Slapping and popping question

[BassBob185]

Ive, been playing many years but I've never been much of a slapper/popper. I believe it may be due to the fact that when I extend my thumb it is perfectly straight and also my hands aren't very big. I notice that the good slapper/poppers seem to have a double jointed thumb. By this I mean when they extend their thumb it has a backward bend to it.

I have never been able to isolate a portion of my thumb so when I slap the string a good portion of my thumb hits it. The side of my thumb is also pretty flat so its hard to hit the string with the thumb joint.

Just curious if others have a similar problem and how they worked through it.

Thanks

[Jeff K]

Originally Posted by BassBob185

Ive, been playing many years but I've never been much of a slapper/popper. I believe it may be due to the fact that when I extend my thumb it is perfectly straight and also my hands aren't very big. I notice that the good slapper/poppers seem to have a double jointed thumb. By this I mean when they extend their thumb it has a backward bend to it.

I have never been able to isolate a portion of my thumb so when I slap the string a good portion of my thumb hits it. The side of my thumb is also pretty flat so its hard to hit the string with the thumb joint.

Just curious if others have a similar problem and how they worked through it.

Thanks

I can't help you, Bob, because I'm similar to you. I've been playing a long time, but never really did any slapping. When I try it around the house, I've never been satisfied with the results. So I'll be interested to read the advice of the real slappers & poppers on the forum.

My thumb is slightly curved when playing this style, as long as you can slap with the knuckle part of the thumb you're good to go. My thumb doesn't bend back too far.

[makaky]

www.slapit.com

If you try slapping with your favorite RHCP song, you will get frustrated.

Start with exercice 1 an so on. Even if it sounds corny, you will benefit from it with time

[JKT]

I don't think it much matters as to the curvature of your thunb but how well you can develope your own individual technique I've seen lots of people thumpin away with a pretty straight thumb.

I use this technique fairly often but it is just another tool.
I had to practice a good deal at first and slowly work it into my bag.

I recently bought a really good DVD tutorial the name of which escapes me right now. Plannin on doing a little sheddin' over the winter.

JKT

[groove pump]

Hmm... I don't slap a ton, but when I do, my thumb doesn't bend backward like that. Try some different positions with your forearm in relation to your strings - I slap with mine at around a 30 degree angle to the strings so that the intersection between my thumb and E or A string is what makes contact.

I know that some players will play fingerstyle with their fingers (and forearm) more perpendicular the the strings, but shift the bass so that they're a bit closer to parallel for slapping. Wherever your hand can align with the strings so that a simple rotation of your wrist will thump the side of your thumb's knuckle against the string ought to do it. If your entire thumb is plopping on the string, try moving the bass a little more vertical and creating a little more angle so you can slap it with just your knuckle.

[whizack]

my experience thusfar has been that to slap effectively you have to play with your bass tucked up in your armpit, close to your body, with your arm _almost_ parallel to the strings (slight angle upward) and bend your thumb back so it looks curved and slap with the knuckle hitting the string.

my biggest obstacle is learning how to slow down and groove with the technique.

[BassBob185]

OK I think I understand what most of you are suggesting but I notice that when I slap that because of the flat nature of the side of my thumb that I can isolate a string. The E is OK but on the others I usually touch another string the bottom of my hand hits the strings. May be I am not holding my hand out far enough.

[tbone409]

i too have a 'boner' thumb aka it has no curvature, i slap a decent amount what i have to do is more of a rake downwards like a V. Wooten style double thump, hit the string and bounce off the finger board, pop on the way back up, and is rather easy to transfer to double thumbing if you want to get into that, it takes a lot of practice, start off slow with a metronome and slowly work your way up to speed.

[tZer]

As for your thumb being straight - that shouldn't matter at all. You don't have to have the Jaco right-angle thumb thing to slap.

I purchased Slap It! many years ago and went from being slightly baffled about slapping and popping to slapping and popping!

I lost the original copy, but purchased a new one this year. I've not sat down with it yet, but when I decide to take my slap chops up a notch, you can be sure I will be sheddin' with Mr. Oppenheim's fine text.

I am sure there are many great books, CD's and DVD's out there, but I can personally vouch for Slap it! If you get your hands on that book or subscribe to his online lessons, I promise you'll be slappin' before you know it.

[Infernal Affair]

Originally Posted by tbone409

i too have a 'boner' thumb aka it has no curvature, i slap a decent amount what i have to do is more of a rake downwards like a V. Wooten style double thump, hit the string and bounce off the finger board, pop on the way back up, and is rather easy to transfer to double thumbing if you want to get into that, it takes a lot of practice, start off slow with a metronome and slowly work your way up to speed.

Yeah. This is the way that Anthony Wellington of Musicdojo teaches, and I believe that besides Victor Wooten, Larry Graham and some other famous bassists do it this way. Instead of bouncing your thumb off the string, you slap through the string. It's kind of like doing a strum.

[BassBob185]

I have pretty much resigned myself that I just can't get it. I'm sure there is a basic principle that I'm missing. You'd think someone playing bass for 15 years could get it. Hard to teach this ole dog new tricks, but I appreciate the advice.
Thanks

[Tony Oppenheim]

Koki,

That's not just not cool, it's ignorant.

I hope someday you'll understand why.

Tony

[Tony Oppenheim]

Originally Posted by BassBob185

I have pretty much resigned myself that I just can't get it. I'm sure there is a basic principle that I'm missing. You'd think someone playing bass for 15 years could get it. Hard to teach this ole dog new tricks, but I appreciate the advice.
Thanks

Bob,

Here's a trick that might help you to at least get started.

1. Put your right hand flat on your desk (or a table) in front of you. Your wrist should not be down on the table, just your hand.

2. Holding your hand flat this way is not a natural position for most people, so if you just relax your fingers most likely they will start to curl a little. Go with that and allow your fingers to curl while keeping the heel of your hand on the table. This natural cupping will form a bridge from the heel of your hand to the tips of your fingers.

When you've done this notice what happens with your thumb when you go from Step 1 to Step 2. Most people will find that their thumb will lift off the table as they curl their fingers.

When I do this my thumb ends up at about a 30 degree angle to the table.

If you transfer that same motion to your bass, you'll find that your hand makes a bridge over the strings. Start out with the heel of your hand on the bass above the E string, and the tip of your index finger touching the bass below the G string.

From this position you just turn your wrist out, away from the bass until your hand is basically perpendicular to the strings. Bring it back down so that the heel of your hand and the tip of your index finger strike the bass. When you do this your thumb will hit the E String, but don't think about hitting the string, think about the heel of your hand and the tip of your index finger hitting. The thumb will follow along on its own, like a crash dummy. It's a single quick motion of your wrist.

Practice doing this playing quarter notes at no faster than 60 beats per minute until you're getting a good sound on the open E string.

Let me know how that goes.

Tony

[John Wentzien]

The motion of your hand should be like "turning a door-knob", rotating the forearm--as opposed to moving your whole arm at and away from the bass.. this helped me out a lot..

[HaVIC5]

Wow, Tony Oppenheim a TB member? How cool! Your book was what got me slapping seriously - it really is amazing. Simple to use and yet comprehensive of its scope of slap patterns. Great advice here in the thread too.

Sorry, OT. Carry on now that I've grovelled.

[BassBob185]

Originally Posted by Tony Oppenheim

Bob,

Here's a trick that might help you to at least get started.

1. Put your right hand flat on your desk (or a table) in front of you. Your wrist should not be down on the table, just your hand.

2. Holding your hand flat this way is not a natural position for most people, so if you just relax your fingers most likely they will start to curl a little. Go with that and allow your fingers to curl while keeping the heel of your hand on the table. This natural cupping will form a bridge from the heel of your hand to the tips of your fingers.

When you've done this notice what happens with your thumb when you go from Step 1 to Step 2. Most people will find that their thumb will lift off the table as they curl their fingers.

When I do this my thumb ends up at about a 30 degree angle to the table.

If you transfer that same motion to your bass, you'll find that your hand makes a bridge over the strings. Start out with the heel of your hand on the bass above the E string, and the tip of your index finger touching the bass below the G string.

From this position you just turn your wrist out, away from the bass until your hand is basically perpendicular to the strings. Bring it back down so that the heel of your hand and the tip of your index finger strike the bass. When you do this your thumb will hit the E String, but don't think about hitting the string, think about the heel of your hand and the tip of your index finger hitting. The thumb will follow along on its own, like a crash dummy. It's a single quick motion of your wrist.

Practice doing this playing quarter notes at no faster than 60 beats per minute until you're getting a good sound on the open E string.

Let me know how that goes.

Tony

Great information, very helpful. String isolation seems to be my sticking point now but I'll keep practicing. Is there any particular place where you should strike the string? I noticed while watching some You Tube instruction that some strike the string over the end of the fretboard and others don't.

[makaky]

Originally Posted by Tony Oppenheim

Koki,

That's not just not cool, it's ignorant.

I hope someday you'll understand why.

Tony

Wow Tony on TB !

I dont know if that was directed at me but i think my name is the closest to Koki maybee the post got deleted too

What i was saying is that the first exercices on any book always sound a bit dull but thats only the first exercices. Most of the lines in this book are truly pieces of art.

People will often skip them and go to the fun and harder part and thats not a good thing. You need to walk before you start to run kinda thing.

I know what im talking about because i made tons of my students buy this book and it was always the same, they started with exercices 30 and were sloppy as hell. They would get frustrated and discouraged because they couldnt have the same precision that i had. As much as i tried to tell them that it took me years of practice and starting from exercice 1.

Peace and you rock

[Just J]

Originally Posted by makaky

Wow Tony on TB !

I dont know if that was directed at me but i think my name is the closest to Koki maybee the post got deleted too

What i was saying is that the first exercices on any book always sound a bit dull but thats only the first exercices. Most of the lines in this book are truly pieces of art.

People will often skip them and go to the fun and harder part and thats not a good thing. You need to walk before you start to run kinda thing.

I know what im talking about because i made tons of my students buy this book and it was always the same, they started with exercices 30 and were sloppy as hell. They would get frustrated and discouraged because they couldnt have the same precision that i had. As much as i tried to tell them that it took me years of practice and starting from exercice 1.

Peace and you rock

I got this book on a recommendation from my teacher as well. I'm kinda stuck on the cross string hammer, I can't get a clean tone, maybe because I use my pinky on octaves...

However, I'm able to slap lines I could only dream about, so it's been a great help. Still not really comfortable slapping in public tho.

[Tony Oppenheim]

Originally Posted by BassBob185

Great information, very helpful. String isolation seems to be my sticking point now but I'll keep practicing. Is there any particular place where you should strike the string? I noticed while watching some You Tube instruction that some strike the string over the end of the fretboard and others don't.

I play with my thumb over the last fret of my Precision Bass.

Depending on your instrument and your own comfort you may find another spot that works for you.

You might start in the same position as I've suggested and then try some other spots as well.

Cheers!

Tony