Need some advice from all you rock, funk, and jazz guys out there...

[Grahams Groove]

Well, that pretty much called out to 99% of the bass population but who cares. Anywho...
I am in a band that plays "jamband" (for lack of a better term) music, a bit of funk, and some original stuff. I want to do more slapping, and my technique is right, but i cant read music, so i always find myself going to the "octave" slapping. So i slap say open E, and then i pop the E on the D string. I can vary this alot, but how can i make it a bit more fancy and maybe get out of that groove? I'm not talking about like double slapping E or anything here...or playing fill inside that, i want some basic instructions on where i could take it from there to keep it sounding interesting, but not be playign the same (or similar) thing over and over....

Thanks alot for any advice....
Peace
Graham

[JMX]

Just slap those lines you'd normally play fingerstyle.

Try using some (repetitive) little funk licks and expand on those and try to use 3rds and other intervals and not rely too much on slapping empty strings. Use deadnotes and lefthand slaps.

I almost never slap octaves.

[brianmc]

hey man, i did the same thing for a long time. start trying 3rds and flatted fifths on your higher strings, and slides, and harmonics, and alternate time signatures. heres a riff that i came up with that i think rocks

|--- 1. 3.--| |-- 2. ----|
G|---4-----------2------------|------------|
D|------3-4h------------------|------0-2h-|
A|-2--2-----0-3h--00-2h-0-2h-|-00-2h-----|
E|-----------------------------|-----------|

|---- 4. -----------|
|----------2-4h0---12-|
|--2-2--4h---------12-|
|----------------------|
|----------------------|


i just wanted to put that out there, i m so proud of it. its free though, i m never gonna record anithing.

thanks

[brianmc]

crap i thought that that riff would post well. poop

[melvin]

Originally posted by JMX
Just slap those lines you'd normally play fingerstyle.

Try using some (repetitive) little funk licks and expand on those and try to use 3rds and other intervals and not rely too much on slapping empty strings. Use deadnotes and lefthand slaps.

I almost never slap octaves.

Yes, exactly. Muted notes always add to lines.

[Son of Spam]

Of course, Fieldy does it so it must ROCK!

Just playing.

Really, muted notes do add.

[cassanova]

Originally posted by JMX
Just slap those lines you'd normally play fingerstyle.

Try using some (repetitive) little funk licks and expand on those and try to use 3rds and other intervals and not rely too much on slapping empty strings. Use deadnotes and lefthand slaps.

I almost never slap octaves.

ghost notes are wonderfull and definatly add to the line, good call on the left hand slaps as well, alot of bassists i see dont incorporate this into their slap technique.

id just like to add one little thing about left hand slap, when you do it you want it to be more like a percussive sound (ghost note) and the way i was taught to do it was

slap string with right hand
slap fretboard with left
pop with right

when done in triplettes it has a very solid and rythmic feel.

[rickbass]

Originally posted by cassanova
...slap string with right hand
slap fretboard with left
pop with right

when done in triplettes it has a very solid and rythmic feel.

Cassa is dead on. But that may sound a little confusing. What I think cassanova is talking about isn't a slapping thumb like your plucking hand does), (hopefully I'm not misinterpreting).

The slap with your fretting hand is a kind of a split second "pop" where all your fingers, except the thumb of course, are held together and slapped against all the strings super-fast. The result is kind of a "pop" sound that really adds to slap n' pop because it fills in the gap between two notes.

Stu Hamm has a lightning quick left hand slap if you want to see one player who uses it well.

[JimK]

http://archive.bassplayer.com/z1998/9809/larue.shtml

It's a Dave Larue column from a '98 Bass Player mag...he sez it well.
Once you get the basic idea down & the muscle memory thing happeninin', the 'hard' part begins...how to make it musical.

[cassanova]

[quote]Originally posted by rickbass1


Cassa is dead on. But that may sound a little confusing. What I think cassanova is talking about isn't a slapping thumb like your plucking hand does), (hopefully I'm not misinterpreting).

The slap with your fretting hand is a kind of a split second "pop" where all your fingers, except the thumb of course, are held together and slapped against all the strings super-fast. The result is kind of a "pop" sound that really adds to slap n' pop because it fills in the gap between two notes.

Stu Hamm has a lightning quick left hand slap if you want to see one player who uses it well.

thats exactly what im talking about, it makes a very nice percussive type tone, or ghost note to fill in the gaps

[lonnieplaxico]

Hiits very simple.Just transcibe or if you cant read learn what your favorite bass player is doing.that the best way i feel..Dont get up until you learn what they were doing.today you can by bass videos ,and other stuff that can help you.I recomend that you get every video by Victor Wooten.what he's doing on the bass is updated.Pratice with a drum manchine or a drummer.Also if you cant read learn how to read music.its alot easy to read music then to read words.take care