Brick House - fingers or slap???

[mastersrhythm]

Finally getting around to learning the song...

I've seen several youtube videos showing finger usage and several using slap technique. There is also one showing a combo of both fingers and popping.

To tell you the truth I'm listening to the album now and I hear a combination of fingers and popping.

What do you guys hear??

It would be much easier if it where one or the other.

[Stinsok]

I use a combination.

[mastersrhythm]

I'm leaning that way too... It just sounds like that.

[dmusic148]

Combo.

[electracoyote]

We play this song in one of my bands. I play it finger for the vast majority, there is only one popped note that I can clearly hear in the original, so that's how I do it. I think I throw in a slap/pop chromatic run going back to the A for the chorus, but that's me, not the original. Lots of room for improvising and substituting slapping for fingered notes in this one though.

[mastersrhythm]

Yep, sounds like the only real popped notes are pretty much the G-A hammer-ons...and of course the couple ofextra notes in the intro.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by mastersrhythm

Yep, sounds like the only real popped notes are pretty much the G-A hammer-ons...and of course the couple ofextra notes in the intro.

+1

I stand corrected, "notes." Thank you.

[bass12]

I slap the whole thing, just to give the line a bit more bite. What works best might depend partially on the context, instrumentation-wise.

[jasonwhcp]

Brick House starts with the chorus and I usually slap that section throughout the entire song, though there's really not much to it other than that popped hammer-on from G to A on the octive along with few other riffs. On the verse I use fingers for a more subtle tone to keep with the dynamics of the tune, but depending on how the drummer decides to handle it really dictates how "tight" or "loose" I decide to play it. Just have fun with it. It's an easy song with plenty of room to do some cool stuff that's not over the top.

Jason

[DWBass]

Depends on my mood as I've played it both ways. The original song is slapped on a P Bass with flats and not much high end. At least it sounds like it to my ears!

[SteveC]

I tend to slap it. People seem to like that.

[ctufankjian]

Fingers, and there's some pop

[gregmerrill]

I've been playing that damm song for so long and still cant get the sound of that recording. Simply incredible and funky.

[kesslari]

I like both, but I like slapping it more, so that's what I do.

[ExaltBass]

Combo (just like with Steely Dan's 'Peg')

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by gregmerrill

I've been playing that damn song for so long and still cant get the sound of that recording. Simply incredible and funky.

P-Bass/Flats.......it's a very non hi-fi, typical Motown sound from the 70's.

[mastersrhythm]

Fingers plus pop for the hammerons sounds best. I guess when I do it live I may change it up at the end and continue slap for altro...

[Lonnybass]

Slap for the intro and choruses, fingers for the verses just to give it plenty of dynamic give and take.

Lonnybass