Slap technique on the Acoustic Bass

keyofnight · #1 06-19-2011, 10:54 PM

I have an acoustic bass, and I'm trying to learn to slap. After Googling this for a bit, I thought I'd ask a question or two.

I've noticed that most people slap very efficiently. They don't smack the string like it owes them money—they lightly bounce off of the string. However, this isn't getting me the sort of result I want on the acoustic bass, but I figure I'll get better at this with more practice. (Most problems are solved with practice, right?)

Also, I noticed that most bassists slap the string at the end of the fretboard. This also isn't giving me the result I want on the acoustic bass—especially on the A string. I've noticed that if I slap closer to the bridge (about an inch away), I get a lot more volume and something closer to an electric's tone (of course, I'll never get that completely).

Is this proper technique?—am I teaching myself bad habits? Do you guys have any other tips I should keep in mind?

XylemBassGuitar · #2 06-20-2011, 01:03 PM

I think getting a good slap tone out of an acoustic bass has a lot to do with finding a really well-built acoustic bass guitar.

I really wanted the same thing a few years ago and spent a few months looking around for a good acoustic bass. The slap tone definitely improved beyond the $1800-ish mark, anything below that didn't sound so good to my ears.

In fact, acoustic bass guitars are pretty new on the scene and it seems like a lot of makers/manufacturers are still figuring out how to make them well.

Having said that, I think your idea of slapping the strings closer the the bridge is really good. I noticed that the tone got really harsh when I slapped near the frets on acoustic basses.

I'll also bet that you will have to slap the acoustic bass a little harder than electrics to get a good tone, maybe like it owes you about $100 and is late paying you back by about 6 months. Y'know, in between a love tap and a smack...

john grey · #3 06-20-2011, 06:03 PM

+1

The juncture of the neck and body need to have a solid feel. The frets need to have an element of density behind them in that area. While I believe it may be possible, I think that the likelihood is that it would have acoustic elements that would make it sound odd such as an "after-ring". It certainly would not be that bright or crisp.

I think that if you have a light clean touch, you might try it and see if you couldn't find a new sound with more rhythmic overtones to it. It would be a unique experiment. But considering that electronics are very involved in the nuances of the "slap" sound, I sort of doubt that it will sound familiar. It might sound interesting but it may not be a familiar slap sound......Try it. Listen to it with something very simple. You could also use the acoustic elements of the box to create a very new type of sound. Or you could try an acoustic amplification.
If you have good technique you aren't going to harm it.

mikezimmerman · #4 06-20-2011, 06:24 PM

It's probably safe to say that few people have done more slapping on acoustic bass than Jonas Hellborg. You can hear a lot of it on "The Word" and "Silent Life", to get an idea how it sounds, but it doesn't help much with the technique.

The quality of this video is really bad, but you can see how he does on his Wechter acoustic it here: YouTube - ‪jonas hellborg jens johansson ginger baker bass slap‬&rlm; -- pretty much right over the end of the fretboard, and not ridiculously hard. It is definitely a different sound from slapping on an electric bass, though.

keyofnight · #5 06-22-2011, 04:27 PM

Wow. Thanks for all of the help. A few things…

I'm all for coming up with a new sound, especially one that takes advantage of the acoustic box. (For example, I love playing double stops on the acoustic bass—they just ring clearer, I suppose.)

Jonas Hellborg certainly gets a good sound from that Wechter, but I'm sure that has a lot to do with how solid his instrument is. When I slap close to the frets like that, I get a harsh clanking sound and too much "ringing"—even when I get a strong tone. Maybe one day I'll be able to afford something better, but for now I'll have to make due.

Ideally, I'd like my slapping to sound like a piano's hammers striking against it's strings. (: I get sounds like that closer to the bridge.

VS · #6 06-25-2011, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XylemBassGuitar

I think getting a good slap tone out of an acoustic bass has a lot to do with finding a really well-built acoustic bass guitar.

+1!

Johannes Oehl · #7 06-26-2011, 04:48 AM

As you can see on the video, Jonas Hellborg slaps on the end of the fretboard, just like on the regular electric bass.

This is where you get the best tone, and you can play in an economic way (the closer to the bridge you go, the more power you need to get a decent tone).

keyofnight · #8 06-29-2011, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johannes Oehl

This is where you get the best tone, and you can play in an economic way (the closer to the bridge you go, the more power you need to get a decent tone).

Yeah, I'm feeling that loss of economy. I love the quality of the tone, though ( —like piano strings). My bass is not as well constructed as I once thought (—it's an Ibanez AEB10), and my slap technique is terrible (even for a beginner's).

I'll play around a bit more and see what sticks. If not, I'll go to my electric and learn there first.