Not another one! but slap bass...

chilipepperflea · #1 04-19-2005, 02:48 PM

Hey everyone, well a little background...

I'm 17 and have been playing bass for about 3 1/2 months, ages i no! lol, i'm self taught and as you can guessed by the name my favourite band is the red hot chili peppers.

My problem is trying to get a decent slap sound, and how to play slap properly, (does anyone know of any online free videos that i can see slap close up to check my technique pls?)

I think i have roughly the right technique but i was trying to use slap on can't stop by the red hot chili peppers. Now using my fingers i can do it perfectly, no problem, when i get to slap i'm getting better but my concern is when i play notes on the E string, i get a weird popping sound on the slap.

Im pretty sure its the string hitting the silver fret dividers (not sure of the name??), yet on the other strings this does not happen?? i'm 99% sure im not hitting the pickup.

Sorry for being longwinded but if anyone could pass on their advice id be more than gratefull, thankyou

Ryan

lemur821 · #2 04-19-2005, 09:52 PM

The silver bars are the frets. The spaces in between are just the spaces between frets. When you slap, the strings are supposed to hit the frets. That's where you get the slap tone from. It sounds to me like your string is hitting the pole piece on your pickup. You can either lower your pickups, slap more lightly, or paste a thin piece of padding over the pole pieces.

EDIT: I notice that you think it isn't hitting the pickup. Double check, because that's exactly what it sounds like to me.

Sandman1278 · #3 04-20-2005, 01:54 AM

where is your thumb when ur are slapping? if its off the fretboard if had it create a wierd poping sound you described, try moving your thumb aroudn a bit to see whta happenes

chilipepperflea · #4 04-20-2005, 03:15 AM

ill have to check the pickups again like you said, i'll probly lower them anyway, i mean your still get the same sound right? but less chance of hitting them.

i normally slap just to the left of the pickups inbetwen them and the fretboard. I use my fingers right at the other end near the bridge but can't slap good at that end and pop's are harder so i usually go for the middle where the strings bend the most.

My technique is basically hand floating above the strings, i use my thumb on the top two (E,A) and fingers on the bottom two strings (D,G) as a general rule. when slapping i flick my hand so the side of my thumb bounces of the strings, and the string like you said hits the frets (my thumb is paralell to the string i slap, cant point up or downwards, seem to hit the strings above and below).

to pop i pull my finger upwards diagonally to like pull the string...the only trouble is i dont seem to be able to pop quick enough...and i keep hitting the string below the one im trying to pop...

does this sound right the technique? and did anyone have the same problem with trying to pop quick?

thanx a lot,
Ryan

**Vorago** · #5 04-20-2005, 04:43 AM

Get a taecher, seriously! I practiced on my own for a year, and then took lessons, and I saw myself progressing every week!

chilipepperflea · #6 04-20-2005, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vorago

Get a taecher, seriously! I practiced on my own for a year, and then took lessons, and I saw myself progressing every week!

only trouble is i cant afford them! i might do a couple to get help on slap etc then go back every few months and do a couple...just wanna get as far as i can so dont have to do the basics if u know what i mean , money will go a bit furthur then...

**Vorago** · #7 04-20-2005, 09:28 AM

Try to find someone who will put you on the right track. It sucks to discover after 6 months of slapping that your technique is wrong.

btw; where do you live? maybe another Tb'er could help you out

chilipepperflea · #8 04-20-2005, 04:13 PM

i live in east anglia, suffolk...

**Vorago** · #9 04-21-2005, 02:53 AM

That's the Westcoast of England right? Maybe you could put an add here that you are looking for a teacher that can help you out.

Joe P · #10 04-21-2005, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilipepperflea

...been playing bass for about 3 1/2 months...

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilipepperflea

...anyone have the same problem with trying to pop quick?

Boy, is that funny! Four months?!

I started seriously studying The Bass more like twenty months ago (after having strummed acoustic guitar for more than a couple hundred months). I've been working on slap - along with my other study and practice - for about the last eight or ten of those months. I still can't do a double-pop, or any fast pair or succesion of pops to speak of.

I just today linked another thread in this forum over to a video clip I made last night (Watch-out if you're running a dial-up! It's something like a 10M file size.). In it, I'm doing my own arrangement of the verse-part of Can't Explain by The Who:

http://www.narwold.org/joep/CantExplainPractice.MPG

That's how it looks when I pop, anyway.

Don't study it too hard; It might be bad technique! I don't have a teacher.

Joe

phxlbrmpf · #11 04-21-2005, 03:01 PM

There are better songs to teach yourself to slap than "Can't stop", in my opinion, as the bass is a bit buried in the mix during most of the song, but then again, perhaps it's my crappy speakers. The first slap line I ever figured out was the Peppers' "Higher Ground" off Mother's Milk.

gwreid · #12 04-21-2005, 09:06 PM

Hi there kid in East Anglia, Suffolk... Which by the way is the east coast of England and (puke) is home to The Darkness who primarily came from Lowestoft (my home town) I left there about 35 years ago and have been living in the U.S. for most of those years. It sounds as though you're on the right track with your slapping but I'd guide you to play regular bass first and get to know the instrument and (sorry) the scales etc., and once you're comfortable with the fretboard, start working on different fingering techniques such as slapping. Also study different types of music it will broaden your horizens. You will find some good lessons in Bass Player magazine and one basic slapping technique DVD/Tape will keep you going for months, Good luck.

chilipepperflea · #13 04-24-2005, 06:16 AM

Hey there again,

thanx for the advice...i will definatly have to save up for lessons to help me, like you said its better to get the technique right the first time than trying to correct it in the future.

yup only four months, although i only know how to play songs in my opinion, not really the bass, the only reason i'm trying to play can't stop with a slap stlye is because its the only song i really know in bass, is there any songs which are really good to learn with??

i can do higher ground...not fast yet but getting there.

i watched your video Joe P, looks good. I'm not that good with the slapping and popping yet, im a bit all over the place and can't get a good sound yet...thats my problem, i see people doing it, ive read it, but i guess i need some tuition to really get it with the right technique.

i saw some DVD's yesterday about slap styles, might have to invest in one, any recommendations??

once again, thanx for all the help,

Ryan