Slapping

[Minibenit]

I have a little problem when slapping, I can slap perfect on E, but then when it comes to slapping on A or D even. I seem to slap more than one string, has anyone got any help..

[Tyler Hole]

Practice. Took me a while to stop hitting the other strings when slapping.

[Chad Michael]

It takes time to learn to slap accurately, if you stick with it you will get it.

How long have you been playing, Minibenit?

How long have you worked on the slap technique?

Good luck

[Minibenit]

I have been playing bass for almost a year, and I started slapping about 3 months ago.

[Chad Michael]

You've been working on the technique for 3 months, that's a good start but don't expect perfection from yourself just yet.

It helps to watch other bassists, read, and there are probably some online videos that may help as well. Remember to keep it simple at first. Stay with it, soon your thumb will know right where to go without you thinking about it.

[Minibenit]

Cheers Ill keep at it.

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Minibenit

I have a little problem when slapping, I can slap perfect on E, but then when it comes to slapping on A or D even. I seem to slap more than one string, has anyone got any help..

That is a little problem.

I've been at it for about the same amount of time, and I can sound slightly impressive playing by myself - but have the band start-in, and I suddenly can't play anymore; I'm just all over the place! I give up after a few measures and go back to finger-style every time. They laugh...

Practice, practice... (I'll show them!)

Joe

[Matthew Bryson]

Yes, practice and time will help. I'd also say to work on economy of motion and left hand muting.

[rickbass]

There are 2 approaches I know of...........

1.As others have said, get your technique down solid

2. Get a fine piece of hardware like an ABM bridge that allows you to customize the space between each string.

[UtBDan]

Also, you can mute the strings that you usually hit. I do this with the thumb of my left (fretting) hand; after a while I did improve with thumb accuracy. Muting works. I had more trouble popping a D string (sounds silly, doesn't it? I couldn't stick my finger in the string accurately, but I could pop the G because I could just shoot my finger out and yank it back without looking. Higher Ground was a good training song to change that.)

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Hi.

IMO, the key to get accuracy when slapping is: With a metronome, play whole notes on the open strings slapping them with your thumb. Your goal here should be play all the open strings WITHOUT LOOKING AT YOUR RIGHT HAND. You don't need to play fast stuff for this. Again: USE A METRONOME and play looong notes on the open strings trying any combination: EADG, GDAE, EDAG, EGAD... If you can play only one string at a time without looking, you've got it.

Hope this helps.

[nicoli]

A real eye-opener for me when I was at that stage was just thinking about keeping the thumb parallel to the string I was trying to hit. If your thumb is too angled when you come down, you're going to get more than one string.

Left hand muting is a great lazy way to fix the problem as well.

[geoffkhan]

That's wierd because when I first slapped, I slapped like Flea, with my thumb perpendicular to the string. I had no trouble with hitting more than one string. Now I learned how to slap parallel, so I can play both ways. I think the trick is just finding a way to slap that's comfortable for you.

[Brooks]

I think it also has a lot to do with your anatomy. Some people (L.Johnson for example) have a VERY curved thumb, so they can easily slap with thumb perpendicular to the strings without hitting anything else. Some others (like me) have a very straight thumb, so have to go parallel. I wasted a lot of time trying to find the angle that works for me.

[phxlbrmpf]

Remember to use your fretting hand to mute the strings you don't want to hit. Always be sure to use both hands to keep unwanted strings from sounding.

[geoffkhan]

Originally Posted by Brooks

I think it also has a lot to do with your anatomy. Some people (L.Johnson for example) have a VERY curved thumb, so they can easily slap with thumb perpendicular to the strings without hitting anything else. Some others (like me) have a very straight thumb, so have to go parallel. I wasted a lot of time trying to find the angle that works for me.

Eheheh, I'm a straight-thumbed guy, but I can slap either way, no problem. It just takes time to learn.

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Hi.

...Your goal here should be play all the open strings WITHOUT LOOKING AT YOUR RIGHT HAND....
Hope this helps.

That's a no-brainer for me, considering I can hardly play anything without staring at my LEFT hand! (I think I need to get a headset mic!)

Joe

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Brooks

I think it also has a lot to do with your anatomy. Some people (L.Johnson for example) have a VERY curved thumb, so they can easily slap with thumb perpendicular to the strings without hitting anything else. Some others (like me) have a very straight thumb, so have to go parallel. I wasted a lot of time trying to find the angle that works for me.

My thumb's straight because of a recording studio accident that cut the tendons on the back of my thumb: I got it in the aluminum flange of a rewinding mastering deck. Those things are pretty dangerous, compared to a hard drive!

This may turn out to be an advantage with the Wooten-style thumbing I'm learning - my thumb actually bends back a little farther than I can actually pull it back under its own power, so there's a little elastic 'give' at the end of it's travel. I think this may help my tone!

Joe

[Woodchuck]

Slow down!! That's the best way to improve your slap tenique. The better you get, gradually speed up to where the tempo is. Trust me, I'm a black man!

[Chad Michael]

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

... Trust me, I'm a black man!