Slapping and popping is the only thing?

Selecter · #1 07-12-2003, 10:14 PM

I went and bought my amp today, a Ampeg BA115HP. The guy at the music store had some chops and layed down some typical slappy stuff I hear every time I go into a music store. I am wondering if I am the only player in the freaking world that has NO desire to learn that technique or ever play same. When I think of great bass that i love to listen to, I think of Charles Larkey on Carole King's Tapestry, or Duck Dunn with Booker T, and there are so many others. None of them ever slap popped that I know of. yet every bassist I have known in my life plays that way when they are around other bassists. Why?

A lot of bass lines just dont sound like much of anything by themselves but they do what needed to hold the song together. Lo and behold when a band is added the damn groove sounds choice. Is it just me that thinks all this slappy pop stuff has gotten out of hand or am I out to lunch? Seriously, I just dont see why that sound is so damn great.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #2 07-12-2003, 10:52 PM

Slapping and popping is the only kind of bass playing that doesn't suck. You think you can impress people while hanging around in music stores by playing FINGERSTYLE? Puh-leassse.

The bottom line is, if you want to make a name for yourself, you MUST slap and pop at all times. It's a no-brainer.

Trevorus · #3 07-12-2003, 10:54 PM

i hope you are kidding chris, for all our sake...

neptoon · #4 07-12-2003, 10:59 PM

well, it does have its place, and should be a tool in every bassist's bag. that's all i'll say about that

Trevorus · #5 07-12-2003, 11:04 PM

that is true. I like to slap and pop, but it's not everything. There is one guy that comes into my music store all the time, and he makes slapping and popping sound easy. The guy is amazing. He even uses some tapping lines and such in a band. It's amazing. There are not too many that can play like he can. I might be helping them record some stuff, so I hope to get a recording of it. Tell ya one thing, he's gonna be hard to EQ...

daveze · #6 07-13-2003, 01:01 AM

I'd have to agree with Chris to an extent. Its only really good fingerstyle that sounds kinda cool, whereas with slap and pop people go 'ooh aahh, thats cool' which is just stupid cause its not overly hard to go slap 'n' pop happy if you're just screwing around.

It sounds more impressive if you are just mucking around with friends but to make it work in a band its the inverse. Unless you are pretty decent and know what you are doing, it can sound like you're just stepping on everybody else to look sweet.

Each has its place, but slap and pop will impress a lot easier than a lot of fingerstyle. Tapping takes a certain audience to appreciate, I've found.

Josh D

Wrong Robot · #7 07-13-2003, 01:57 PM

I think it's time to tell my most glorius GC story ever.

I went to GC to noodle around on some fretless basses while my friend was looking at some guitars. there were about 3 or 4 guys in the bass section, slapping and thumpin and popping and plucking and all that. It didn't relaly bother me, I just went to a fretless jazz bass on the wall, took it down, plugged it in and started playing at a moderate volume. After playing for a little while, these cats were really starting to annoy me, because I could barely hear myself and well, all the **** they were playing sounded the same. So I turned the amp to 11 and let rip the most shredingist shred that ever shred, all fingerstyle. Just wank wank wank. They all stopped, looked at me, then turned down

gruffpuppy · #8 07-14-2003, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by neptoon
well, it does have its place, and should be a tool in every bassist's bag. that's all i'll say about that

This sums it all up.

A friend of mine has a band where the bass player always slaps, it is all he seems to know.
He is pretty good at it but seeing that they are a cover band it doesn't work a lot of the time.

Have you ever heard Sweet Home Alabama slaped all the way through?
You don't want to.

LoJoe · #9 07-14-2003, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by gruffpuppy
Have you ever heard Sweet Home Alabama slaped all the way through?
You don't want to.

Now that was funny! I agree.

the ombudsman · #10 07-15-2003, 07:42 AM

Listen to Rocco Prestia. I don't think he needs to slap to be impressive. Or Jaco, for that matter.

projectBdaddy8 · #11 07-15-2003, 11:29 AM

My Opinion:

Slap is a great tool to use and for certain types of music it is indespensible(sp?) like Gospel, Funk, etc...It isnt however the ultimate measure of a musician. You have to be able to play tasteful finger lines. Slapping on bass is like soloing on guitar. Its great to be good at it, but you have to be able to do the other stuff first. I used to say i didnt want to learn slap. That was mostly because i couldnt. Slap is the best way to impress someone, but going to a music store to plug in an amp and go slap crazy is obnoxious. And it is really hard to stay fresh.

Mike Money · #12 07-15-2003, 03:22 PM

Fieldy doesn't need finger style.

Roark Haver · #13 07-15-2003, 03:41 PM

I've got a BA-112 and I love it. Sounds great finger-style.

JPJ didn't need to slap and pop.

ldiezman · #14 07-16-2003, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wrong Robot
So I turned the amp to 11 and let rip the most shredingist shred that ever shred, all fingerstyle. Just wank wank wank. They all stopped, looked at me, then turned down

That is a pretty cool story... Similar thing happened to me yesterday..

projectBdaddy8 · #15 07-16-2003, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike Money
Fieldy doesn't need finger style.

What??

the ombudsman · #16 07-16-2003, 10:46 AM

@ projectBdaddy8: I think Mike was sarcastic.

Davehenning · #17 07-16-2003, 10:50 AM

Technique is just a means to an end.

Making the band swing and groove......now that's impressive!

IAMERICCOCHRANE · #18 07-17-2003, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by the ombudsman
Listen to Rocco Prestia. I don't think he needs to slap to be impressive. Or Jaco, for that matter.

Neither use(d) it, but both know(knew) how to do it.

You should learn how to do it just to have more tricks in your bag, but you don't need to use it if you dont want. What if a nice paying RHCP cover band wants you to play with em? If ya know how to slap and pop you got the job (yea I know, crappy analogy but, you get the point

)

CDuff · #19 07-17-2003, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wrong Robot
I think it's time to tell my most glorius GC story ever.

I went to GC to noodle around on some fretless basses while my friend was looking at some guitars. there were about 3 or 4 guys in the bass section, slapping and thumpin and popping and plucking and all that. It didn't relaly bother me, I just went to a fretless jazz bass on the wall, took it down, plugged it in and started playing at a moderate volume. After playing for a little while, these cats were really starting to annoy me, because I could barely hear myself and well, all the **** they were playing sounded the same. So I turned the amp to 11 and let rip the most shredingist shred that ever shred, all fingerstyle. Just wank wank wank. They all stopped, looked at me, then turned down

meh....seems to me you just lowered yourself to their level but fair enough.......

corinpills · #20 07-17-2003, 09:15 PM

Well, I'm with you, Selecter. I think it's totally played out and it's mostly for 15 year old boys at Guitar Center. I hear so many people doing it, but very few actually saying anything musical with it. Personally, If I want to hear that, I'll go listen to some old Sly & The Family Stone- and I can listen to the original version of "Superstition" about a thousand more times before I need to hear Flea wanking all over that riff. I think it's the closest musical aproximation of masturbation and has zero inferent musical value. It's all about "look at me, hey, look at me, look what I'm doing, hey, everybody, look at this party trick. Now I'll stand on one foot." and that's not what bass is about to me.

Now, when I hear someone playing great bass lines- simple, supportive lines that help the song along- then I don't mind if the bassist happens to be striking the strings with his thumb, but I lived through the great slapping wars of the 80s and I honestly can't believe people are still impressed by that trite crud.

But, then again, I have opinions...