Larry's slap - different?

[arbe]

Hey guys I'm quiet unexperienced bass player so don't laugh if this questions sounds stupid.
So I watched Larry's video and I noticed that he is slapping in different way. Many guys just hit the string and call it slapping but Larry is moving to string hitting it and ending on next string. I'm pretty sure that it was the movement I saw. So my question is how do you call that usual string punching and returning in start position, not on the next string. With I would like to master Larry's methode; sound is deeper too and I love it...

P.S. I tried to use search button but I couldn't find this.

[BullHorn]

Sound is deeper because of his custom Japanese bass guitar.

Victor Wooten also uses this method, watch this. He explains his slap and pop technique.

-EDIT: Oops, I mean this video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...=victor+wooten

[arbe]

Well, Wooten is very impressive guy.
So you want to say that Larry's great tone come from Japanese bass guitar? I heard him playing on fender and he had same amount of attack and fat. Also his disciple Prince played many different kinds of bass guitar. In one of his bass guitar solos (it was ''Kiss'') he played on Warwick and still this great ''Grahamattack''. How to do that I mean what to practice. What kind of exercises to do?

[BullHorn]

I'm not sure what you mean... I do know that his tone usually has alot of bottom and is very growly. Reminds me alot of the Ibanez SR models, which sound AMAZING.

Practice accuracy and consistency and do it slowly. You'll gain speed as you go.

And about the tone... you'll have to figure proper EQ or use other gear.

[Chili]

vctor wootens double thumbing all started becouse of larry graham (victors own words) becouse when victor played everyday people by sly and the family stone he couldnt get the sound larry did, she he brought the thumb back up, and walla, his double thumbing avolved from then on

but larry graham also brings his thumb back up aswell sometimes when he slaps right?

[JimmyM]

Bullhorn, Larry Graham's sound has nothing to do with the bass he uses or his EQ. Larry Graham would sound the same on any bass he uses.

Larry Graham's main difference in slapping is that he really whacks the strings with the thumb, and really yanks hard with the fingers. Guys like Vic don't slap nearly as hard. What you're seeing when you say he slaps through to the next string is an optical illusion.

[BullHorn]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Bullhorn, Larry Graham's sound has nothing to do with the bass he uses or his EQ. Larry Graham would sound the same on any bass he uses.

Oh, no, that's wrong. It depends on the bass, for example my RBX170 sounds nothing like slap, unless I have the Tone control open to the maximum and High and Mids almost maximized on the mixer. Otherwise it sounds like dead thumping sound. :/

In his Funkoriginal video (Where he wears all white and has a white bass with golden knobs) he even explains about the bass and claims that this is what gives him THAT exat super-growly tone, perhaps with his Octave Divider pedal (aka BigFoot 8) ).

[JimmyM]

Yes, you're right. It's all about the bass and it has nothing to do with his playing style. How dare I try to comment on it with only my 30 years of playing professionally to back me up. I apologize to you and your...I'm sorry, how many years have you been playing professionally?

[BullHorn]

I didn't say it all depends on the bass. Of course if you're going to hardly slap the string it won't be as thumpy. You can play for all your life but that doesn't change the fact that not all basses will sound as growly as Graham's, no matter how hard you slap or punch or kick it. :/

[Chili]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Bullhorn, Larry Graham's sound has nothing to do with the bass he uses or his EQ. Larry Graham would sound the same on any bass he uses.

Larry Graham's main difference in slapping is that he really whacks the strings with the thumb, and really yanks hard with the fingers. Guys like Vic don't slap nearly as hard. What you're seeing when you say he slaps through to the next string is an optical illusion.

larry graham does actually go through the string when he slaps, just say he slaps the A string, his thumb will stop and rest on the D string, its all in his instruction video, i'm learning to put some of this technique into my slapping and it makes alot of things easier and gives you the opitunity to come back up and hit the string again, similar to victor wootens double thumbing

[JimmyM]

Really? Dang, I need to go back and watch it again, because I don't remember that part. All I remember is him saying, "If you want it to sound heavy, you have to play heavy."

[Chili]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Really? Dang, I need to go back and watch it again, because I don't remember that part. All I remember is him saying, "If you want it to sound heavy, you have to play heavy."

yeah he does hit the strings really hard and plucks really hard, what he calls the 'thumbing up and down' technique, he shows and example of it and it sounds like a train, the kind of rythem he is using, using the thumbing up and down.

i'm gunna buy this dvd, larry graham is awsome!.........anyway lol

[arbe]

well, I am practicing to end on next string and I try to do it quiet heavy. And I must agree that from all videos I have seen with Wooten he really don't do it as heavy as Larry thought I don't say he can't.
Why I asked this quetion is this- today there is quiet many bassist really great players who prefere lighter slap, but I would like to develop smoe harder slap.
I believe that there is basses with more fat and ''attacky'' sound but as I told there are some guys who slaped hard. Similar sound to Larry you can hear in some of Cameo, Lakeside, Dazz Band, tunes also Prince slap hard and I'm sure they used differnet basses.
Anyway is there any other tips for these technique? I don't even want to do up and down thing now, just heavy slap.

[Chili]

well to play heavy slap you just have to hit heavy but not to heavy that you hit the pickup and get some unwanted clicks, i also prefer the heavy slap style, check out some louis johnson, the bassist from the brothers johnson, he has a heavy slap style aswell and has a instruction video you could check out, but he bounces from the string and doesnt go through it, but theres no reason you cant do both ways

[arbe]

Oh men he is my other musical influence. I heard
his bass work for the first time in M.Jackson's Get On The Floor. Really, really nice bass line.

[fryBASS]

Originally Posted by BullHorn

Oh, no, that's wrong. It depends on the bass, for example my RBX170 sounds nothing like slap, unless I have the Tone control open to the maximum and High and Mids almost maximized on the mixer. Otherwise it sounds like dead thumping sound. :/

In his Funkoriginal video (Where he wears all white and has a white bass with golden knobs) he even explains about the bass and claims that this is what gives him THAT exat super-growly tone, perhaps with his Octave Divider pedal (aka BigFoot 8) ).

Really? My RBX sounds just fine when I slap it

[Grueber]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Yes, you're right. It's all about the bass and it has nothing to do with his playing style. How dare I try to comment on it with only my 30 years of playing professionally to back me up. I apologize to you and your...I'm sorry, how many years have you been playing professionally?

over reaction much

[JimmyM]

No, that's my typical reaction when someone tries to correct me with misinformation.

[Grueber]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

No, that's my typical reaction when someone tries to correct me with misinformation.

sorry,
i just couldn't help but laugh at the "30 years" thing

[Volk]

It isn't really misinformation, a bass, an amp, effects, they all change your tone just like your playing style does, no matter how many years you've been playing professionally that is a fact that cannot be denied.