how can i slap

bitter1 · #1 07-25-2004, 01:24 PM

i can get some good slap but i cant get it good you know. i need some kind of technique, i have a book and a video and both arent good for slap.

**Vorago** · #2 07-25-2004, 01:29 PM

Aight, try to search the forums on 'slap', it should get you tons of info on this...@ http://www.warwickbass.com are some lessons too you might find worth checking out.

quallabone · #3 07-25-2004, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bitter1

i can get some good slap but i cant get it good you know. i need some kind of technique, i have a book and a video and both arent good for slap.

Don't do it man. It isn't worth it.

Buy a wooten DVD. If you even take .0002% of what he says and incorporate it then you'll be quite a bit better off.

i like tictacs · #4 07-25-2004, 11:53 PM

I have his DVD with Carter Beauford. Oh my god, I could watch it 300 times and learn something new everytime. I also think every time I watch it I get better. He has a whole q+a with him where he pretty much tells you everything he does in detail. I don't think you will be able to just watch it and be able to instantly do an open-hammer-hammer-pluck-pluck speed run or something. I've been working on his technique for a few months now and I can't get anything respectable to come out of my bass. I'm either A. Normal or B. Horrible

Neeto · #5 07-27-2004, 01:35 AM

If you really want to get good at a style, I suggest just hammering it out. Practice, practice and more practice. Expiriment day and night. I mean...there came a time when SOMEONE did a thumb slap followed by a pop for the first time.
If you're looking for an easy way out, I'm not sure there really is one. Some people do learn really well with books. Some need hands on help. Others just need alot of time and some imagination. It's probably best to find out how you personally take stuff in best, and go with that method. I can't personally follow a technique or theory book to save my life. But that doesn't mean I don't know how to DO and USE the things in the books.

Kortez · #6 07-27-2004, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quallabone

Don't do it man. It isn't worth it.

Buy a wooten DVD. If you even take .0002% of what he says and incorporate it then you'll be quite a bit better off.

could you recommend one over the other?

quallabone · #7 07-27-2004, 06:42 PM

I only own the bass day 98 vid. It's really good and has a long section of instruction in the bonus features. The carter Beauford video is great as well.

bluntman_bass · #8 08-01-2004, 09:17 PM

just play ull get the hang of it, if one way sounds bad try another, eventually ull get it right

vene-nemesis · #9 08-03-2004, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quallabone

Don't do it man. It isn't worth it.

Buy a wooten DVD. If you even take .0002% of what he says and incorporate it then you'll be quite a bit better off.

can you tell me the full name of that DVD?

Wadge · #10 08-04-2004, 04:29 AM

Like you, I could not slap to save my life. Then I read reviews about an instructional video by Alexis Strav.... (not sure of the surname) called the slap bass programme. I got it.

I first want to mention that I have a few instructional videos most of which do not teach you much and end up showing you how good the instructor is rather than teaching you useful musical skills.

The 'Slap Bass Programme' on the other hand is really good. It starts off really, and I mean really, simple. You play along with it and you can surely play the first exercise as it is so simple. Exercise 2 then adds some other thing which you immediately learn. Same with exercise 3, 4 and so on - each exercise give a small incremental advance making learning the technique extremely easy. Of course by the end of the video it does get rather advanced making it suitable for any level of playing.

If you are seriously interested into learning the slap stuff, I cannot recommend this video highly enough.

CrazyArcher · #11 08-05-2004, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wadge

I first want to mention that I have a few instructional videos most of which do not teach you much and end up showing you how good the instructor is rather than teaching you useful musical skills.

You're so correct here! Indeed most videos are full of crap! Personally I haven't seen any bass videos, but guitar videos (I started my career as a guitarist) just cause the desire to beat the hell out of that MF when he ends up in some incredibly fast riff with slides and bends as if no one in the entire universe can do the same...

Ehmm, well, what was the topic? Ah, slapping, right. I can tell only one thing on this issue: you might read some info here and there, but it's up to you how to slap exactly, it's you who decides which technique to use, not Bob or Jack... In short - experiment. If it sounds crappy - try it another way!

zcwilkes · #12 08-06-2004, 08:15 AM

The Slap Bass Program is a great video with Alex Starvi...Something.
It will get you started and direct you in the right direction. I watched that video and listened to alot of Stanley Clarke when I started slapping.

stretchcat · #13 08-06-2004, 08:56 AM

The video by Ed Friedland is really informative and well organized. He teaches the basics of the slap style (what you would need for a gig or recording session that calls for slap) but doesn't go overboard with the crazy stuff.