Thumped triplets? Zender techniques?

[danshee]

Hey, I was listneing to Jamirquia's Traveling Without Moving and playing along with Zender a bit. Every so often he is slappin this really clean triplet/quadruplet sound. The only way that I can seem to emulate it is by double thumping with my thumb followed by an upward recoil from my index finger. It isn't getting the same sound though. Waht Im getting is a distinct Wooten triplet sound and I wan tto know how Zender is getting his triplet or even quadruplet sound. It sounds great. Any one know?

[geoffkhan]

You can get pretty good at that double-thumping-followed-by-an-index-finger-pop trick, but yes, it tends to sound rather messy unless your REALLY good at it. What I do is... slap really fast three times -- each time like a normal slap with your thumb.

[Viper]

what I do for that is slap a note hammer a note then pluck a note really fast it comes out pretty clean once you get the hang of it

[danshee]

Originally Posted by geoffkhan

You can get pretty good at that double-thumping-followed-by-an-index-finger-pop trick, but yes, it tends to sound rather messy unless your REALLY good at it. What I do is... slap really fast three times -- each time like a normal slap with your thumb.

Actually, I am really good at it. It's just a different sound than he's getting. Compare it to Victor Wooten in classical thump and you'll understand what I mean. Zender's technique sounds like he's doing quad ghost notes, and with great timing will reel of a series of hammers etc. but doing it way to fast to be efficient with just the thumb. I've often done the same thing you are talking about and it sounds cool. Maybe I'm wrong, it just sounds like he has a more efficient way of doing it.

[danshee]

Originally Posted by Viper

what I do for that is slap a note hammer a note then pluck a note really fast it comes out pretty clean once you get the hang of it

I'l try that. I'd bet that's what he's doing. Thanks -Dan

[dudemeister]

You can get really fast triplets by slapping with your thumb and then popping with your index and then your middle finger in a fast sequence. It's easiest done by first slapping and then popping the two other notes as you lift your thumb. You can of course get the quadruplets by slapping another time after the two popps.

The technique is explained quite well in Alexis Sklarevskys' video "The Slap Bass Program" http://www.videoprogressions.com/a1_catalog.php

I haven't got Quicktime on this computer so I can't see if this is the right video but try downloading the "Excerpt 2: Percussive Triplets" example. It may be what you're looking for.

Edit: Now I've seen the video clip. That example is not what I meant. It's somewear else on the video....

[Woodchuck]

You can always try the "Woodchuck Burst". Thump an open string followed by a hammer on, then pluck the other open string and hammer on the octave. Voila! Four notes! I came up with this, because I didn't know what double thumbing was at the time, so I did what it was I thought I heard, and ended up "inventing" a technique, or so I've been told by people like Titus, Dickens, etc.

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

what's Zender doing in the slap fills in "Virtual insanity"?

it sounds like a burst of four sixteenth notes.
I get the same effect by rotating the right wrist so the thumb and little finger strike the E string.

was he doing it using left-hand slap/ghost notes?

[Little G]

I use the double thumping 'down - up - pluck'

Another one I use is a 'thumb - left hand slap - Pluck'
I do this a number of ways which I find very easy and I seem to be able to control the attack and tone far easier than double thumping.

e.g Index finger on the D on the G string (this finger pretty much stays there constantly). Ring finger slaps (or hammer if you want the note to ring) either the E on the G string or the B on the D string. and then a pluck of the D on the G string.

I can either play the notes or ghost them. I sometimes also rake the thumb over the muted open D string before hitting the D on the G string. You can get some great percussive sounds from it.

[jammadave]

On Beaver Felton's Slap-Happy video he teaches you a percussive "version" that doesn't necessarily need notes to be fretted, but it sounds cool as an embellishment alone. Make any of the following actual notes, to taste =0) I like to do it all muted tho.

rightthumbslap-lefthandslap-rightthumbslap-rightindexpop

it's faster than most other techniques because you're playing the hands against one another, like in a drum roll or flam.