, I started loving the zing of fresh strings so I guess this will help.

@JamesDavisakaRemguy

2 жыл бұрын

You're right about the handwashing, I used to wipe down my strings all the time, but with the pandemic, my hands are like a mummified alligator. You could light a match of 'em! Can't wait for this to be over with and I can go back to my slovenly habits.

These are great tips. Thanks for taking the time. I'm practicing fretting right along side the Base 101 course on SBL. Side note: That lightning scared the shit out of me

Great video, whoever is editing has done a great job!

Love that flatwound sound on your Precision bass!

Hey Scott, I love your vids, especially the ones where you do biographies of bass players. So was wondering if you could do a biography of Chris squire? It could be awesome!

Perfect video, Great Teacher!! Love the channel!!!

Good tips, thanks Scott

Excellent video, thanks!!!!

like the video . I'm going to watch it again though. I'm still learning from your other videos.

Great information!

Great lessons mate! (I studied at Goldsmith college with Laurence Canty & Eric Richardson...) Very old bass player 1955 with a ...1966 Fender Pbass...Cheers

This was such a useful video, thanks so much ur such a good bass player 👍

I subscribed to you A few years ago when I first started playing the seven string guitar... I got my first bass this year!

Cheers Scott, this has helped me a lot!! ✌️☺️

Some good tips Scott. I guess getting your own bass tone and sound really boils down to so many variables, but great tips to consider for everyone and especially beginners. Even cheap well made basses like squire and others gives the intrepid bass apprentice something to aim for. For those who have reached bass Nirvana, they could well have a Bass for every day like changing your undies. Maybe one segment you could talk about( if not already) about those basses which are like Meat and potato or in your case yorkshire pudding and roast beef e.g. P bass, Jazz Bass, boutique basses like that great Sadowsky you have (Similar to mine). Love ya work mate and U- tube clips.

Make sure that your bass is setup up right. String height, neck relief and the distance between the strings and pickup poles all have a drastic effect on your tone, sustain and clarity. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, save some sheckles and have a local luthier do it for you. It can make what initially may seem to be a crappy bass, sound fantastic after 3 minutes of tweaks.

@thomascraymer8712

Жыл бұрын

Definitely agree with that! Even a pickup height change can make it sound like a completely new instrument

Great video as always. Such brilliant, but simple advice as ever. I am having to start as a beginner again it feels. The first month of lockdown I played most days. The last four months, without the band to meet with, the jam nights to go to, the studio sessions to attend... I have felt like there's no point anymore. I haven't picked up my bass since May. Really feel almost bereavement about my bass. Like it's gone for good. Live music, being in a studio with others etc is not coming back anytime soon. Probably not for the foreseeable. I'd kind of given up. Off the back of this though, maybe I'll change my strings... It might reinvigorate. Thanks Scott. Am hoping when live music returns, I will have the motivation to start again. Sad times.

I miss seeing you in my fretboard acc course.. I am on MODULE 9... number 9, number 9... 6 more keys to get the 1625 progression done on G flat major. it has been a great course and I feel like I have made major strides in learning the fretboard... so anyone out there thinking about it.. GO FOR IT.. cause it really will do everything Scott says it will do. Love SBL

5:37 I highly recommend Cobalt slinky flats. Best of both worlds

I like the segment on fretting close to the frets not in the center. I will keep that in mind!

Great video, Scott. Thanks. May I add one thing about using the gain on your amp. Many amps have a gain and a volume knob. It’s really important not to overdo it or under do it with the gain knob if you want a nice, clean tone. You want to set the gain just before it starts to “clip”. Also, if you play with an amp live, it’s a good idea to raise it off the ground. It serves two purposes, one you’ll hear yourself better and two, you won’t need to play so loud reducing overall stage volume. Good luck everyone.

Very informative👍🏿

... notification comes in... grabs Bass :) 👍🏻👍🏻

@calebh2053

3 жыл бұрын

Yep same

Enjoyable video, Scott! I suffer from the last example, I play too hard with my right hand, so I get lots of clacky clacky slap sounds even when I’m not meaning to. I believe it’s due to nerve damage I’ve had since birth, because I have less dexterity with my right arm which is part of why I’m a lefty (but I play guitar right-handed). It helped when I was playing guitar for the past 25 years, because I could strum and pick and not really worry about it. It’s a fun journey.

Good video. I would also recommend figuring out muting your strings early on.

Its been years high schol it was the upright & at home it was electric ..... But ill be coming back thank you for the tips.

Awesome tips... I would only add that muting unplayed strings is critical. Working on left hand and right hand muting are equally important.

Cool video. I've heard the hands explained close to that : the fretting hand is the steering wheel & the plucking hand is the throttle 🎸😁

I was under the impression that the older strings got the more character and thump they had. I once read Bernard Edwards never changed the strings on his Musicman.

@alansmith9869

2 жыл бұрын

I seldom change strings... In fact I have a 68 P bass that have a set of flats that have been on it for at least 10 years.

@Funkybassplayer

2 жыл бұрын

Hello there, I have a fender p bass with a setup almost like the Jameson one. I’m a beginner and my flatwounds are +/- 6 months old and they still sound great. I’m not planning to change them soon. I’m not shredding anyway. Just cool easy licks. Have a nice day.

@thomascraymer8712

Жыл бұрын

Definitely true for flatwounds!

@TheTwangKings

7 ай бұрын

Yes that is true! New strings can sound too bright and brittle. Don't we need to break them in first? Unless a string sounds dead in relation to the others, I'm never in a rush to change them. Too expensive!

You rock, thanks!!🔥

This was aimed at beginners yet you recommend changing strings every few months for tone. Beginners shouldn’t care about tone that much. As a beginner you are learning the bass not playing live music where tone would matter.

for about a year of learning bass, I didn't learn my eq. I didn't know what the knobs did until I played around on my first bass, I always used to have the tone dialled right back and on the neck (p) pickup. it sucked for playing some baselines that needed different pickups and/or a brighter tone. when I got my new bass, it came with a diagram but I didn't pay attention and just kept everything on flat but my amp eq was terrible and I had a horrible thin sound. however, I realised this and did my homework and now I know how to tamper with my eq for the best sound and when I get a new bass I can find what works

I struggled with where to actually fret the notes and fingernails. I'm working on this thump thing now!!

Thank you Mr. Devine!

Not mentioning along the pickups that you are putting your fingers on a different position on the strings, which makes a lot of difference.

Great video. Great tips. I've been playing for decades and my friends always tell me I have a great sound. I have multiple bass rigs so occasionally I mix and match my heads and cabs around but I always try to get my signature tone. Lately I've come across a problem at my gigs that sometimes the cab i grab to play that night will have a blown tweeter or it blows in the middle of my gig and I always seem to get a dead spot usually in the midrange part to upper mid up around the 10th to 12 fret on the d and g strings. I've tried to dial in on tone but can't seem to get much back with eq. I just thought of an idea while writing this....What if I crank the bottom end and add more compression along with the mid and treble. I know if I've had this problem then there are other bassist who have experienced this hole in their sound when the tweeter blows at a gig. You are an incredible bassist. Any tips or a video would be appreciated by myself and the rest of us on the bottom.

Digging the new intro 💯💯💯

#1 Trim your fingernails so the don't touch the strings while you play. 1:33 #2 Use Rest strokes instead of free strokes 2:17 #3 Change your strings! 3:24 #4 Check out different string types. Some may suit your style and tone better than others. 3:50 #5 Tune your bass. Every day. 5:47 #6 Fret notes correctly. Right behind the fret or almost on top of the fret. 6:22 #7 Learn about your pickups. 7:17 #8 Learn your controls. 8:38 #9 Learn how to EQ your AMP. 9:54 #10 Level up your plucking hand. 11:25 Seriously though, change your strings. And if you want to keep them clean for longer, wipe them down with a mircofibre cloth after playing.

@d.l.loonabide9981

2 жыл бұрын

Tuning once a day sounds like an impossible dream if you play acoustic instruments.

@dale116dot7

Жыл бұрын

@@d.l.loonabide9981 I mostly play upright and some days I’m tuning after almost every song.

9:07 scared the shit out of me . my heart is sprinting like hell fuuuuck

@Patrickjohnphotography

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed! WTF???? put a warning in for those of us with a heart. sheesh.

I'd like to see a video where you compare old strings that you boil to new strings

Great info, may I add to the string options one more,,half rounds or groundwounds.I know many players crap on them,but I've found them great best of both worlds and less fret buzz which annoyed me in the beginning stages of my playing. ✌

What you demonstrated as playing too hard is my main playing tone, and I find it perfect for heavy rock and metal music. I do of course utilize softer plucking for other things though.

Good vid very helpful. How meany bass guitars do you have?

I think you might want a comma after "Beginners" in the title? Since, as of right now, it says that these are mistakes that beginners don't make.

Very good for beginners

Hello. (forgive my broken english ; I'm french). First of all, your videos are always precious, even for professionals , and it's always a pleasure to see 'em. You should add (for beginners, mainly) : ALWAYS TRAIN WITH METRONOME !!! and on the first steps learning a score, play it with no "intentions", no "pathos", as we say in theater "lecture à l'italienne" : the more "neutral" it's possible. Then, when familiar with the score, add the intentions (pianissimi, fortes, decrescendos, und so weiter). Otherwise, the main issue I met was with active basses in order to find an appropriate sound for me. I used to play (and still play) lots of "variétés Françaises" (50's, 60's and 70's styles) and progressive rock, and all these active basses never met my expectations. The 4 basses I kept by my side are all passives : my jewel : Rickenbacker 4001 fretless, and a Burns Barracuda 6 strings (the one with tremolo harm and 7 sets of pickups configurations ... so old style sound I looooooove). And for "variétés" : Noguera fretless 5 strings and Squier Jazz Bass 5 strings (fretted). All passives, and I'm glad with 'em. Listen to : Francis Darizcuren (Claude Nougaro "La Décharge" "Dansez sur moi"), Tony Bonfils (Michel Jonasz "Ne M'Oublie Pas" "Sur La Lune"), Pascal Arroyo (always playing on an old Gretch) (Bernard Lavilliers "Fauve d'Amazone" "Lettre Ouverte"), Jim Lea (SLADE "Dirty Joker" "Move Over"), Chris Squire (YES), and you'll understand why. In any event, GREAT THANKS for all you videos and advices ... And have a nice summer. Kisses. Micha

Always, always have your volume on FULL to get full tone. Strings, I have a 74 precision which up until about 5 years ago had the original F80’s light gauge flat wound stainless strings on it. I started playing again after 35 years and put a “new” set of F80’s on that came with the bass. It sounded exactly the same. As JJ said “don’t loose the funk, only change strings when they break”!

OMG the lightning scared the crap out of me. Lol! 😂

I did not know not to press on the center of the fret! Such a relief now

@kodykindhart8230

3 жыл бұрын

Double negatives 🤓

Outstanding...sounding great, and wonderful tutorial (really kind of for any instrumentalist). Can I please ask, what kind of glove are you using? I’m also dealing with focal dystonia in my left hand, but am s tenor saxophonist. I’ve tried latex gloves, helpful but not a good long term solution. Thank you in advance! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Was really funny hearing you say that the right hand is the engine, as that's exactly what I tell my classical guitar students, along with the left hand being the steering wheel :)

have really bad hand coordination and at the past i can't pluck for good!! It took months for me to pluck that thick tone out of a bass. Ahhhh~ thank god for finally letting me to play the bass XD

The relative proportions of the volumes of the various frequencies vary greatly depending on whether you're playing towards the neck or towards the bridge. So, you might have a lot more use for adding bass if you have a bridge centric positioning than if you have a neck centric kind of positioning, that's pretty much why ppl who say EQ doesn't matter are just one-tricking playing positions where it matters less... like inbetween pickups or towards the neck.

Amazing lesson for beginers! i hope you'll do a special about MonoNeon! I think he's genius!

Informative video to say the least! One thing I might regard differently though: for the amp setting, although everything at 12:00 is a good starting point, I'd say boosting the treble is just as important as boosting the bass, as boosting only the bass gives it power but can sound very muddy, whereas the treble will give it some clarity, and the mids can be scooped for an even clearer sound. Just saying this as a mistake I made as a beginner, which was boosting the bass, and in a band setting or when recording my music, it would often sound muddy against the other instruments

@TheTwangKings

7 ай бұрын

I think that depends on where the other instruments sit in terms of frequency and position in the mix... bass needs to be in its own space to come out clearly in the mix.

Epic Scott

Recently found that even with enough volume to rattle windows during sound check, needed more mid to not get lost in the mix. My in-ear mix didn't matter but what was coming out of the main speakers improved clarity dramatically. That's where cooperating with the sound booth pays off for everyone.

Good video. My big tone monsters have usually been finger nails (mine grow wickedly fast) and rest strokes. I primarily use open strokes. I am going to experiment though. I like old strings. There, I said it. I usually dislike new strings because they are too "tinny". I already to a mid (or high mid) scoop to get a more round sound. New strings gets me messing with EQ even more until they are broken in.

I play bass with nails and I like so much the attack-click, it remembers me a lot of using a pick, but with my fingers. Sometimes I cut my nails and play just with a naked finger, but it fells stranger for me, 'cause my middle finger sounds a little different from the index finger.

Volume knob on the instrument. I truly believe it makes a huge difference. Opens up a whole new world.

Hey Scott - thanks for the lesson - a question: after you said "change the strings" I went looking and found there are different gauges of strings to consider - would that influence the tone?

Great introduction. Your scales sound SO clean!:-)

My fingers would cramp up quickly until I learned to get the notes right by the fret. Tuning was also an issue for a while. I would play and notice the sound wasn't right,duh out of tune. Really appreciate you and your tutorials

If the "emotion of the tone" doesn't match the emotion / story of the song, even the "theoretically best" tone won't be perceived as good. And, "emotion of the tone" is what the ear of the masses are subjectively used to hear. Therefore; It is important for beginners to learn what gear can provide the industry-standard traditional sounds, and maybe then start exploring from there to find their own sounds. For Jaco burp, you need high mids (typically the Jazz bridge pickup). For traditional motown & blues & rock, you need low mids (typically the split P pickup). For funk slap, you need scoop (typically two Jazz pickups or StingRay). For a brighter sound, you pick maple but for a warmer sound, you pick rosewood. Stuff like that.

Aah.. Dat smooth feel of flatwounds...😊

Know most this stuff I already know lol but great tips!

I probably played bass for about 15 years before my friend introduced me half-rounds which became the X factor in my sound. IMO they are perfect because you get the thud of a flat and the snap of a round.

Cheers it Rahul your oldest well wisher .... Keep teaching sir... 💙❤💙

I’d definitely recommend 45s over 50s for beginners as well as for most people. I’ve seen them called “standard” or “regular light”. That’s because they come stock on most basses, and IMO the “medium” gauge 50s are actually pretty heavy.

I`ve started getting into a lightweight Cobolt type strings :O They sounds amazing to me and feels nice to play. But im curious what you would recommend for a fretless bass?

Will start using the side of my fingers, I find I still can catch the string sometimes even with shortened nails which can sound a bit nasty.

Great info. Did the 60s players actually use flatwounds? Were flats available at that time?

⚡Active Bass⚡