vesterberg.se

I have recorded the playing of my band several times during the last weeks and as I listened to it, I became aware of some things about my own playing. It is very obvious when the bass in not playing, even more than when it is playing. The silence of the bass can be musical, but if it is not, it is like a hole in the music. I thought I was doing fine, locking in with the drums, standing close to my cabinet. But no, sometimes it did not sound good.

Legato, binding notes to each other should be consistent, independent of how difficult your finger movements are. If you break up the legato it should be on purpose, making phrases in the song. My bass, a Warwick Streamer LX, has a lot of sustain and that can also contribute to the sometimes chopped sound.

This led me to experiment some more with playing with my thumb, while resting the side of my hand on the strings close to the bridge. By doing this I get less sustain, the tone will die away more quickly and the holes will be less obvious.