Any slap stamina advice?

the_kev · #1 02-03-2004, 08:54 AM

I really need to increase my slap bass stamina so i can play 'lessons in love' by level 42, it pisses me off really badly that i can only get up to the first chorus before i have to stop, any advice?

**Pacman** · #2 02-03-2004, 11:09 AM

Yeah, relax.

Tense muscles tire much easier than loose, relaxed ones. I'd be money the outside of your shoulders is what hurts, right?

Wrong Robot · #3 02-03-2004, 11:16 AM

The way I see it, the best way to gain stamina is to practice for long periods of time.

Now, I think that you can, for the most part, improve in all areas from QUALITY practice, even over short periods of time(half an hour or so at a time) BUT, I think that the only way to improve your stamina and endurance is from marathon practice settings, that is, just playing, using that technique, for an hour or more at a time.

ya know?

and definitely relax, as pacman said, try and be as efficient as possible with your movements, and make sure your technique is good.

ratamahatta · #4 02-03-2004, 06:05 PM

my bass teacher told me this the other day cuz i just asked him about slapping, he said 4 practice put like a drum stick or something through ur index and pinkykinda like the metal horns i guess (\m/) abns slap away. idk if it works though.

Wrong Robot · #5 02-03-2004, 06:29 PM

eh I don't know about that, I've heard of it before, but I'm always cautious with things like that, ultimately, if you had the choice to do that drum stick thing, or to just play your bass...you should just play your bass, imo.

WesW · #6 02-03-2004, 06:42 PM

Ever heard of the Buddha rope? Designed by Bill 'Buddha' Dickens - its supposed to help with stamina....I've never tried it though.

I think you can get it from mighty mite.

**Pacman** · #7 02-03-2004, 06:44 PM

The buddha rope would be to build left (fretting) hand stamina. I'll bet money the poster has issues with their non-fretting arm.

WesW · #8 02-03-2004, 06:48 PM

Ahhh, good point.

Stephen Soto · #9 02-03-2004, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrong Robot

The way I see it, the best way to gain stamina is to practice for long periods of time.

Now, I think that you can, for the most part, improve in all areas from QUALITY practice, even over short periods of time(half an hour or so at a time) BUT, I think that the only way to improve your stamina and endurance is from marathon practice settings, that is, just playing, using that technique, for an hour or more at a time.

ya know?

and definitely relax, as pacman said, try and be as efficient as possible with your movements, and make sure your technique is good.

yeah, just practice. you don't really need a rope or whatever, just practice man.

marc40a · #10 02-03-2004, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Soto

yeah, just practice. you don't really need a rope or whatever, just practice man.

I'd recommend practicing just your right hand slap rudiments w/ a metronome while you mute all of the strings with your left hand on the neck. Vary the position of your muting hand every four bars or so between the 2nd fret area up to the 10-12th fret area while still maintaining solid time. It's like you shifting every four bars or so from the 2nd fret area then... to the 5th... then to the 9th etc...

It's more difficult then it sounds.

It really works out your slapping hand. With all of the notes muted you're just isolating and working rythms. The location of the mute affects the tension and makes it more difficult to keep those rythms in synch.

**embellisher** · #11 02-03-2004, 11:15 PM

Some great advice so far. Let me give some that hasn't been mentioned yet. Don't slap so hard! You can get a very decent slap sound with very little movement, and with a light impact on the strings.

the_kev · #12 02-04-2004, 06:57 AM

I don't slap too hard anyway and i practice slapping quite a lot, do U know any songs that are good for stamina building?

Don W · #13 02-05-2004, 05:11 PM

A good way to practice is just to slap intervals. Try slapping and popping octave intervals. Stick with one note for a few bars, then move to another. You don't even have to follow a specific pattern. But it helps to move to an interval where you are slapping and popping on different strings. (ie slapping a A octave interval on the open A string and the 2nd fret of the G string, then slapping an E octave interval) It will help with stamina and coordination for both hands.