Fingerslap?!?

[Tom Crofts]

A friend of mine with miniature little oompa-loompa hands told me about a technique that Sam Rivers uses called a fingerslap that is like slapping but with fingers not thumbs. Is there such a thing? How is it done? How does Sam Rivers get that 'extra' note in Rearranged when he does the hammer-pull-hammer bits in the verse riff? Please send the answers on a postcard to... Actually on second thoughts just post them on here...

[Tom Crofts]

cool, this is my 101 post
sorry, completely pointless...

[basstheguy]

its not slapping if you use your fingers. its just playing really hard. its only slapping if you use your thumb.

[Tom Crofts]

Thanks, i'll have to tell him that, he's soooo smug that he can 'fingerslap'...

[noPass/noNick]

that thing exists

it shouldn't be mistaken with playing hard, cause thase are two different things

when yo play hard, you pull the string very hard.... this is, you apply the force *while* you're pulling the string

when you fingerslap, you apply that force *before* hit the string... and you hit it like you're tapping it.. just like when you type on the keyboard.. the end of the finger goes directly over the string

i don't think the slap is because of the thumb... the slap IS the sound that you hear, not the finger involved doing it... if you can get the slap sound with the index or medium fingers... that's a slap

[basstheguy]

i didnt say you pull the string really hard. i said hit. i know what youre talking about. but how do u pop the d and g strings when your already using your fingers to "slap"the other strings. you see, there is a difference

[hujo]

go to www.spectorbass.com and look at the movie they have there, that guy has a very special technique, but it looks like what you call fingerslapping...

[noPass/noNick]

Hit... ..you said "playing", what i understand as pull.. the normal playing

about the pop thing, i guess this is a limited slap... you get the sound, but not all the well known marvels that a thumb can do

i like to use the fingerslap while i'm doing some fast funk grooves, adding some spicy slap here and there... but without going to 'thumb slap possition' ( which adds little time gaps when you're into a fast sequence)