Slapping and popping is the only thing?

[jive1]

I can understand the kid-slapping-and-popping-at-guitar-center phenomenon. My remedy for it is to play a groove over their whackita,whackita,thing. If they do it well enough, it sounds percussive enough to be a drum. It lets us both get our groove on.

Back to the slap thing. I'm not gonna rehash the merits or pitfalls at it relates to music. It's been covered. Slapping is one of those things that audiences seem to get off on. We bassists aren't only musicians. Some of us are performers too. So if the crowd gets off on a slap thing, more power to me if I can let them get their jollies off of that. I'm not on stage to run a bass appreciation class. I'm not playing for the 1 or 2 critical bassists in the audience who are thinking "He can't slap" or "Oh, he's slapping." No, I'm performing and doing my job of entertaining. I don't slap on any of the tunes my band performs, but I will take liberties during my 30 second solo during "Messin with the Kid". The crowd loves it, the guitar player is jealous and I get off on it. If it makes someone with little to no knowledge of bass playing think I am awesome at bass and tells people to come check out our show, then more power to me and my band. If it makes some drunk dude's jaw drop when I do some simple and stupid finger tapping thing, then why not. If playing some 2 handed thing gets the kid screaming for Primus in the back to shut up, then even better. If some of my stupid tricks gets some kid to want to play bass, and as they mature they want to play "real" bass instead of my trickery, then awesome. It's all good.

On the other hand, when at Gerald Veasley's Bass Bootcamp, where we all had to do a solo with a drummer in front of a roomful of bassists (including Gary Willis, Victor Bailey, and Michael Manring), I went totally fingerstyle. Too many bass players that will see right through my slap crap.

[the ombudsman]

Originally posted by jive1
...If playing some 2 handed thing gets the kid screaming for Primus in the back to shut up, then even better...

The other day I was gigging with a band in a club, an there was this idiot in the back of the room who was screaming for Black Sabbath in between songs. I said "Screw Sabbath, do you know Cannibal Corpse?" and played a part of "The Bleeding". That shut him up. Don't try that on a corporate gig! Nothing against Sabbath, though.

Originally posted by jive1
...we all had to do a solo with a drummer in front of a roomful of bassists (including Gary Willis, Victor Bailey, and Michael Manring)...

Now that's scary.

[john turner]

Originally posted by the ombudsman


Quote of the week.

here's one - "if i wanted maturity, i'd take geritol".



not that that has anythign to do with this thread, but it's early.

[the ombudsman]

Originally posted by john turner
here's one - "if i wanted maturity, i'd take geritol".

Jeez, John, you can do better!

[fallon]

I'm trying not to say what has been said before,
so in my own words I think that every style
has it's place in music.For example when Jaco
first became exposed to the public the only press
he got was astonishment.If you consider the pioneering virtuosics,one wonders where the bass player would be today without them.It has taken these guys to show the music world how versatile the instrument really is.I respect all bassists and styles although I prefer slapping.As Mark King said recently about the subject of bass..Stanley Clarke inspired him to slap,so he plays as he does now in the hope of inspiring/encouraging others to learn and find enjoyment from playing the bass.Personally,if I go into a music shop and hear a 15 year old slapping the hell out of a bass,political correctness is never an issue...he/she may well be the next virtuos taking the slapping style in a direction hitherto unhead of.John Pattitucci(as was said before)isn't a particularly good slap bassist( like the 15 year old in the music store?!)but....well...the rest you all know!!
That said I think slap bass has been given bad press nowadays.It is a very rewarding way to play the bass,locking in with the drummer etc.There will always be someone else better than you,someone else will always take a style and add to it.The 15 year old in the music shop,doing the machine-gun slapping now would be in all the Bass magazines if he did it 20 years ago!! Finally,on solo-ing,has anyone ever heard of a great pianist being described as 'ivory-wanking'?? Credit where credit is due.Notwithstanding above personal opinions,stay cool.Scotland's slap bassist"Fallon".

[12notes]

Slapping and poping are usually very annoying.

I play only finger style, and some finger tappings with basses and non bass guitars.

If I want some slapping sound for fun. I go for one of my keyboards - where I can "slap" with all 10 fingers,attacking at least 10 different notes at the same time, and with the whole 7 octaves. :P

[fallon]

I can also choose to emulate the real thing on
my Roland Fantom workstation,but it would serve to demean myself.Sure,you get the punchy slap sound and it would be 'just about' acceptable if used at a very basic level.I'm also a song writer and wherever possible,I use the real thing,bass drums etc.That said,stay cool 12 notes.Scotland's slap bassist."Fallon".

[12notes]

Originally posted by fallon
I can also choose to emulate the real thing on
my Roland Fantom workstation,but it would serve to demean myself.Sure,you get the punchy slap sound and it would be 'just about' acceptable if used at a very basic level.I'm also a song writer and wherever possible,I use the real thing,bass drums etc.That said,stay cool 12 notes.Scotland's slap bassist."Fallon".

I'm not putting down those who can slap good, and when the music calls for it. But the majority are very annoying, mindless show-off. Just all flash and no substance. ;-)

I can slap alright on a real bass, both fretted and fretless, if I wanted to too. I've done that in the late 60's playing Sly Stone's covers.

Now. I also use a lot of sampling - My own, of course. So I don't have to deal with any of the copy-rights issues. And have total control.

I do compose and record my own materials too. That's all I'm doing lately. I've yet found that I needed any slapping stuff. And the bass is only a small part of the whole picture. I do play all the instruments that I need in all of my composition.

[mastadulog]

i never really slapped or popped strings before, but i mess around once in a while

[ryuujin]

I personally do not play slap at all. I am 20 and have been playing about 5 years and while at one time I did find it intriguing I never bothered to learn. And after getting out of learning mainstream music and really learning a lot about what I truly like about bass I have found that slap is worthless for me. I play lots of metal and prog rock and none of the bands I listen to use slap in the least. I like primus but only to listen to. I have no real interest to play their stuff even though I can. I just like to play the stuff that holds the song together and grooves really nicely. I don't care about being a showoff anymore. like fieldy from KoRn. I hate his style. That doesnt even sound like bass to me. its just him making the same exact noise every song![/end rant]

[khay0s]

I think that all comments made are 100% valid. Slap and Pop is a very useful tool - but it is just a variation. It is not bass playing in itself and nor should it be. Afterall, if it were played all the time, the non bass-playing community wouldn't get off on it the way they do. I remember back three years ago when I first started bass and the amazement on my friends faces as I slapped my bass. The reason why those 15 year olds (as I was back then) slap with such a desire for pace (and lack of groove) is because the 15 year old guitarists encourage them to do so. Remember, always blame the guitarists.... In sum, if you slap and can do it well then all the more power to you. But if everyone were to just slap, fingerstyle would be the wonder of the ignorant. Food for thought...

[k]

[Edwcdc]

Remember, always blame the guitarists....

Yes remember always blame the guitarists for everything. World hunger, S.A.R.S., small pox, and anything else you can think of. Why do you think a gallon of gas costs so much these days? Guitarists that's why. Oh, and about the slapping, I slaps and pops. But only when I needs it. I guess one of these days the 15 year old slappers will be 35 year old slappers and posting about the 15 year old finger stylers. "Man, that's all they know how to do is that finger style".

[lbanks]

I heard that guitarists also cause global warming and back acne...

[minor third]

well i'm not a great slap player i'm still practicing. but wheneever i see a pro player at slapping and popping away i feel like he's really just locking in with the drums in a percussive frezy that hightens the intesity and thickend the texture of the music for the rest of the band. a very important tool for the bassist and the entire band. then again if you gonna try and amp you have to know how it sounds with fingerstyle because it is used in any kind of style of playing.

[corinpills]

Generally speaking, slapping the strings doesn't thicken the texture.In fact, it usually thins out the bottom end dramatically and I think that this is something that a lot of younger players could take into account. A general principal of acoustics is that the harder you strike a string (or a drum or anything that vibrates to produce a tone), the more midrange will be exxagerated. Slapping and popping usually comes out as quite bright and gets rid of a lot of the low end- which is why it is often a good idea to switch back to fingers under a guitar solo or any section that needs some foundation. This effect can be countered somewhat by slapping with as much thumb flesh as possible.

Not that I go for that sort of thing, but if you're gonna do it...