got any slapping tips

[ElectroStompbox]

when it comes to slapping my main problem is that i can slap the E string extremely well.....the A string decently.....and the D and G strings horribly.........anyt ips on this?

[Jazzin']

Practice. Trust me.

[Chandler Bing]

This is probobly a pathetic response so sorry in advance...but for me at least, I slap E and A with my thumb..D and G I pop with my index finger (and sometimes index and middle, depending on how ambitious I get). Mixing thumb slapping with muted finger pops always produces good "fillers" as well. And yes, practice, practice, and more practice.

[ElectroStompbox]

i do pop the the d and g strings often.....its not like its horribly bad ....i can play tell me baby by the chili peppers pretty darn good.....im just having problems playing some of plea's older work.....like the solo afor stone cold bush and get up and jump!


by te way FLEA IS GOD

[thefruitfarmer]

Originally Posted by ElectroStompbox

when it comes to slapping my main problem is that i can slap the E string extremely well.....the A string decently.....and the D and G strings horribly.........anyt ips on this?

Keep on practicing.....

...the D and G are not as fat as the E and A so are harder to slap.

With a bit of work you will learn to get a good tone from slapping the higher strings. You may wish to try slapping them with more accuracy and less physical force. I found I was getting the best sound from the E string initially - I reckon it is the easiest string to slap.....

[Chad.mundt]

Try this exercise:

s - slap
p - pop

---p---p---p-s-p---p---p---
---------s--------s---------
-----s----------------s-----
-s------------------------s-

you can also reverse this exercise and keep the slaps stationary and move the pops. Believe me, it works.

[Koki]

eh. well it's kind of hard to learn over talkbass.. do you have a teacher?

[A Minor]

practice is the key to all things, if somebody would've told me that i'd be able to lay down the funk as well as i can when i first started playing, i probably would've slapped them, pointed, and laughed in their face....now..i'd just slap them...with the thumb of course

[Scot]

If you can, check out Mark King's bassline with Level 42 on the tune "Lessons In Love". It's a great exercise that I still use to keep my thumb in shape and to help with keeping the dynamics consistent between strings when thumbing them. It's also a great exercise for muting with the palm of the right hand while slapping to keep the strings/notes you don't want sounding from sounding, which is key to my slap style.

[A Minor]

one thing that i found i was doing when i first started to learn to play slap was that i was waaay too stiff, try not to think too much and just feel it....if that makes any sense

[fcleff]

I know that there is one exercise in Ed Friedland's edition of the Hal Leonard books (it's in Vol. III) that just has you slap on all four strings. He also provides others that are less musical but do the same thing. I'm sure that there are other books that focus on this. Just do a little research.

When a line is played by exclusively slapping (no popping) the strings it can be a very cool effect. Practice your scales by just slapping them. Eventually you will balance out the sound.

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by ElectroStompbox

when it comes to slapping my main problem is that i can slap the E string extremely well.....the A string decently.....and the D and G strings horribly.........anyt ips on this?

the more "percussive" you become with your thumb, the easier it is to get consistant tone on any of the strings...

practice...nearly everyone experiences this same problem when starting out