slapping

dannyt484

I'm not a massive fan of slapping, although I love Flea's lines, but as I've been playing for a few years now I guess I'd better start adding it to my repertoire - you never know when you might need it. Anybody got any cool ideas on how I should go about starting?

ICBM

Stand in front of a mirror, and apply the palm of your hand to the side of your face, hard.

Repeat until you don't want to do it any more.

















I'm hardly an expert since I use it as sparingly as possible normally, but I do it using my thumb knuckle, with a sort of fast rotating movement. Don't know if that helps or not...

EricTheWeary

I learned a thumb up technique but these days people seem to use the thumb down position. I’d probably look for the slap lessons on Scott’s Bass Lessons on YouTube. 

Funkfingers

dannyt484 said:

Anybody got any cool ideas on how I should go about starting?

Go back to the source.

Rocker

One question: why?

Bridgehouse

Rocker said:

One question: why?

I presume that is rhetorical. I hope it is.

Strangefan

I love  slapping , I don't care what people say it's a viable technique and  as long as it's used respectfully and not all the time, I use alot of slap not to show off but because my old band required it,  lock in with the drummer and you can carry a song, the way I learned was to treat the bass like a drum. Sounds mad but it works. 

equalsql

The trick is to use the slap technique to help enhance tone and clarity to help drive the beat. It's a duel edged sword. When used properly it can really help lift a track, but many players push it too far and then it becomes a joke.
Mark King in the early days. especially on debut Level 42 album used it wonderfully, but later over-egged it so much that you just wanted to slap him. I have to say though that his later playing on the track  'Leaving Me Now' which mixed up the technique with conventional finger style  was sublime:



It sounds great when used subtlety on low B string:

PhilKing

I always thought Guy Pratt's slapping in Another Brick in the Wall (at 3:34), was a great feature

axisus

I love slapping, great fun to play (not that I do it very well). Plenty of pointers on YouTube these days.

Rocker

Bridgehouse said:

Rocker said:

One question: why?

I presume that is rhetorical. I hope it is.

Not at all. I have heard guys doing this in music shops. Sounds sh1te to my ears and totally pointless. What type of music is it required for? 

If it is trying to turn the bass into a lead instrument, forget it. The bass in conjunction with the drums provide the foundation for the song. That job is much too important for messing around with techniques like slapping. 

BigLicks67

Rocker said:

Bridgehouse said:

Rocker said:

One question: why?

I presume that is rhetorical. I hope it is.

Not at all. I have heard guys doing this in music shops. Sounds sh1te to my ears and totally pointless. What type of music is it required for? 

If it is trying to turn the bass into a lead instrument, forget it. The bass in conjunction with the drums provide the foundation for the song. That job is much too important for messing around with techniques like slapping. 

Please explain to me how this doesn't work as a technique.

poopot

dannyt484 said:

Anybody got any cool ideas on how I should go about starting?

Exercise that thumb...

https://youtu.be/Y5FZwdFkIp0

stimpsonslostson

As mentioned above... Scotts Bass lessons
I got started with this one. 

Phil_aka_Pip

Don't. Just PLAY the damn thing!

ICBM

As with every 'different' technique, if you overdo it or use it in the wrong context it's irritating, but in the right place it's brilliant.

Funkfingers

Rocker said:
What type of music is it required for? 

Music of Black origin. 

Rocker said:

One question: why?

Vertical dancing.

poopot said:
Exercise that thumb.

Horizontal dancing.

Cabicular

I tend to do the Scott Thunes style of pick and pop rather than slap and pop

Cabicular

Rocker said:

Bridgehouse said:

Rocker said:

One question: why?

I presume that is rhetorical. I hope it is.

Not at all. I have heard guys doing this in music shops. Sounds sh1te to my ears and totally pointless. What type of music is it required for? 

If it is trying to turn the bass into a lead instrument, forget it. The bass in conjunction with the drums provide the foundation for the song. That job is much too important for messing around with techniques like slapping. 

Tell that to Tower of power, Level 42 or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers
all of whom have contributed a hell of a lot more to music than you have

JezWynd

Rocker said:

Bridgehouse said:

Rocker said:

One question: why?

I presume that is rhetorical. I hope it is.

Not at all. I have heard guys doing this in music shops. Sounds sh1te to my ears and totally pointless. What type of music is it required for? 

If it is trying to turn the bass into a lead instrument, forget it. The bass in conjunction with the drums provide the foundation for the song. That job is much too important for messing around with techniques like slapping. 

Wasn't sure if a wow or a lol was more appropriate. Any more rules I should know about?

I don't slap because I can't. I sometimes suspect that many who slag the style off are similarly unable to master the technique.

crunchman

JezWynd said:

Rocker said:

Bridgehouse said:

Rocker said:

One question: why?

I presume that is rhetorical. I hope it is.

Not at all. I have heard guys doing this in music shops. Sounds sh1te to my ears and totally pointless. What type of music is it required for? 

If it is trying to turn the bass into a lead instrument, forget it. The bass in conjunction with the drums provide the foundation for the song. That job is much too important for messing around with techniques like slapping. 

Wasn't sure if a wow or a lol was more appropriate. Any more rules I should know about?

I don't slap because I can't. I sometimes suspect that many who slag the style off are similarly unable to master the technique.

I don't think it's entirely that.  Most of the time it isn't called for, and you see bass players doing it when they would be much better off playing it straight.

It's a bit like two handed tapping on the guitar.  It's impressive, but I'd far rather listen to Mark Knopfler.  It wouldn't be appropriate in the middle of Sultans either.

In the right place it can sound good, but too many bass players slap because they can - not because it fits the song.

The worst ones are Youtube demos of P basses.  Knowing how it's going to sound chugging out a root note is far more useful than 3 minutes of slapping.