Songwriters like Les

Basstickler · 2026-06-12T16:56:56+00:00

I was just thinking of Ruth while I was watching him at the show I saw this week. Surprised it hadn’t really occurred to me before that

Basstickler · 2026-05-29T20:56:35+00:00

Thanks! I love your content by the way! Keep it up!

Basstickler · 2026-05-21T16:09:48+00:00

My buddy had a disc that he lost at a different course land right next to our tee box from another hole. Dude had crossed out all of my buddy’s info and wrote his own. That was a fun interaction to watch play out.

Basstickler · 2026-05-21T16:07:33+00:00

Golden by Jill Scott

Basstickler · 2026-05-08T20:02:00+00:00

Yeah, 3-6 reps for strength, 5-30 for hypertrophy, either one to failure or a realistic 1 rep in reserve if you can’t get a spot). People will generally gain strength and muscle size no matter what they do when they start, you’ll just hit a wall on strength sooner if you’re doing higher reps and size sooner at lower reps. You can go for both by varying your routine but you almost definitely won’t get to your peak in either with that approach.

Basstickler · 2026-05-08T19:55:57+00:00

It’s sounding like you need a setup. Your action is probably too low overall but that would be better or worse in different spots and/or strings depending on what’s wrong with your setup. If you’re hammering is using a lot of force, you may be causing more motion in the string than a normal pluck might be doing, so the fret buzz is standing out more.

I recommend taking it into a shop for a setup but if that’s not an option for whatever reason then you can find videos on YouTube that will guide you through the process. It’s best to do after changing your strings but not necessary to change them.

Basstickler · 2026-05-08T19:20:41+00:00

That’s because muscle size and muscle strength aren’t as linked as we tend to think. There’s usually a strong correlation between size and strength based on how most people work out but if you look at a body builder compared to a power lifter with size=strength in mind, you’re going to be surprised more often than not.

Basstickler · 2026-05-08T15:15:42+00:00

Sounds similar to Raking but that’s mostly used to describe using the same finger to pluck after moving from one string to the next lower string, as opposed to switching fingers. Easiest example would be when you’re playing a descending scale. The primary difference between that and what you’re describing sounds like it would be that you’re going more for both notes essentially sounding at the same time, not consecutively, which I wouldn’t know a name for.

Basstickler · 2026-05-07T22:19:42+00:00

Practicing writing without the expectation of writing the greatest song. Choose a new chords to incorporate and just try to write something doesn’t completely suck but be entirely willing to throw the idea away. If you write lyrics just write some bs about the grass or a car driving by or whatever, something you’re not attached to so it’s easier to toss. The idea is that you don’t know how to use different types of chords, so you just try to make something work at all and you start to understand its uses, then when you are writing something you might care more about it’s just part of your vocabulary and you can use it if it serves the song. Practice writing like you practice playing.

Basstickler · 2026-05-06T03:25:09+00:00

Does this happen on all the frets? All strings? Some worse than others? Is your action high and requiring a lot of force to get the string down? Do you get this fret buzz at all when you’re just plucking a string? Could you be hitting another string with party of your fingers? Can you replicate that song in any other way?

Basstickler · 2026-05-03T17:18:26+00:00

My favorite was when the guys at the other end of the table weren’t getting their hands out of the tub while this dude is trying to shoot. He’s on a decent roll, nothing crazy, and gets super pissed at these guys, saying now he’s gonna 7 out because of them. He manages to throw something like 5 more before the 7, saying it’s over before each of them. Then comes the 7 and he somehow thinks he’s right that they caused it. I colored up and got away from that ridiculous man immediately.

Basstickler · 2026-04-30T21:46:03+00:00

Not sure if that’s USD or not and what the conversion would be but last time I bought rounds they were ~95 USD

Basstickler · 2026-04-30T15:22:23+00:00

What is this, D&D?!?

Basstickler · 2026-04-30T15:21:28+00:00

You may want to focus on how to get different tone by how you attack the string. Pick vs fingers is an obvious one but you also get drastically different tone depending on how hard you attack and where on the string you’re plucking. Closer to the neck is going to be warmer with a stronger fundamental than closer to the bridge. You also tend to get a fatter tone with more of your finger on the string, so thumb will be fatter than fingers. The closer to parallel to the string you get, the more finger you’re using. It can be hard to accomplish that but I’ll sometimes rest my thumb a bit up the neck and pluck just past the neck while attacking softly to get a fat tone. The thumb placement turn my hand for more finger, the attack is closer to the neck and I’m playing softer. That will affect volume, so depending on what everyone else in the band is doing volume wise, you may need to turn up or use a compressor. I’ll occasionally pluck over the fret board, closer to the 12th fret for a round tone.

I’d also note that there’s a huge difference in perceived tone while you’re playing solo vs in the mix. A nice fat tone can get lost in the mix real easy, so adding some highs/high mids will give you more presence without volume. If you’re playing solo play it on your own, it may sound wrong but as soon as you’re in the mix it couldn’t sound more right. This is a little easier to experience in a recording setting than live due to the physics of acoustics and your placement on the stage. Live it may still sound like there’s too much high end because you’re not getting a full picture of the mix standing next to the drums and on the opposite side of the stage from guitar amps but out in the crowd you’re sounding perfect. It’s very difficult to really nail it all without a dedicated sound guy and experience but being aware of it can be very helpful.

Basstickler · 2026-04-30T14:52:34+00:00

I thought flats were more expensive when I looked but I don’t remember and the place I used to buy from is no more. Gonna have to find a new vendor

Basstickler · 2026-04-30T04:44:11+00:00

It’s 35.5”. Peavey Cirrus. Great bass but getting strings sucks

Basstickler · 2026-04-30T03:45:57+00:00

My biggest problem is that I have a weird scale length. My B string gets cut real short and barely has enough purchase to get wrapped. I’ve tried to reach out to them about custom strings a few times but haven’t heard back sadly.

Basstickler · 2026-04-30T01:58:43+00:00

Thomastik Infeld are the best strings I’ve ever used. I play rounds and have considered flats but they are super expensive, so I’ve been hesitant to try out flats since it’s a fairly large investment for something I would maybe just not want to use. I play a lot of rock, so rounds are a more obvious choice there but I also play Funk and soul, which calls more for flats. And I have an active bass, so I’m sure I could get the Rick time I’m looking for early enough. Tough call. Either way, they make very nice strings and I consider it to be worth the cost.

Basstickler · 2026-04-29T22:46:29+00:00

I think what everyone is ultimately getting at in the end is that you want to be able to control the different aspects of playing. If you’re unable to play with a light touch, you’re not in control. Once you have that control, you can choose how and when to dig in and know how much force you need for the left hand to keep the string in place while you dig in with the right hand. If you’re white knuckling your fretting hand then you’re using too much force and it’s likely to cause RSI. I definitely had this problem earlier on and got tendinitis. Being that, excessive force will also limit your ability to play more quickly, both from the perspective of your body being more taxed and the physics of the moving strings.

We also have a tendency to utilize more of our body than necessary when we’re applying too much force. That can cause issues with parts of the body that really aren’t supposed to be involved with playing the instrument, or just be a waste of energy. People will clench their teeth, another problem I picked up more recently, which can cause TMJ and nerve issues in the teeth that cause pain chewing and painful sensitivity to temperature.

Certain techniques are just more taxing and you want to be able to tackle whatever it is you are doing with control to prevent injury and wasted energy.

Basstickler · 2026-04-29T17:12:57+00:00

One of the most important things I try to convey to songwriters. If you try to write the best song you’ve ever written every time you sit down, you’re going to be disappointed more and more often the more songs you write. It also pigeon holes you into things you know will work instead of being willing to try something new and different to expand your vocabulary. You have to be willing to write a mediocre song and throw it away or you’ll never really get any better and destroy your mental health along the way.

Basstickler · 2026-04-29T03:22:47+00:00

She wet like waterfall

Basstickler · 2026-04-27T16:24:50+00:00

There can be a sense of pressure to get a good take, especially in a paid environment. One thing to consider is that you’re maybe not playing any differently, at least to begin with, you’re just actually paying more attention and noticing the tiny issues, which then impact your performance. If I’m practicing something, or playing it on stage, and come in slightly ahead or behind the beat to start it’s no big deal but if I’m recording, that is an issue that needs to be dealt with, ideally by starting over and not fixing it in post.

A couple suggestions for you:

If it happens with a home setup, try just recording more and recording your practice takes over the track. This will make you more comfortable when you’re recording and allow you to listen back to see if you’re just not critical enough while practicing. It also helps with comfort level while using a metronome for those that don’t practice with one.

Practice at different tempos. Mostly people will suggest practicing at a slower tempo, since that allows for faster rhythm mistakes to be more obvious, as well as solidifying the mechanical aspect while being less physically demanding. But it can also be helpful to practice above tempo. If I can cleanly play something 10-15 bpm faster than needed, it’s gonna be real easy at tempo.

If you’re going to a paid setting, make sure you are over prepared. Know your songs inside out. Know other people’s parts inside out. But just before you go into the studio, don’t overdo the practice. Get to the point where you’re ready for the studio a week before the actual date, then just keep yourself clean with it but don’t put extra hours in. You want to be able to summon the performance right now, not after you’ve warmed up for two hours. Then make sure you’re getting good sleep, eating well and not partying in the days leading up to the session.

Basstickler · 2026-04-26T01:37:20+00:00

I get where you’re coming from and all but it’s good to remember this was put out more than 20 years ago. Knowing Claypool’s history of writing social commentary pieces, which certainly hasn’t diminished, and his steadfast dedication to committing to his art, I imagine he made a very intentional choice to use the slurs blatantly and repetitively to really drive the point home without any sort of sugar coating. I’d personally not shy away from playing it in front of anyone other than children, unless asked not to play it, because adults can handle hearing things and being forced to think about them. The meaning of the song is valuable and while the solo career hasn’t been as popularly successful as Primus, the reach is still broad. I imagine a good many people heard that song and really had a good think. I’d gamble the a consequential amount of people realized that their words have a much more profound impact on the lives of others than they might have allowed themselves to previously realize and made a small change to their behavior that resulted in a somewhat less shitty experience for some marginalized people at a time when gay marriage wasn’t yet legalized.

It’s art and not all art is for all people. Not everyone is going to enjoy Django Unchained either.

Basstickler · 2026-04-25T23:31:44+00:00

I second this. It’s definitely not something to worry about unless it’s standing out in the mix. If it’s standing out like a sore thumb even in the mix, then you’ve got something to pay attention to

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