Only seasoned slap bassers reply please

[pfactor2]

Use a Amer Jazz standard , for the past 8 years have played Jazz. Miles, Coltrane, etc. Currently find myself playing in 70 tribute which means I have to brush up on the slap technique. This is my second go around with that era. Just aged myself. Any who. The J bass is set up very low , which I like , you can create a slap sound just pulling down. But the thumb hammer pull up creates some sounds issues and notes are not clear. What's your setup/ technique advise. This certainly brings amp settings in to account as well.

[NoFretsNoWorry]

This is a difficult subject to nail, I believe.

I have several basses set up differently.

Currently I have a EBMM Stingray5 HH set with sky high action (nearly 8mm off of 12th fret B string! Wicked high action) yet the tone of a fully engaged string when slammed very hard is awesome!! The tone has incredible sustain and more pure overtones. Playing requires some effort though.

The entire string area is fair game for striking, slapping, pulling, harmonics etc. Slapping near the bridge even has some merit for a mid-rangey hollow tone.

Tone and action are a constant evolution, especially as amps continue to evolve!

My advice, tinker with different set ups until the uniqueness of your instrument and amp find that magic synergy.

First find the extremes: the too high, and the too low......and then hone in on the sweet spots.

It will require time in both the practice and performance realms! Why live? Different rooms, dynamics, and settings.

My goal, to find a setting that works well live, during practice, and in studio. If you are lucky, sometimes there is a one-setting-does-all set up!.....even though it is rare.

[armybass]

Is it just on your E string? Are the strings new? Where are you striking the string with your thumb? Over the fingerboard? How low is low on your action? Please describe the sound you are getting.....

[gimmeagig]

Anthonyvitti.com - Home
Check this guy out. He's got some really good instruction books.
It's really worth it!

[Duckwater]

I think medium to high action is better for a old school slap sound.

[bassgruvn]

Originally Posted by Duckwater

I think medium to high action is better for a old school slap sound.

Yep what he said. You need a bit of distance from the string to the fingerboard to create full slap tone. I have been taking lessons form a master for two years now. He uses a jazz bass and nails it.

[pfactor2]

Originally Posted by armybass

Is it just on your E string? Are the strings new? Where are you striking the string with your thumb? Over the fingerboard? How low is low on your action? Please describe the sound you are getting.....

I should have said lack of sound. My thumb on the e string (about midway between end of neck and bass pickup) and pull ups on the g are good, but thumb on the a is barely negligible . Especially live.

[pfactor2]

Originally Posted by gimmeagig

Anthonyvitti.com - Home
Check this guy out. He's got some really good instruction books.
It's really worth it!

Thanks

[pfactor2]

Originally Posted by pfactor2

I should have said lack of sound. My thumb on the e string (about midway between end of neck and bass pickup) and pull ups on the g are good, but thumb on the a is barely negligible . Especially live.

String height is low, no fret noise fortunately. Could probably play a ballad with my left hand only. No time to measure , but low

[pfactor2]

Originally Posted by NoFretsNoWorry

This is a difficult subject to nail, I believe.

I have several basses set up differently.

Currently I have a EBMM Stingray5 HH set with sky high action (nearly 8mm off of 12th fret B string! Wicked high action) yet the tone of a fully engaged string when slammed very hard is awesome!! The tone has incredible sustain and more pure overtones. Playing requires some effort though.

The entire string area is fair game for striking, slapping, pulling, harmonics etc. Slapping near the bridge even has some merit for a mid-rangey hollow tone.

Tone and action are a constant evolution, especially as amps continue to evolve!

My advice, tinker with different set ups until the uniqueness of your instrument and amp find that magic synergy.

First find the extremes: the too high, and the too low......and then hone in on the sweet spots.

It will require time in both the practice and performance realms! Why live? Different rooms, dynamics, and settings.

My goal, to find a setting that works well live, during practice, and in studio. If you are lucky, sometimes there is a one-setting-does-all set up!.....even though it is rare.

Good advise, thanks

[pfactor2]

I did purchase a Washburn Force4 active electronics on a whim. I liked it in the store, but doesn't have near the sustain quality of the J bass. But actively the sound and note distinction on the slap seemed in the right direction. Your thoughts in the active bass?

[Mulebagger]

I wouldn't use the thumb in an upstroke position. I'd just use it in a bouncing stroke. Not like a strum up or down, but a quick snap straight down on the string right on or near the end of the fretboard.
I don't think the double thumb technique has the fullness to it like the slap tones you are trying to recreate.
I've always had my jazz bass action pretty low for ease of playing, but a low-medium action will give more girth to the thumb slap sound.

let us know how it goes.

[pfactor2]

Originally Posted by Mulebagger

I wouldn't use the thumb in an upstroke position. I'd just use it in a bouncing stroke. Not like a strum up or down, but a quick snap straight down on the string right on or near the end of the fretboard.
I don't think the double thumb technique has the fullness to it like the slap tones you are trying to recreate.
I've always had my jazz bass action pretty low for ease of playing, but a low-medium action will give more girth to the thumb slap sound.

let us know how it goes.

Right , I'll leave the virtuoso playing to Victor, I just need to groove , thumb down only.

[enricogaletta]

Well it can depend from several things, pre setting, action on the bass, your way to play slap with the thumb along hammer on and lifted off.
I'll tell you what are my settings first of all, answering to your simple and accurate question.
Usually I use a pretty flat eq setting, sometime I add a little bit of bass and cut a little of treble and mids, but just depending of which sound I like to obtain.
Action on the bass need to be low, that's really important in my opinion for a good slap tone no matter if you play simple grooves or virtuoso stuff. But the key of a good slap tone is to have the some dynamics on thumbing and plucking as well hammering on . Because if you have the same for everything you play than you can add your feeling and at the same time have a clean performance of the slap technique.
More accurate than that is a little complicate by forum post, anyway if you want we can videochat and you can show me what is your issue and maybe I can give you some advice. I'll be glad to help you.
Write me a message. Ciao
Enrico Galetta
www.enricogaletta.com
on YouTube
on Twitter
Study Bass online with me

[pfactor2]

Originally Posted by enricogaletta

Well it can depend from several things, pre setting, action on the bass, your way to play slap with the thumb along hammer on and lifted off.
I'll tell you what are my settings first of all, answering to your simple and accurate question.
Usually I use a pretty flat eq setting, sometime I add a little bit of bass and cut a little of treble and mids, but just depending of which sound I like to obtain.
Action on the bass need to be low, that's really important in my opinion for a good slap tone no matter if you play simple grooves or virtuoso stuff. But the key of a good slap tone is to have the some dynamics on thumbing and plucking as well hammering on . Because if you have the same for everything you play than you can add your feeling and at the same time have a clean performance of the slap technique.
More accurate than that is a little complicate by forum post, anyway if you want we can videochat and you can show me what is your issue and maybe I can give you some advice. I'll be glad to help you.
Write me a message. Ciao
Enrico Galetta
www.enricogaletta.com
on YouTube
on Twitter
Study Bass online with me

Unfortunately I don't have video chat (spent money on new amp, computer next :-) . Good advise though thanks. I'll check out your sights. With all the advise I've received looks like I may need to incorporate a floor pedal or channel switching capability to bring out the ranges I seem to be loosing on slap style. Or possible change basses. Do you think an active bass has advantages over passive?

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by Duckwater

I think medium to high action is better for a old school slap sound.

I beg to differ. The higher the action, the more energy is needed to slap. I would say the % is pretty low for slappers with high action on their basses. The action on my basses are pretty low. You want old school slap sound? Use old strings.

[basswave]

Originally Posted by pfactor2

Use a Amer Jazz standard , for the past 8 years have played Jazz. Miles, Coltrane, etc. Currently find myself playing in 70 tribute which means I have to brush up on the slap technique. This is my second go around with that era. Just aged myself. Any who. The J bass is set up very low , which I like , you can create a slap sound just pulling down. But the thumb hammer pull up creates some sounds issues and notes are not clear. What's your setup/ technique advise. This certainly brings amp settings in to account as well.

Ok there has been a lot of advice on this thread I can see where it would work for a lot of players, but here is my take on it regarding yourself.

-First off the upstroke thumb is a whole another technique and can be tricky. Also it tends not to sound that even at first.

For guys with really low action and get that technique down it can sound even and even machine like (take you pick wither you think its good or bad I'm indifferent to it). Wooten is a good example.

-My action is not supper low (I dig in a bit) and slap a fair amount when I go play a bass that is supper low I can easily get an issue and have to adjust immediately. So I would suggest the following.

-Just concentrate on the downstroke for now (if the parts are not super busy)

-Then practice doing some patterens at half time with just an up stroke, from there build up the speed to even faster then your desired result. It will come.

-It sounds like you could raise your action a hair (that is sacrilegious to some guys...So I'm not going to suggest that unless you feel that really need it). If you have another bass where you can afford to do that I would suggest it.

Good luck and post your results.

[MuthaFunk]

Lots of great advise here already but If you are o.k. with being a hack slapper and want to cheat here's a couple of tricks I use.

First off, use a good compressor with a high ratio. Boom! Many of your other notes (A string) will all of the sudden pop out in the mix and your E will level out with them. I like to have a slow attack setting that allows the pop though but it's a matter of taste.

Second, I use a reach around with my left thumb to dampen the E string while slapping the A string so my sloppy right hand can blast both strings hard and still get a nice A string ring. When slapping on the D string I'll use the tips of my left fingers to contact the A string from the side while fretting on the D to dampen the A from ringing.

I pretty much dampen all but the strings I wish to hear when slapping. Good luck.

[pfactor2]

Originally Posted by basswave

Ok there has been a lot of advice on this thread I can see where it would work for a lot of players, but here is my take on it regarding yourself.

-First off the upstroke thumb is a whole another technique and can be tricky. Also it tends not to sound that even at first.

For guys with really low action and get that technique down it can sound even and even machine like (take you pick wither you think its good or bad I'm indifferent to it). Wooten is a good example.

-My action is not supper low (I dig in a bit) and slap a fair amount when I go play a bass that is supper low I can easily get an issue and have to adjust immediately. So I would suggest the following.

-Just concentrate on the downstroke for now (if the parts are not super busy)

-Then practice doing some patterens at half time with just an up stroke, from there build up the speed to even faster then your desired result. It will come.

-It sounds like you could raise your action a hair (that is sacrilegious to some guys...So I'm not going to suggest that unless you feel that really need it). If you have another bass where you can afford to do that I would suggest it.

Good luck and post your results.

I'm workin on it brother, thanks for you input

[enricogaletta]

Originally Posted by pfactor2

Unfortunately I don't have video chat (spent money on new amp, computer next :-) . Good advise though thanks. I'll check out your sights. With all the advise I've received looks like I may need to incorporate a floor pedal or channel switching capability to bring out the ranges I seem to be loosing on slap style. Or possible change basses. Do you think an active bass has advantages over passive?

Well I think it can be a technical issue depending from your rig setting or it can depend from your bass, try this, if you have a chance play in the same conditions with a different bass and see what happening. Beside, an active bass off course can give more control on some EQ frequencies thanks to the pre and help you with the bass sound, but, if the cause is your technique you'll we have the same problems on the active bass too.
So first of all try to see if you have same issues with a different bass than you'll see what will be your next move.
Anyway if you need help just drop me an email, I will happy to help you.
Enrico Galetta
www.enricogaletta.com
on YouTube
on Twitter
Study Bass online with me