Bass players -with very light touch

[mixsit]

Just a quick jump in to this for now.. But it strikes me that often bassists that operate at the generally light touch of the range, are working in the very bottom end of the dynamic range of the strings.
Since I don't want imply one can't have good light' technique, let's say for a given scale of ability, these would be the ones with the most dynamics problems.

The lighter the touch, the more the difference in note volumes as the touch varies, the greater the remaining dynamic range on the string above nominal for the mix.
Also (often but not necessarily) less overtone handles' –those things that say bass' even in a denser mix or on small speakers. But I don't want to go there just yet..

Back to dynamics-
A comp/limiter fast enough to deal with it is also fast enough to mess with and remove the edge and attack I want to preserve.

Yeah I know there's "I just compress the shit out of it and move on."

 

[DrewPeterson7]

I think you're looking at two different problems, though - a light touch vs a heavy touch, and an uneven touch vs an even one.

Admittedly, most stringed instruments do seem to naturally compress a little past a certain point, more likely due to the amps than anything else, so an uneven touch is more of an issue for guys who pick lightly than heavily. But heavy and uneven is just as hard to mix as light and uneven, and a guy with a light but controlled and even touch on the instrument should still be able to lay down a pretty solid bass line.

 

[Massive Master]

The best bass players I know (I'm talking about the Wooten-Dickens types here) have an almost freakishly light touch. Hammering a bass generally doesn't sound very good.

That said (and as mentioned), we're talking about consistency - Not technique alone.

 

[mixsit]

Yeah I guess I'm reacting to situations where someone has less than consistent touch, but there it seems the inter-note/phrase differences have more potential level difference. Not amp compression, more that if you're working in the mid-moderate picking range things could be more compact (a natural state with just about any instrument.

Along the same lines, finding that balance between expression, and tracks that lay in right is a tough one sometimes.
Bass' seems harder to 'fix than some other instruments.

(I seem to do a good share of fixin' stuff.

 

[bassbrad]

As a bass player I understand what you mean, it took a lot of work to get my playing "right" for recording. There is a whole school of light touch players, but it is a complicated thing that also takes the right set up and signal chain as well as the touch. It is hard for players to develop the right touch for recording unless they have some way to build those skills, home recording is a great place for players to develop those skills. I also find that players who started on acoustic have a better chance of developing the right touch. Getting the bass track right is just as important as the drum track, everything builds up from there, squashing the heck out of it may drain the life out.

 

[haymedic]

i don't want to hear justin chancellor play for bela fleck as much as i don't want to hear victor wooten play for tool.

there is no right or wrong way of doing things... just what works.

s

 

[moresound]

A light, fluid playing of the bass generally works well for me.
Almost as if the electric bass playing is being played like a stand up bass. When you hear a bassist playing an electric with the vibrato finger movement it's kind of magical and a pleasant change from hammering out the bass lines.

 

[witzendoz]

Hammering a bass generally doesn't sound very good.

Unless you hammer it with the right technique. My right hand fingering is influenced greatly by John Entwhistle(check out the bass cam), I sometimes play very hard, sometimes soft, the trick is to get the sound you want and to keep the volume consistent, I play hard when I what it to attack, and softer when want it smooth. However you can't just smash the strings thinking it sound good coz it does not.

Oh and I don't consider I am anywhere near the genius of John Entwhistle RIP.

Cheers
alan.

 

[Paulie Jay]

It has been my goal over the last 20 odd years to lighten my touch when I play bass. Back in the day when I was learning I didn't have an amp, so I developed a very firm technique so that I could hear what I was playing over the stereo. The great thing about having a naturaly lighter touch is that you can dig in if the mood strikes. As a habitually firm player I have to keep reminding myself to back off.

But my right hand technique (I'm a fingers player mostly) is different when I record to what it is when I play live. When recording I often find myself using two fingers together as a kind of fleshy pick playing up-strokes (perversely, the middle and ring fingers) which is something that I almost never do live.

 

[mixsit]

The best bass players I know (I'm talking about the Wooten-Dickens types here) have an almost freakishly light touch. ..

I kicked this notion around a few times- and it moves from the question of consistency' to 'range of appropriate attack and tone for a given song or style.
That the nature of the bass, maybe electric in particular, might have greater range in latitude vs. most instruments, where a light picking style could still fit a rather large range styles.
Imagine compared to say drums, brass, piano, vocal. 'I play/sing softly. Just turn me up.'

As a bass player I understand what you mean, it took a lot of work to get my playing "right" for recording. There is a whole school of light touch players, but it is a complicated thing that also takes the right set up and signal chain as well as the touch. It is hard for players to develop the right touch for recording unless they have some way to build those skills, home recording is a great place for players to develop those skills. I also find that players who started on acoustic have a better chance of developing the right touch. Getting the bass track right is just as important as the drum track, everything builds up from there, squashing the heck out of it may drain the life out.

To that I would add my original thoughts in this stem from noticing two things-
Some otherwise really decent let's say 'local level talent do just fine on live gigs, but the inconsistencies do rear their heads in tracking/mix. (No disparage there either as tough I don't play bass, I am 'in and around said 'local level.
But that, combined with a light touch –unless the task really calls for smooth' and/or round, is the potential double whammy.
In general here, I'd rather err' on the side of more energy/attack to tame, more handles' than need, things found somewhere in the mid dynamic of the instrument, rather than less.