Two Handed Slap

[Swinging Beef]

I saw the Reerend Horton Heat the other night, and Jimbo Wallace does a slap trick with two hands that Im not sure how to do.

Anyone that could help me learn it by detailing step by step instructions or pointing me to a video, that would be great.

It looks like this:

[BeowulfKingsley]

Looks to me like he's just playin' it like a big 'ol drum.

[Kevinlee]

There are alot of variations and different rhythmic phrases you can use, but I'll try to explain a basic one. Say if you were playing a root/fifth thing like G & D. Try just plucking open G then pluck open D. This is of course all done with your right hand. then just keep that pattern going. Then with your left hand you slap in between the plucks and yes it is sort of like just playing a drum beat with your hands only you are plucking a note with your right hand while your keeping the drum beat feel going. You can change up the rhythm and the slaps like I said but this may get you started. Start slow then speed it up when it starts to feel comfortable. It's much easier to show someone how to do it then to write about it I'm realizing. If you see someone doing it try to ask them if they will show you what they're doing. It's really not that hard, once you have the feel for it. The best I've ever seen anyone do this is Pete from Twisting Tarantulas. He also hits the body of the bass (front and Back) with his left hand alternating that with slapping the fingerboard. The guy who showed me how to do it way back when was Paul Roman, the guitar player for the Quakes. He's also a Great slap bass player. On at least a couple of the Quakes records he did all the guitar, vocals and the slap bass.

[Swinging Beef]

Thanks, man.
I would love to talk to someone who I had seen do it live, but upright bass players, and slap ones at that, are still very much a rarity in Australia, and the Reverend Horton Heat were not open to house calls.
I will try these suggestions, and see how I go.

I was kinda suprised to NOT find the answer to this on youtube

[Scotty DelMar]

The always awesome Lance Romance in action!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM5vcXV5z6Q

[Kevinlee]

Yeah man, just keep working at it and you'll figure it out. Like I said before it's not as hard as it looks. And there's really only certain places that it's practical to do in a band situation. Like during a bass solo or a place in the song where it's sort of a dynamic breakdown. And then you have to be in the right key, D or G even A but then you are hitting the low A & E.......the only way I find it to work is when your playing open strings..E,A,D,G...
There may be other ways to do it playing fingered notes but I can't really see how. Because you need your left hand to be able to slap the fingerboard. And I don't know how you could do this and hold down a note at the same time. So it's limited and just kind of show offy like spinning your bass or standing on it etc...But it does look impressive to the audience and we are entertainers. So it's a nice thing to have in your bag of tricks.

[reverendrally]

Originally Posted by Swinging Beef

Thanks, man.
I would love to talk to someone who I had seen do it live, but upright bass players, and slap ones at that, are still very much a rarity in Australia, and the Reverend Horton Heat were not open to house calls.
I will try these suggestions, and see how I go.

I was kinda suprised to NOT find the answer to this on youtube

dude, I'm in Sydney. And I know what you mean. Are you in a rockabilly band?

[Kevinlee]

Man if I had a video camera I would make you a clip to show you how to do it. It's really pretty easy once you get the coordination between hands together. I imagine theres a lot of cats on here who know how to do it and one of them must have a video camera. So put out a request. Ask them to do it slow and sort of show you what the hands are doing then speed it up and you'll understand it. To be honest with ya I think doing drag triplets is actually harder to get down then the two handed thing. Just work at it yourself if noone puts up a vid. You'll figure it out in time.

[ThumpPlunkJunk]

I slap with two hands--not like that though.