Am i weird? I don't "pop" i only "slap"

[castleshade13]

I was playing live at a local show for bassists only

and i was playing this guy i met's vintage Jazz bass

and he said go crazy and slap and after 5-10 minutes said

"hey! play that again but much slower"

so i looked at my hand and played alot slower (i think it was RHCP song) and i didn't pop at least not with my finger i got a similar sound but by slapping the D/G strings with the boney side bit of my thumb joint

is that normal???

do many people do that?

i don't slap much which is why i never noticed i guess

the guy took is bass back played the same thing but played the same riff (he knew it to! =D) but the "normal way"

just Curious!

Regards
Adam

[BullHorn]

Whatever works for you. There's no right and wrong way to play bass.

[SwamiRob]

Exactly, sound like a cool technique you've got going, I do some slap stuff but don't pop either, but that's heavy rock stuff on songs that I play fingerstyle when I want it to sounder really aggressive, my techniques not really that great overall when it comes to slap although I have been messing about playing some proper slap alot more recently.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by BullHorn

Whatever works for you. There's no right and wrong way to play bass.

Well...there is certainly "good technique", "efficient technique" and there are ways of playing that minimise the chance of injury or repetitive strain...

As to slapping - if you are not popping then you are just losing the benefit this provides, of allowing you to play another note (octave) within an extremely short time period...?

You are just making fast 16th note syncopations, more difficult for yourself - a less "efficient" technique...

[SwamiRob]

There is efficiency but there's also the unique sound that his technique probably puts out, he might not necessarily need quick high octaves in his playing either. Anyway if you look at how quickly some people can double thumb if your good at it then you probably don't even really need to use anything else to do slap relatively fast with practise. Sounds like hes using the joint onto his hand to do the low strings and the middle joint of his thumb tho do higher strings, so there isn't that much of a gap to overcome anyway.

[Bruce Lindfield]

It's more about the ability to control 16th note syncopations accurately, which is lost...?

[SwamiRob]

Yeah I guess, if this guy has been playing like that for a while he might be able to do it fairly accurately though but he did say he doesn't play slap that often conversely.

[Earthday]

It's not a bad technique, but you could make it more efficient and open up another tone by learning to pop. It's not like you have to pop octaves once you know how to.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

As to slapping - if you are not popping then you are just losing the benefit this provides, of allowing you to play another note (octave) within an extremely short time period...?

+1

Though I commend how well you have developed your thumb slapping technique, until you develop a coordinating pop with your fingers, you have only exploited one-half of the whole concept. If you are fast with your thumb, you will be twice as fast using a coordinated approach with thumb and fingers (popping). I say: Get to work on popping, you will be a monster some day, my son.

[AwesomeMcBadass]

Nah, you're not weird.
I'm the same way.
I rarely ever do any slapping/popping, and if I do it's a couple slaps with my thumb and that's pretty much it.
(I'm not really a fan of that "slap/pop 90% of the notes" style funk bass.)

[Bruce Lindfield]

Sorry - I just can't take anybody seriously with a username like that!!

[Lulz]

You're nearly as good as Fieldy

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by BullHorn

Whatever works for you. There's no right and wrong way to play bass.

What he said.

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Well...there is certainly "good technique", "efficient technique" and there are ways of playing that minimise the chance of injury or repetitive strain

Oh, alright, what he said also.


fwiw, the only time I play the more-or-less conventional Slap and Pop stuff is either when I'm copping someone else's line that originally used Slap and Pop, or when I'm playing a more-or-less conventional funk/disco/techno-pop/fuzak tune that would benefit from more-or-less conventional Slap and Pop.

However, I get a lot more use out of just Slapping (without the reciprocal Popping) in genres where more-or-less conventional Slap and Pop would be inappropriate. Slapping by itself can be used just to get a different attack and a different timbre in lots of rock, metal, avant-garde, and soundtrack work without ever invoking the ghost of Larry Graham.

[bassybill]

I used to slap without popping much a good few years back, but the combination of both is necessary to play certain lines and as my technique developed I used the two together - but I'm also careful not to overdo it.

I also enjoy "slapping" with the fingertips rather than the thumb. Great for heavy rock.

[chaosMK]

I slap all the time (and play 16th notes like this T-R-M-I) and rarely pop. When I am playing on the B string, it's the best way for me to get an articulate and punchy sound that cuts through high gain guitars, loud drums, etc.

When I was a younster like 10 years ago, I dug old school Korn and Fieldy's generally slapping style- it influenced me fo sho. However, I improved upon his idea by rolling back the bass and highs, adding mids, a little tube OD grit and dont get that awful clink sound.

[SwamiRob]

Originally Posted by Lulz

You're nearly as good as Fieldy

You're nearly as sad as someone that plays World of Warcraft spending your time by trolling a bass forum...

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

if you are not popping then you are just losing the benefit this provides, of allowing you to play another note (octave) within an extremely short time period...?

You are just making fast 16th note syncopations, more difficult for yourself - a less "efficient" technique

By that same argument, anyone who doesn't use all five fingers on their plucking hand is making fast playing more difficult for themselves, & is using a less efficient technique.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by Hoover

Slapping by itself can be used just to get a different attack and a different timbre in lots of rock, metal, avant-garde, and soundtrack work without ever invoking the ghost of Larry Graham.

Actually, I've seen Larry Graham do the slapping alone style, on certain songs, and back by the bridge too.

[chondro776]

I have one song my band plays that I get a better sound slapping the D string than poping it.

You may be leaving 'bullets in the gun' by not popping, but if you don't need/want to then don't.

Do whatever you wish. Music is art.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by Hoover

By that same argument, anyone who doesn't use all five fingers on their plucking hand is making fast playing more difficult for themselves, & is using a less efficient technique.

Thats techicnally true, look at Steve DiGordio, and other severly fast players, adding in three and four fingers for more efficient technique.