Playing bass is one of the most amazing things that you will ever do as a guitarist. A true guitarist knows well how wonderful it is to master a bass. But do you know how to mute bass strings? Well, this is something that you will find quite hard to do. So, how are you going to do it?
Precisely speaking, to mute a bass guitar, you can use your thumb and press it lightly on the strings that you want to mute. When the strings touch your finger and not the fret, it will create no music.
However, if you want to know more techniques to mute a bass and want to learn more about a bass, this is the article for you. Follow it to be a good bassist.
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[3] Easy Ways To Mute Bass Strings
Muting a bass is not a hard thing to do, but doing it with perfection requires technique and attention. This is why below, we will introduce you to some of the most amazing techniques to mute a bass.
1- Palm Muting: The Easiest Muting Technique
One of the best ways to mute a bass is using your palm. The technique is widely used by rock bands as the sound you create with this technique is so heavy that your audience will not leave without head banging.
To perform palm muting, you need to hardly hit the palm of your hand onto the strings and then pick strings with the help of your thumb or index finger.
This is how you will choke off the notes that you want to mute, and your thumb and index finger will allow you to continue playing the notes you want to. So, to mute a bass, use your palm.
2- Try Finger Muting
Finger muting is one of the widely used methods by some of the finest bassists. In this technique, you need to use your fretting hand and use its fingers to mute the notes of a bass guitar.
To perform it perfectly, you have to put your finger lightly on the string and the fret you want to mute. Remember that you cannot press the finger hard, as it will lead to music generation.
You need to touch your finger to the strings so that it reduces or eliminates vibration, and no sound is produced from that particular note. This way, you can perfectly play muted notes on a bass.
3- Use Foam To Mute Strings
This is one of the rarely used methods, but we bet our words that there is no better way to mute bass strings than this method. What you need to do is get a small piece of foam, cut it according to the strings that you want to mute, and stick the foam near the bridge of the guitar.
When strings touch the foam, it works like a finger lightly placed on them, eventually disallowing the strings to vibrate and create sound. However, the bad part about this method is that you will not be able to adjust muted strings if you are in a live show and want to play other strings too.
So, use this method when you are sure that you will not require the strings that you are going to mute. If not so, use the other two methods listed above.
Why Do We Mute Bass Strings While Playing?
Bass guitar creates a lot of resonance, and this is what leads open strings to vibrate even if you do not want to play them. So, how would you feel if some unwanted sound were teasing you in the middle of a jamming session or a live show?
Certainly, you would hate it. And this is why some of the top bassists mute the strings that they do not want to use.
While using a bass, you might only need one string, and this means you have to mute all other strings while playing. You can do it by either using your palm or your fretting hand, or you can even place a piece of foam beneath those strings.
However, with foam, you will not be able to adjust the muted strings in between sessions.
All in all, you mute your bass strings to avoid the excess sound you get from those open strings that you do not want to play.
How Do You Stop A String From Muting?
When you’re a beginner, one of the most common issues is muted strings. This happens a lot, and if not resolved quickly, this can be a bad and continuous habit. So, what should you do to overcome it? So, to assist you in this regard, below we have enumerated a few crucial steps.
- Avoid using your palm to push the back of the fretboard.
- Push the back of the fretboard using your thumb.
- Use your fingers to push strings against the fretboard.
- Practice pushing strings without picking them.
- Now push the back of the fretboard, then press and pick strings for sound check.
- You are now good to play with no muted strings.
Follow these steps to avoid muting strings.
What Makes A Good Bassist?
Whether you know it or not, a bassist is a bridge between the drums and the rest of the band. Without a bassist, the drummer will not be able to sound good and connect with the band the way you want it to. But what makes a good bassist?
Well, being a good bassist is all about timing, tonality, and, most importantly, the feel of playing guitar. Without it, no matter how good you play, you will not become a good bassist.
But, to get to this level, you, a bassist, need consistency and persistence. Most guitarists fail due to a lack of consistency and boredom with the guitar. So, if you want to be a good bassist, you need to be consistent, and most importantly, you will have to feel your guitar and its music.
Can You Strum A Bass?
Well, most of you must be thinking that strumming a bass is impossible, keeping in mind the low frequencies and heavy gauge strings. Well, things are not how they look. It is surely possible to strum a bass, but for this, you need to be an expert in plucking.
The reason why we do not see bassists strumming their guitar is because of the low frequency generated by a bass guitar leading to muddy-sounding chords. But, there are some bassists who strum their guitar, and they are so good that they make the guitar sound amazing.
Now, if you want to strum a bass, you first need to master plucking, and after it, you will only play at higher ranges and will have to use a clear tone so that you allow the music to cut through the mix.
Are Bass Players Important?
Certainly, bass players are important for any music band. A bassist is the core of any band. It adds resonance and power to the music you generate. Along with it, without a bass, you will not be able to sound a drum to its best.
Moreover, a bass guitar is what compliments the vocals of the singer and creates ease for other guitarists. Although bass players stay out of the limelight, they are one of the most crucial members of any music band. With a bass guitarist, no composition can be called complete in contemporary music.
Do You Need Big Hands For Bass?
If you play guitar, you will know and admit that a bass guitar is slightly bigger than an ordinary acoustic or electric guitar. And this is why most people think that to play bass; you need to have a bigger hand. Well, to some extent, this is correct, but not entirely.
It is true that if you have big hands, you will easily learn and play a bass guitar. But, this in no way means that you should not play the bass guitar if you have shorter hands. Though it will be hard to learn and play with shorter hands, you can do it with time.
Along with it, if you have shorter hands, there is no need to worry. There are short-scale bass guitars available in the market that help short-handed people play the bass guitar with no issues faced.
Conclusion
To end, we are good to say that you know how to mute bass strings. Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate guitarist, this article must have been a treasure for you.
Above, we have guided you about some of the best ways to mute bass strings. Along with it, we’ve also elaborated on how not to mute strings.
Along with it, we have tried and covered various other relevant aspects to help you out. But, if you find anything missing, do let us know. We are here to assist you.