Slapping on a 5 String

[Grant22]

Anyone got any tips?

Grant

[2manband]

For slap - especially with the 5er - I like the bass positioned a little higher up - feels like I can keep my thumb parallel to the strings more comfortably, which helps to prevent hitting 2 strings at once.

[ARCtrooper225]

Seriously, just practice, especially standing up (assuming you'll be playing gigs like that). And also practice popping too, sometimes it's hard to fit your finger in there quickly.

[Grant22]

Should have mentioned this before, but do you guys have any tips for playing sitting down, I am in a wheelchair.

Grant

[JimmyM]

Actually, sitting down is a lot easier than standing up. Just keep practicing. BTW, I don't know if you know who Beaver Felton is, but he owns Bass Central in Orlando, FL, and he's been paralyzed from the chest down for over 20 years, and a better chops oriented bassist you will never see. I would suggest dropping him an email and telling him about your situation, and I'm sure he'll have some inspirational words for you. www.basscentral.com.

[Bassist4Life]

Have you visited the Slap Bass Welcome Center?

Joe

[Aarix]

Originally Posted by Grant22

Should have mentioned this before, but do you guys have any tips for playing sitting down, I am in a wheelchair.

Grant

No worries dude. I do most of my practicing in a regular chair. The only trick is that the neck will tend to dive if you don't have your right forearm holding the body down. But that's easy enough positioning the bass between your legs or resting it on your chair or something.

As for the five string, the hardest thing for me was learning to hit only as hard as I needed to. That way you get less noise from the other strings and you can be more precise.

Good Luck!