I don't like the sound of slap in songs

[Lowner]

I dont like the sound of bass when its slapped/popped. I never learned the technique because of it. it just doesn't sound right when I hear it in a song.

I think I am the only one who feels this way. Am I ?

[Buxtehude]

yes

[BOOURNS]

I respect the technique, but im the same dont care for the sound at all.

[ysand]

Maybe you've listened to the wrong songs.
Maybe you're confusing tasty slapping with slap-wanking.
Who knows.

Personally i enjoy slapping when it's properly used.

[Russell L]

Originally Posted by Lowner

I dont like the sound of bass when its slapped/popped. I never learned the technique because of it. it just doesn't sound right when I hear it in a song.

I think I am the only one who feels this way. Am I ?

You ain't alone. I don't slap or tap, and have no interest in it. I respect it, though, as a way of playing for anyone who feels differently. The only thing I can say for it is that it's interesting to hear someone play solo with all the rhythms they can produce, almost like a whole band playing. Amazing.

[OPBASSMAN1994]

I like it in some songs (Hungry like the wolf (yes it's in there), pretty much anything Peppers, and some old funk stuff) but I don't love slap. Although it is fun to add into your bass solo...

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by Lowner

I dont like the sound of bass when its slapped/popped. I never learned the technique because of it. it just doesn't sound right when I hear it in a song.

I think I am the only one who feels this way. Am I ?

You are not alone, my friend. I think I developed my dislike for that sound because it seemed that every time my buddy and I went into a Guitar Center, there would inevitably be some dweebus maximus erectus (DME) in the bass section beating the crap out of some poor bass in his attempt to try and impress other people in the store. My buddy and I would bust up laughing, and we always wanted to go over to the DME and ask him what song that would fit in, but instead, my buddy would turn to me and say in a serious tone "is that the reslapped version of Stairway to Heaven?" And I would calmly reply, "close, but no, it's the reslapped version of Fire and Rain by James Taylor." (We would then laugh so hard that our stomachs would hurt.)

[C.Linton]

It's not my favorite, either, and I personally also have no use for it, but I do think it's a valid technique if used properly. Unfortunately, it's also a technique that is easily abused and overused all too frequently.

[Flabass]

You are not alone. I don't care much for it. Maybe because too many "show off" using it. Never learned how, probably incapable. But I play blues and classic rock so I don't think I need it.

Was at a blues jam a couple of weeks ago and a bass player slapped all through his songs. The host got in his face and told him not to do it again, it is a blues jam.

[selowitch]

Done correctly (e.g., Marcus Miller), it can be wonderful. But most guys overuse slap/pop technique or use it inappropriately, and that causes the music to suffer.

[NoNoise]

I'm pretty sure I've posted this in other threads like this, but I'll chime in again.

I'm not a fan of slapping except in the rarest of circumstances. I am a big fan of tapping, though I have never taken the time to learn to do it myself (my attempts have not gone well). Slapping, though, just sounds bad to me.

P.S. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are tied with Sublime as my most hated band of all time...if that helps explain anything...

[bass10bfb]

Yeah, you are for sure not alone and I totally agree with a lot of what is being said as I don't dig it that much either. But, I totally wish I had the skill and ability to slap and pop and even do some tapping and such that I can't do. But, in the end, I want to know that I am as tight as I can be with my drummer and that we are the backbone for the band that we need to be. I love to groove and play melodies and love funk and such; I just don't slap much. Responsibilities with my job and the want to spend time with my family keep me from practicing as much as I want to (I know that affects all of us) and so I focus on certain things, and learning to slap was just never one of them. But again, I love to hear it and watch it and admire greatly those who have the skill that can do it. It's just not me or for me.

[champbassist]

One song that I think slapping really fits well in is a rather obscure one: Another Day by Sting (it was a B-side, IIRC) from his early days as a solo artist. Gotta love the minimalistic slap groove on that.

[bosw04k]

Totally depends on the song, surely. As stated above, it would sound ridiclulous in a classic rock song, but it can really add something to a funk song. Unfortunately people do have a habit of thinking that as they can slap kind of fast they are way better musicians than you and it is their duty to rub it in your face every measure. I would advise learning good slap technique if you want lots of gigs, even if you don't love the sound and it doesn't fit in the genre you generally play as it can be essential to, say, a funk gig.

[pacojas]

leave the planet!!!

[bluesdogblues]

Not really into slap-pop in my playing too.. although the first bass book that I ever learn when the first time I play bass was a slap technique book (it's a japanese book called "Chopper Bass", which written in Japanese language/letters that I don't understand, so maybe my misunderstanding when I was selflearning the book is one of the factors that make me never really 'clicked' with play slap, beside other factors like the fact that I prefer high action, dull, flatwound strings sound etc).

But actually I like some 'old school'/funk type of slap bass playing too.

There were times too when I like Mark King in Level 42, tho I admit that now I don't really like those 'modern'/metallic/sharp/trebly slap things sounds.
Definitely don't like 'slap wanker' type (or any wanker type of play whatever it is) either..

In my 20 year career as a professional bassist I'm not known as slap player and never will someone ask me to slap.

Funnily, recently that I start to relearn my basic technique, maybe out of my boredness to my self, I start to learn slap a bit too maybe just for my private fun.

I respect the good 'slap' playing that done tastefully contextually to the song. And like I said; usually they're 'old school' kind of slap.

Now I just want to say to the OP, more since it's in the General Instruction forum, IMHO it will be much more productive to us, if we state "what we like" or "what we'd like to be/to learn", "how to achieve that" etc.,.. rather than saying things like "I hate this or that" or "I don't like this and that"...

Sorry,
Just my two cents..

Cheers

[MonkeyBass]

Don't like it? Don't do it.

[cjmodulus]

The way I see it is a technique is a technique. Since when has having more techniques in your arsenal been a bad thing?
I try to practice every playing style (finger, pick, slap, tap) because it gives me more options. Sure, you may rarely need a technique, but it's better to know it and not need it than need it and not know it. It may not sound good to you, but others may dig it, and you may fins yourself in a situation where the people your playing with want that certain sound.
My 2 cents.

[paganjack]

Well it is a LOT of fun to do, but I agree that in most songs it has no place. Some people can pull it off and it's great then. I use it like a spice- very sparingly.

[cjmodulus]

Originally Posted by paganjack

Well it is a LOT of fun to do, but I agree that in most songs it has no place. Some people can pull it off and it's great then. I use it like a spice- very sparingly.

Yeah. I think that's where slap gets it's bad rep- the people who over use it.
My policy with slap is less is more.