Right Hand Rhythm/Groove Technique: How?

[FunkQueen]

How players like victor Wooten, Seth Horan do this right hand GROOVE technique while playing chords? (especially used on solo playing when there is no drummer. "You cant hold no groove" by wooten or this but Seth Horan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCA9JHdbzZ0

It sounds like a groovy rhythm section underneath their chordal grooves. They tap the strings near the bridge with their right hand but how exactly? Any video on Youtube teaching this particular technique?

[Deacon_Blues]

I use to play like that sometimes, but I've been working on removing that "hand slap" I (mostly unconsciously) do on beats 2 and 4. Anyway, I think the reason why I (unconsciously) have developed a technique like this, is that it's a way to mute the notes exactly at those beats, it emphasizes the feel of the groove and makes it easier for me to play in time. But as I said, I've been working on getting a cleaner sound and to mute a bit softer...

If you want to learn this, put on a funky drum loop and do a hand slap at every 2nd and 4th beat. When you have gotten into the groove, play for instance this simple pattern over it:

 1     2     3     4
|------x-----------x------|
|------x-----------x------|
|5_____x--3--5-----x------|
|------x-----------x------|

___ = sustained note
x    = right hand slap
numbers above the tab line = beats

That should get you started.

[bburk]

I've had a similar experience to Deacon. I developed that technique by accident, as a method to simultaneously mute and keep time. It's nice in certain contexts, but I had to 'unlearn' it as I would find myself doing it subconsciously.

Pretty much all you do is mute the strings with your left hand and smack them into the fretboard with your right.

Be careful not to let it develop into a bad habit like Deacon and I.

[FunkQueen]

The detailed Q in my mind is :
Do we tap the strings near the bridge or the neck?
At times when I choose to play lines near the bridge then it is hard to reach out near the neck as fast.
Also, Do we slap the bass with the whole palm of the right hand or the spanish style : tip of the right hand fingers?
It seems easier with the tip of the fingers as a Spanish guitarist but it gives less sound.
The slamming with the whole palm need more energy and it is too noisy near the pickups so it should be done near the neck.
Am I correct?
Wooten doest it with palm or fingers? (slamming the muted strings) It looks like he uses very little motion. (economy of motion) So I thought maybe he does it with the tip of his fingers.

[bburk]

Originally Posted by FunkQueen

The detailed Q in my mind is :
Do we tap the strings near the bridge or the neck?
At times when I choose to play lines near the bridge then it is hard to reach out near the neck as fast.
Also, Do we slap the bass with the whole palm of the right hand or the spanish style : tip of the right hand fingers?
It seems easier with the tip of the fingers as a Spanish guitarist but it gives less sound.
The slamming with the whole palm need more energy and it is too noisy near the pickups so it should be done near the neck.
Am I correct?
Wooten doest it with palm or fingers? (slamming the muted strings) It looks like he uses very little motion. (economy of motion) So I thought maybe he does it with the tip of his fingers.

The short answer is, do whatever works for you. I've never seen anyone demonstrate this as any kind of 'official' technique. I think for most players that do this, it's just something that they developed naturally.

But I'll tell you what I do personally. I hit one or two strings with the ends (not really the 'tips' per-se) of my fingers right wherever my hand is at the time.

Just try it out with different techniques and see how it feels sounds. Whatever works for you is probably the best for you.