Slap or not to slap

[LeftyLB]

I used to be able to slap - not particularly well, when I used my JD Mark King Bass, but since I bought the MM 18 months ago, I just don't seem to be able to adjust my strap to find a comfortable position standing up to play slap as I used to.

If we play " Car Wash" at a gig, not only is there a fairly simple slapped phrase at the end of each verse, I am also supposed to do a slap solo - but it sounds horrendous and my wrist gives up after a few bars - I am well out of practice.

Learn every style if it appeals to you, as you never know when a simple bit of slapping might enhance what you are playing.

Liam

 

[dlloyd]

Gess I'll finish my Blues method book and then I'll get that slap / pop method book

I "learned" how to slap from a book.

Then I learned how to slap by learning songs that had slap in them.

 

[MingusBASS]

Slapping is a tool much like the use of fingers, a pick, being able to play upright. The more diverse you are in what you can play (Rock,pop,funk,blues,latin..etc.) the more gigs you can hope to pick up.

The problem is ...people are skipping over being able to play the BASS with their fingers/pick and going straight to slapping. They just learn all these little "tricks" that sound kinda cool and make people's ears perk up when you play. Case in point... I attend a music school Victor Wooten came and talked to us about how he would do meet and greets where he would walk into a room and everyone would be thumb'n and pluck'n away but when he'd ask someone to a melodic and meaningful bass line WITH their fingers... NO ONE could do it. They were all stuck in this rut of only playing slap. The moral of the story is...cover all of the basses(no pun intended) learn everything you can. Learn every style, technique, scale you can and it will make you a better bass player in the long run. I can slap really well and if you use it tastefully it can be great. Just know what the heck you are doing on all fronts and people will respect you as not just a flashy player but a great musician.

thats my opinion...
Andrew

 

[johans]

slapping is really depends

situation i play, i will less than likely using any slapping

but to have it under your thumbs will come in handy someday =)

 

[Aragorn35016]

I Agree with you Mingus. Most of the players that live around my area in my opinion learned to play a@@ backwards. These players began by learning all these crazy slapping and tapping techniques and all of this bass solo stuff and can only play it about half way decent. When you throw these people into a band situation they have absolutely no idea how to communicate musically with other people and end up sounding like crap and everything falls apart.

 

[Jazzbassman23]

Mingus explained it nicely.

Midopa, I don't understand the comment about the Silhoutte and being able to play Primus songs. To my knowledge Les has always used standard tuned basses, either Carl Thompson's or Fender Jazz.

FWIW, my slap technique is many levels below my fingerstyle, and while I'd love to be able to slap better, it's no mystery why I can't. I don't practice it enough. Like anything, it takes a lot of practice to get good.

 

[cgworkman]

Keep an open mind and play what you can. If that includes "slap" bass - then so be it.

 

[cgworkman]

...the slap technique is destroying all bass players. Bass is thought of less to be "support" than to be some nasally bright noise to cut through the mix with some nasty solo-like thing.

I guess I don't understand this line of thinking. Any, and I mean any, "style" of bass playing can ruin a song if used incorrectly. To say that "slap" bass is ruining bass players is a bit harsh IMO. Only if done incorrectly - but the same applies to anything.

 

[huber]

Slap is awesome!! learn it for fun at least
what's destroying bass players is all thes macho posers "all flash no smash" players, who are just doing it as fast as they can just to show off

 

[Jean-Frédéric]

Is it just me but I couldnt get on EB web's site or forum ..anywho

Yeah I started with pick .. learn how to move my hand neck ... now I'm trying to play all those Less than Jake songs and Rancid and stuff I usually play with a pick with my fingers and some lil basic easy slaping when It's possible . think my pick will be sleeping untill I can reach a speed / sound / and feeling I can say I'm proud of. I think I know how to slap and pop... just need to pratice it and hit only one string at the time ... some times I get the one above .. I wonder how a handrest would look on a MM bass tho it doesn't exist.

 

[johans]

again ...

i think
learning it is a must ...

 

[Jean-Frédéric]

and the only thing I want to do if to learn bass so I will

 

[johans]

well
at least slapping is one of the largest aspect that lead and motivate me to cultivate more into bass =)

snap pluck thumb ... you can still hold your groove doing that
i think no harm ...

come on ... preserve this slapping habit will ya bassits?

 

[Jean-Frédéric]

I'll pick , pluck and slap that bass like no one before ... well maybe except for that guy who gave me some tips at the music Store ...

 

[midopa]

Midopa, I don't understand the comment about the Silhoutte and being able to play Primus songs. To my knowledge Les has always used standard tuned basses, either Carl Thompson's or Fender Jazz.

There are a few songs that Les uses a six banger for. Tommy the Cat, Jerry the Racecar Driver, Primus the Last Superpower AKA Rapscallion, etc. come to mind. You can still play 'em on a four or five banger, but having a six banger makes it all very convenient.

 

[johans]

There are a few songs that Les uses a six banger for. Tommy the Cat, Jerry the Racecar Driver, Primus the Last Superpower AKA Rapscallion, etc. come to mind. You can still play 'em on a four or five banger, but having a six banger makes it all very convenient.

banger ... == bass ? i assume ...

 

[basadam]

If you want to learn to slap, check out Alexis Sklarevski's Slap Bass Program video. It's expensive but it's worth every penny. The guy makes it look like it's piece of cake.

 

[dlloyd]

There are a few songs that Les uses a six banger for. Tommy the Cat, Jerry the Racecar Driver, Primus the Last Superpower AKA Rapscallion, etc. come to mind. You can still play 'em on a four or five banger, but having a six banger makes it all very convenient.

There's a bit of a difference between a Silhouette (baritone guitar, tuned EADGBe) and a standard six string bass guitar (BEADGC). I guess Jerry Was a Racecar Driver would be fun on a Silhouette

 

[dlloyd]

If you want to learn to slap, check out Alexis Sklarevski's Slap Bass Program video. It's expensive but it's worth every penny. The guy makes it look like it's piece of cake.

I've heard a lot of good things about Ed Friedland's new slap video too.

I got the basics from a book Progressive slap technique for Bass Guitar by Stephen Richter.

It's like anything, it is a piece of cake once you can do it.

 

[huber]

THere's nothing like playing a cool little slap groove