I have a question for you strummers....
 

It is acceptable? desirable? tacky? or what? to have that scratchy noise in between notes?

You know, when your fingers slide up and down the strings, you get that noise?

Whats the go there?

I know, I ask bimbo questions :)

i like it. makes it sound real. its just fingers sliding up or down the strings to the next spot.

I'd say it's generally just part of playing guitar...you hear it in pretty much any genre. Doing so makes it easier to form the next chord or note, not to mention, it helps you keep hold of the neck.

If it's distracting to the song, it doesn't belong and the player should use a technique to avoid it.

Avoiding the noise is a large part of being a good bass player, since the winding on bass strings is larger and heavier. One way is to turn the treble down on the bass until the sound is just a bunch of mud. The other way is to use strings that haven't been changed in 20 years and eat greasy fried chicken just before every gig. James Jamerson, maybe the most important bass player in history, used that second technique.

aka "the hook" ... because he played with one finger
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btw: I read "scratchy noise" as "scratchy nose in between notes"
...because I'm always fiddling about with one hand while holding it's stick under my arm and playing the time and accents with the other one.

You didn't mention which method you prefer.

Oh good golly miss molly, the "things-you-mentioned-in-your-post" Police are here.

Oh I use the unmentioned third method... proper muting with good right-hand techniques. There's a "wandering thumb method" which seemed so sensible from the outset that I just learned to do it normally. My thumb is normally anchored on the string above where I'm plucking. That provides a mute for that string and a very strong hand position to get whatever sound I want, plucking soft or hard, fast or slow.

Yeah...I bet you have an excellent right-hand technique.

Oh I'm the mother of all pluckers.

With my last band I always ordered a pizza for the guys before every gig.
Not to grease their strings with, but to make sure that nobody would be playing on an empty stomach.

btw: never washing the caked on spilled beer and accumulated dust etc. off, is also a great "EQ" for your cymbals.

I must be more of a bimbo than you Clod, because I've said it before and I'll say it again...There is nothing I like better than a strong, authentic sounding male-vocalist, with dirty guitar. Strum, distort, tap, slide, whatever you want.....I prefer musicians that don't sound too manufactured, contrived to be just like x band or songwriter, and can appreciate the small imperfections as much as I can. Then again I like most music to be very "raw". I like cohesive, tight, music.....but there's nothing wrong with a little dirty guitar.

On that note, I will also take this opportunity to say:

Thurston (Sonic Youth)....I love you. Oh and my husband knows. So it's ok to call. He'll understand. We can still be friends.

:)

Er, you mean Ducks? :)

lets not get into bimbo ranking here, ladies.

ok....let's