slapping a fretless?

sidonbass · #1 01-15-2011, 05:46 AM

I am an average player just starting to learn slap technique. I am considering purchasing a fretless and am concerned that it can't/shouldn't be done on a fretless or just plain old ...wouldn't sound right. Anyone slap-pop a fretless?

jnuts1 · #2 01-15-2011, 05:50 AM

check out michael manring.

poorbassist15 · #3 01-15-2011, 07:35 PM

Uhh dude...Les Claypool. Slaps fretlesses on every album.

bass12 · #4 01-16-2011, 04:10 AM

Well, it definitely won't sound the same as slapping on a fretted bass. If slapping is your thing you might want to stick with frets.

EscapeNote · #5 01-16-2011, 04:19 AM

Why not? Slap away! You won't be able to get that coveted "NAMM show" sound, but if you're open to something a little different, willing to work a little harder at it and able to adapt your technique to the response of a fretless fingerboard then there's no good reason why you can't make music by slapping a fretless bass.

pbasswil · #6 01-16-2011, 06:58 AM

Definitely try it at the music store first! It'll make sound, that's for sure. But first find out if you enjoy making that sound.

Going this route would sure differentiate you from Victor & Marcus et al. And "that coveted "NAMM show" sound" :^D lol -- good one, EscapeNote!

Chris K · #7 01-17-2011, 01:21 AM

I mainly play fretless and I slap and pop on it. Like EscapeNote wrote, it's much more demanding.

To practice and improve my slapping, I do lots of time on a fretted instrument, because on fretted slapping is so much easier. Once I have mastered an aspect of slapping there, I transfer it to fretless.

ilovenofrets · #8 01-18-2011, 06:44 PM

As it's been said here, it's a different sound, and it is a bit more demanding. But it can be done. If you use roundwounds on fretless, it sounds great. I'm not much of a slapper, but I have found it to be interesting oin fretless when used in moderation or as part of a riff. If you watch the Tony Franklin video, he covers this and plays a little slap rhythm w/up close demonstration on his technique.

chadhargis · #9 01-19-2011, 08:14 AM

Take a listen to "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon.

A prolific player named Bakithi Kumalo does a masterful palendromic slap riff in the middle of the song on his fretless bass.

raymondl3 · #10 01-19-2011, 08:19 AM

If you have a rosewood board, roundwound strings will eat it up. I would go with a graphite neck/board bass if you are intent on doing a lot of slapping.

bottomzone · #11 01-19-2011, 08:11 PM

This guy has been slappin' his for a while!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH00A9m-hMk

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

AztecViking · #12 01-19-2011, 10:21 PM

If you want a fretless which also retains a characteristic "funk slap" tone try a Musicman Stingray fretless. You'll be shocked at how much it still sounds like a fretted when slapped.

Chris K · #13 01-20-2011, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymondl3

If you have a rosewood board, roundwound strings will eat it up.

So be it. I even use steel strings

.

**mwesth** · #14 01-20-2011, 03:44 AM

Of course you can... even a Ubass: http://youtu.be/liM2bUUK_TE

Emibass · #15 01-20-2011, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AztecViking

If you want a fretless which also retains a characteristic "funk slap" tone try a Musicman Stingray fretless. You'll be shocked at how much it still sounds like a fretted when slapped.

This, I just put chromes on a stingray fretless of a friend of mine and I slapped it. Sounds great!

xring · #16 01-21-2011, 10:29 PM

You are damned to hell. Please don't do it.