Non-Slapsters Out there?

[sturmvogel]

Greetings---

It seems that everybody is slapping and popping out there. I go to a music store to try out a few basses, and all I hear is----slapping and popping. Youtube videos---slapping and popping. Questions of technique usually center on---slapping and popping. Discussions about various basses usually have someone asking if it is good for----slapping and popping. I mean, it is an interesting technique, but it seems greatly overdone these days.

Is there anyone out there that likes to work a counter-melody now and again? I am curious about how someone likes to work a line without---slapping and popping. I'd like to hear your approach to bass---what you feel is the function of bass in an ensemble---and other such ideas. I suppose you could call it a sort of philosophy of bass.

[bassist4dalord]

I can't slap- thus, I don't! That and it's useless in the bands I'm in. A blues/rock band and Praise and worship bands. Mostly just keeping a solid foundation and groove with the occaisional high-fret work to mix things up a bit. IMO, if you suck at slapping, save us the awfulness and just don't do it.

[Bassist4Life]

Honestly, I don't see/hear very much slap going on these days.

I created the Slap Bass Welcome Center thread, but I'm not a big slapper. I did that as a public service because there were so many threads about people wanting to know how to slap.

I can do the slap bass thing, but I just don't find it fitting into most of the music I play.

Joe

[Bluesy Soul]

Originally Posted by Bassist4Life

Honestly, I don't see/hear very much slap going on these days.
Joe

I agree! I don't hear nearly as much slapping and popping as I did just five or ten years ago--on recordings, at live venues or at local music stores.

I've played with a number of bands during that same time (and before), and subbed in countless others. I ALWAYS tell a new band during my first conversation with them that I am not a slapper or a popper. I think my failure to slap and pop cost me one gig, at the most, and that was from a band that wouldn't take the time to let me audition.

I do play with both a pick and my fingers. And I discovered that by listening carefully and being a little creative with technique, I could cop the vast majority of slap/pop parts pretty closely. I used both my fingers or a pick, as necessary, and I adjusted my EQ, muted with either hand and, most importantly, I studied hard to nail the notes and the timing of the parts. As a result, I've received compliments from musicians I respect on how well I played Verdine White parts on Earth Wind & Fire songs and Bernard Edwards parts on Chic songs and on "We Are Family".

It's nothing hundreds of other TBers haven't already done and that thousands of additional TBers couldn't also do. It just takes some study and practice. For me, it still seemed easier than learning all that frantic whacking and pulling. It also did a good job of improving the rhythmic aspect of my playing, which previously probably lagged behind the melodic and harmonic aspects.

I give all due credit to the great Larry Graham for inventing the style and to Les Claypool and to Flea and the others who followed Larry; but my heroes are still James Jamerson, Carol Kaye, Bob Glaub, Dennis Belfield, etc. So far, following them hasn't seemed to hurt me.

Just my $.02.

Bluesy Soul

[Aaron Saunders]

I was okay at it once upon a time, but I'm so much better fingerstyle that I can make a slapped line sound closer to good slapping with fingerstyle than I can actually trying to slap .

[gribuski]

Originally Posted by Bluesy Soul

I do play with both a pick and my fingers. And I discovered that by listening carefully and being a little creative with technique, I could cop the vast majority of slap/pop parts pretty closely. I used both my fingers or a pick, as necessary, and I adjusted my EQ, muted with either hand and, most importantly, I studied hard to nail the notes and the timing of the parts.

Exactly! I used to practice slap/pop all the time. It sounds cool, especially yourself and loudly. But over time, I found that I never used it in actual playing situations, so I started using that time for other stuff.

I'm not knocking it, when it's appropriate, it's cool. It's just not for me. I strictly subscribe to the less is more approach, and slap/pop is generally not that.

[debassr]

I was in a store here in Boston the other day and while I was waiting to try out a rig, 3 different guys were slapping/popping these intricate riffs (of course, this is across the street from Berklee). When it was my turn I plugged in and was playing a respectively difficult Motown inspired line when the last guy who played looked at me and said sarcastically "Wow, that's a really difficult line" and then rolled his eyes. I smiled and said "Sorry, but we're not all Flea wannabe's".

What a tool. People really need to mind their own business.

[2x4strgkramers]

Much like S&M is kink and kink is not a flavor I feel the same way about slap and pop. Slap and pop are a spice not a flavor and without good funedmentals to the writing it all sort of gets lost.

It is good to learn those techniques there are times when they add the right amount of Kick to a song and it really sets it off.

I think generally speaking that Slap and Pop are very in vogue becuase they are some of the most difficult technquies to execture properly.

That being siad I love good bassline with counter rythms and meolodys.

Originally Posted by sturmvogel

Greetings---

It seems that everybody is slapping and popping out there. I go to a music store to try out a few basses, and all I hear is----slapping and popping. Youtube videos---slapping and popping. Questions of technique usually center on---slapping and popping. Discussions about various basses usually have someone asking if it is good for----slapping and popping. I mean, it is an interesting technique, but it seems greatly overdone these days.

Is there anyone out there that likes to work a counter-melody now and again? I am curious about how someone likes to work a line without---slapping and popping. I'd like to hear your approach to bass---what you feel is the function of bass in an ensemble---and other such ideas. I suppose you could call it a sort of philosophy of bass.

[iriegnome]

I can't slap to save my life! I every once in a while hit a pop, but it is very rare and I never find a relavent place to put it.

[chanson]

I agree that it is over used. It can have its place in the right context of the song. What really annoys me is all of these Flea wannabees who just slap 16th notes with no rhythm or melody at all.

[COOL AND DEADLY]

I don't really slap and I rarely pop. It does seem people feel slapping and popping is what a good bassist is supposed to do. I've seen a lot of people doing it who havn't really mastered it yet. I've seen many people do it too often or even all of the time. I play a lot of reggae and sometimes jazz on the fretless. You should never slap a fretless.

[Wasted Bassist]

I can slap pretty proficiently, but I rarely bother. I decided early on that I would be Flea someday... unil I started listening to metal... I only ever bring out my slap chops when I'm doing a quick fill. I also used it when my band wrote a hip-hop/metal song... that was about it. I still use it in jazz band when we play songs that are rythm section oriented.

[SuperDuck]

The operative phrase from the original post is "In the music store", where wankery and bad taste abounds.

Also, I think most technique questions come up on slapping because getting a good tone via fingerstyle or pick is not very difficult for a beginner, while slapping causes some difficulty as it's not as immediately intuitive.

I will admit that I spend some time practicing slap because it's fun and interesting to do. It very rarely works into my actual playing during shows and gigs, however.

[2x4strgkramers]

Ahh yes the quetisential holier then thou Flea wannabe. Being as I can usually tripple time Higher ground I will do that once in a while to humble these asshats and then go play some big slow funky nasty back beat filled bass line.

Just to be a dick.It usually starts with the comment of something like what you just mentioned so I ask if they would like to me to play higher ground and then the eye rolling commences only to turn into the jaw drop LOl.

Originally Posted by debassr

I was in a store here in Boston the other day and while I was waiting to try out a rig, 3 different guys were slapping/popping these intricate riffs (of course, this is across the street from Berklee). When it was my turn I plugged in and was playing a respectively difficult Motown inspired line when the last guy who played looked at me and said sarcastically "Wow, that's a really difficult line" and then rolled his eyes. I smiled and said "Sorry, but we're not all Flea wannabe's".

What a tool. People really need to mind their own business.

[mambo4]

No use for slapping or popping, personally. I'm still learning what I can do with normal finger style stuff. The most esoteric technique i ever used in a real gig was false harmonics, and only for a few bars...

[Thunderthumbs73]

Originally Posted by sturmvogel

Greetings---

It seems that everybody is slapping and popping out there. I go to a music store to try out a few basses, and all I hear is----slapping and popping.

It's the typical music store stuff- play your most showy licks and bits to make yourself look as good as you can. Plus slapping/popping done well has a pretty high "wow" factor to a lot of people. This makes it perfect for music store noodle-fests.

Don't worry about it. Do what you do.

[Robear22]

Slapping and popping a bass has a more rythmic focus than playing something melodically. Which as Super Duck said is a little more easier to play for a beginner. It seems we all tend to forget sometimes that the bass uses rhythm and melody to get its point across. With slapping the focus IMHO is on a percussive drum like tone that accentuates what the drums are hitting. Former drummers that have picked up a bass tend to really have an insight on this while former guitarists tend to play more fluid melodic lines.

I love to slap and pop and that technique can be incorporated into the music styles that I play(Gospel, Urban P&W, Smooth jazz, R&B). It is just another way to play a bass that is all. Some people just use it as a form of showing off!!!!!

[kenlacam]

I love slapping and popping, it is what got me initially interested in playing the bass 20 years ago, but I rarely use it in playing live. I like to do it when I'm practicing at home, but it is really not a hugely useful tool in live music situations, unless a specific song calls for it or if it for a funky jam. I prefer the fingerstyle-feels more solid to get a good bassline in. For the most part, slapping and popping are more for show than usefulnes.

[2x4strgkramers]

Yes while true not the best way to really test the equipment your looking to purchase.

Originally Posted by Thunderthumbs73

It's the typical music store stuff- play your most showy licks and bits to make yourself look as good as you can. Plus slapping/popping done well has a pretty high "wow" factor to a lot of people. This makes it perfect for music store noodle-fests.

Don't worry about it. Do what you do.

[kesslari]

I used to slap and pop a lot.
Then I stopped playing bass for a good number of years.

Slapping and popping a bass has a more rythmic focus than playing something melodically.

Good point.
When I got back into playing, I took some time to think about things.
I realized that I used slapping to hide a lack of real fretboard harmonic knowledge. I could slap a wicked riff, so why know more than pentatonic?

So I decided to forgo slapping this time around and really focus on learning the harmonic possibilities of the instrument.