Does anyone understand Doug Wimbish's Slap Style?

[bobbykokinos]

I've been watching videos over and over again of how he slaps, but just cant figure out. Instead of the typical thumb approach, looks like he uses his first two index fingers.

Also, he does this triplet type slap thing that I just cannot figure it out.

Here is an audio file

Wimbish Sound The sound I am talking about is at about 2.5 seconds..

[lemur821]

The triplets sound like some fretting hand slapping. I do it by popping, slapping most of my fretting fingers onto the strings to make a click, then hitting with my other hand; either a slap with the thumb or just a hit.

[Matt Till]

There's a lot of things about Wimbish I don't understand...

[c-ba55]

I think I remember reading about that. He does use a finger slap. Rather than plucking through, smack the string was a straightened finger, and bounce off.

[Daniel Baskin]

Hmm, if he slaps with a finger, that must take a whole lot of effort for the finger knuckle to compete with the thumb-driving wrist.

[FCM3]

there is a video of doug playing at the benevente booth during a Namm show. it shows a lot of this techniques.
IIRC he slap traditionally, as well as does some crazy stuff, w/ 2 or 3 straightened fingers, in addition he makes it musical by doing alot of left hand work.
in regards to the straightened finger, he essentially is doing what billy sheehan does to "slap", its a fast typewriter type motion onto the strings where his finger contact hard and bounce off , he also does a neat thing wher he uses three fingers together and bounces all of them off the fretboard in rhythymical patterns. check out the video

[AngelCrusher]

He's using both hands..i do that alot when i slap triplets. You really just have to feel it and mute at the right time..your left hand is not slapping like the right, it is just mute slapping, so don't think you are trying to match the two up..you are muting with the left hand, but instead of holding it over the strings, you are slapping instead.


EDIt- ill post a link up to my little myspace site where i do this exact technique in the Recordings section.

[Mike Flynn]

I went to see Doug do a clinic in 1990 (bloddy ages ago) and he showed us how he does it - it's basically 'tapping' the strings in the same way that you would normally 'slap'th strings - it's kind of a substitute for a very accurate thumb action - the cool thing is that you can effective 'tap' / 'slap' whole chords very cleanly - plus his version of a triplet is done by doing an outward pull with your thumb - literally pulling away from the string and plucking it at the same time, then hitting it on the downstroke with your finger - alternate the two really fast and you get either triplets of very fast 16th notes.

Both are great techniques and I spent a while mastering both, but Doug is still the master of them! He is such a groovy MF as well - and so tasteful - a great all round musician tooo!

[Andrew Jones]

See.... john Entwisle

[nemo]

A bit from his magazine interview after Living Colour concert in Prague. I tried to translate it back from Czech to English so sorry for any imperfections..

"Q: I have watched your right hand technique. This is not really standard one..
A: Oh, I very much apologize (laugh). It has a simple explanation. I was born in the small city in Connecticut. First instrument I played was a mandolin - it’s holding influenced me a lot. I was lucky to get to bass in times when jazz started to be funky. I grew up in period when music was progressively changing. However, all this I knew only from records. In these times were no learning videos - nobody told me how to play. The sounds that I heard and wanted to reproduce I just had to learn by ear and figure out the way of how to play them. There is many ways how to make the same sound…"

So for all beginners - keep your bad habits, make them to perfection, become famous and followers will emerge..
J/k, this year I have seen LC's gig in my town and they blew us all away. It was in small club, about 200 people, amazing experience, almost like private party

[Mike Flynn]

I forgot to say Doug calls it 'Flamenco Slap' which helps with the idea of it - and yes John Entwhistle probably pioneered this style - but Doug does it a lot faster - er, and he's like, REEEEEEEEAL funky...

[Andrew Jones]

What Doug calls Flamenco Slap is a percusive strumming efect that flamenco guitar players do its down with the outside of your fingers (nails) in a strumming motion. Sklareski's Slap Bass video shows it.

Doug uses a technique wherer he strikes the strings with the pads of his picking fingers.think levin's funk fingers but with out the toys.Entwisle Called it his Typewriter technique and did way back in the day.
Before I listened to the audio bit Ididnt relize that the example was so percusive.not that I think the technique is any different its just how its used. Usually (wait this is wimbish I should not use that word)I assosiate it with him Slapping harmonics or diads on the upper strings.


AJ

[bobbykokinos]

I think I stated the question wrong. I pretty much get how he is slapping (although I cant do it well). But there is something he does, sounds like he is muting the E string and just slapping it quick.. Its hard to explain but you can hear it in the MP3..