What do you mean by a “ghost note”? Like a muted note?
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Yes.
Here is a video that can help.
A ghost note can be plucked, slapped, popped, multiple fingers being forced onto the string over the pick up, with a slight delay before plucking the next note, and or with the fretting hand even (probably other ways, like a pick, where you pick the dead string before, after or in between notes), and they can be very tricky to play.
Sometimes, you may be playing only ghost notes, with no fretted notes at all.
On tabs, they are usually written as an “x” on the string to play it on, before, after, or between two fret numbers.
I.e.:
x 7 9 or x x 7
7 9 x or 9 x x
7 x 9 or 7 x x 9
They can also be on a different string then the fretted note(s).
(Josh shows how to do this on a slap bass line in his tutorial on his personal YouTube channel for RATM “Take the Power Back”, if interested you can find it pretty easily)
One from SBL. There is a part two, possibly more you will see when watching this one.
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@T_dub yeah I am working Mark’s drills, my issue is the ghost notes down on frets 1-3, especially on my CS P with the super heavy La Bellas. Getting the muting just right is quite difficult down there and the bigger strings don’t help, they tend to ring anyway. And since on this song, most of the ‘correct muting’ is on fret 1 of of the E and 3 of the A strings, it’s a challenge. Muting up higher on the strings seems easier as you can stop the string voicing a lot easier.
Rocco Prestia of Tower of Power was the king of ghost notes. I have a songbook of their songs (mostly impossible to play at this point, but a goal none the less) and there are ghost notes everywhere.
This is one of those ‘hey live instructor, help me with this’ things on my list (see my other post/rant about live instruction).strong text
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Do you use multiple fingers across the strings when you play the ghost notes?
Playing with a single finger, especially near frets, makes it more likely to play the harmonic instead of a deadened ghost note, this is why many players, if not most will use all 4 fingers (or more then one finger) for ghost notes of many types.
I am taking your description of “ String Voicing” to mean “Harmonic”, is the reason I bring this up.
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String voicing as in just plain old note coming out. But I’ll try multi fingers and see. Thanks @T_dub
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Well it’s been a little over 7 months since I first picked up the Bass and started the B2B course. Both decisions were (if I may be so immodest) excellent ones. Thanks again to @JT for organizing this challenge.
By far the biggest improvement in my playing has been forcing myself to learn a new song every 2 weeks. Hands down the best, for my style of learning. For anyone who’s one the fence about this; give it a go. You might even like it!
Cheers Amigos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG8IDUdsR7g
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Not sure how I missed this @BigAl
Nice job.
I think your rests and length of notes are off in some places vs. the original.
This changes the feel of the tune.
I can hear it esp in the 1 11 3 33 1 33 etc.
Otherwise well done sir!
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I gave up on the ghost notes for now, too many other things to focus on so I used the score as given.
I had a really really really hard time memorizing this one.
Finally bailed on memorizing, as that is not the task here, will reserve that for the covers thread.
Fender CS '61 P-bass w/La Bella Vintage 1954 strings (Motown is the reason this bass is in my rack), tone rolled off, foam under strings (foam paint brush cut to fit), straight to DAI.
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Great job as always John. That bass suits this song so well. I also like how you have the music just beyond your view of the fretboard so you can see both easily.
I practiced a version with the ghost notes yesterday and when they are just copies of the note you are about to play then it isn’t so bad, but the ones on string changes were messing me up a bit. I think I’ll stick to the simpler version too. It is supposed to be in the Easy category anyway. 
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Thanks man!
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Finally My girl, it’s been busy but I like the song and find the bass part fun to play too
I used the “Motown” effect on my recently acquired Zoom B1x four… I tried to keep my bass volume lower than usual but the flimsy speakers playing the track are the problem 
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@Reo
Really good job man.
The one thing you missed are the eigth notes in the first verse, you ‘borrowed’ the rest and played them as quarters.
Past that your timing and tempo were impeccable and you nailed everything else.
Minor blips just at the end.
All the rest was perfect perfect perfect.
Great job!
Thanks John, you know I didn’t realize that I had done that on the first verse… I just went back and played it as eighths and it does not feel right to me, I feel the fourths are more “melancholic” , the eights are a bit robotic… I didn’t make that decision consciously before I guess I just migrated there spontaneously… I was doing other stuff as I practice, throwing some percussion sounds like ghost notes, but couldn’t pull it off consistently… I had fun with this one
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1xj8Dm7BH4
Obvs not my cover, but a little inspiration for those looking at an alternative version.
This was my favorite song to learn from the challenge so far. The different variations, syncopation, and key change really kept things interesting. I feel it is one of those rare perfect songs that will outlive all of us, simply beautiful. It sounded like the original recording was a little sharp so I tweaked the pitch of the backing track in Reaper to try to match my bass in 440 but I can tell its still a little off. Anyway, this was lots of fun, thanks for listening
https://youtu.be/jpUAagbsKLk
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