well I have followed several tutorials but I can't seem to get that jazzy sound that the people in videos get when they slap, or things like that. Were should I be slapping the string on the fret board or off the fret board? I know im hitting with the side knuckle of my thumb.... So whats wrong?!?!?!?!

Need more info...what kind of bass, pup placement, what's your EQ look like, is it active or passive bass, how is your attack on the string- do you hit it on top of the string, on the leading edge of the string, does your thumb bounce off and come to rest in the space next to the string? A lot of Q's, I know, but it would help to have more info...

sorry for the lack of info, I am using a regular 4 string bass, I am hitting on the side of the string, sorry i dont know what an EQ is, dont know if its active or passive, I am not hitting it too hard, the string ends up hitting the fret board when I hit it too hard. hope this si enough if you want more info please feel free to ask

If you have two pickups, like a Jazz, you should have them mixed together, possibly slightly favoring the bridge pup. Your EQ on your amp should have a touch of bass, cut the mids slightly, treble flat or slightly boosted- that should get you close, tonally. The rest is in your hands. Your thumb should strike almost through the string, bouncing off the string and coming to rest in the space between the string you hit, and the next one up- i.e., slap the E, it should bounce you into the space just before the A string. If your bass is passive, tone up all the way, if it's active, a touch of bass and a touch of treble will do, if you have mids, cut them back slightly. Hope that helps!

how do I know if its active or passive?

Is it a P bass?
If so, you'll never sound like the jazzy sound you describe, it's just not set up that way. You can get a good old-skool tone when you slap a P, but the modern slap tone requires the bridge pup mixed in.

DOH! whats a P [now im feeling stupid]

how do I know if its active or passive?If it's passive, you'll have a volume (or two) and a tone. If it's active, it has a battery, and scads more knobs...:)

alright so my bass is passive

does that mean tis a P?

DOH! whats a P [now im feeling stupid]P stands for Precision, which is a benchmark rock bass. It has a single split pup midway between the bridge and the neck, and two knobs on the pickguard. A Jazz has two bar-type pups, one by the bridge, the other closer to the neck. Usually, they are set up with two volume pots and a tone pot (3 knobs), and the knobs are usually on a metal plate separate from, but touching, the pickguard.

Google "P-bass" and "Jazz bass", there's pics to show the difference.

ok so mine is a jazz, but were am i supposed to be slapping the string? on the fret board or off it?

You may want to have your bass set up with lower action. That's a big place to begin getting a better slap tone.

Another thing, what kind of strings do you use? I use stainless steel round wound strings and they have a lot more high end and mid range punch than say a set of nickel flat wounds.

I usually hit the string against the very last 2 frets on the fretboard. I hover my thumb right over that area. The actual slap and pop tone is coming from that string hitting the fret, thus making a percussive sound. I also keep my right hand, or plucking hand, very close to the strings. That allows me to also mute strings that I don't want ringing out and also lets me play faster since my hand doesn't have to travel as far as when I have my hand further from the strings.

There's plenty of good info here on TB in the technique section. Check out the Slap Bass Welcome Center thread:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298410

hmm wait it might be a P it has three knobs though but there not as close as they are int he pic

Another thing, what kind of strings do you use? I use stainless steel round wound strings and they have a lot more high end and mid range punch than say a set of nickel flat wounds.

I usually hit the string against the very last 2 frets on the fretboard. I hover my thumb right over that area. The actual slap and pop tone is coming from that string hitting the fret, thus making a percussive sound. I also keep my right hand, or plucking hand, very close to the strings. That allows me to also mute strings that I don't want ringing out and also lets me play faster since my hand doesn't have to travel as far as when I have my hand further from the strings.

There are plenty of tutorials here on TB in the technique section. Check out the Slap Bass Welcome Center thread:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298410

oh so i am supposed to be hitting the string against the fret, i guesss I gotta playa round with the equalizers a bit to get the tone I want

What kind of bass is it? What brand?

Silvertone, its pretty cheap I couldn't afford anything too great

oh so i am supposed to be hitting the string against the fret, i guesss I gotta playa round with the equalizers a bit to get the tone I want

Yes, just take your thumb and hit the string against the fretboard. Then take your index finger and pluck up the string and let it slap against the fret. Practice that until you get some rhythm going. It's a long, hard process getting that technique down but once you start learning the basics everything gets a little easier to learn and comes much faster.

Silvertone, its pretty cheap I couldn't afford anything too greatWow!! An old Silvertone? That's part of your problem. They are not great tone machines. Although a lot of tone is in your thumb.

Good news is you could probably sell it to a collector for a pretty good amount of money if it's vintage and in good condition. Or trade for a very decent modern bass. Get your moneys worth though!

nahh the problem is its not an old one, its just a starter bass, came with amp etc.... ive been saving up for a better one though :bassist: ill try and get a new one ASAP

I think the problem is with yoour information buy a couple of slap booksand get absorbed............Rich

EQ is also quite important, Bass High, Treble High, Mid Low. This normally almost opposite to what I EQ my bass as, but i don't like playing slap, though have recently learnt to play it alot better. Technique wise, make sure you are letting ur thumb pass the string ur playing to rest on the string bellow, your hand should be around the end of the fretboard. and start simple, just octives moving up and down the neck, good luck.

I suggest looking at youtube videos with "slap and pop" keywords in the description.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bass+slap+and+pop&search_type=&aq=f