Still can't slap after 4 years....getting frustrated.

Fassa Albrecht · #1 06-25-2010, 05:03 PM

Right, I'm getting frustrated with this and who better to ask than Talkbass?

Anyway, getting really frustrated because after FOUR years I still can't play slap-bass to any real standard. I can play the odd song, but when it comes to just playing I suck.

I've used book after book and tutorial video after video. I've tried practicing for hours on end, I've tried to do it in little pieces.

I just cannot get my head around it...!

So, any ideas? It's annoying because I want to start learning Level 42 songs and at the moment, I sound like garbage!

5StringBlues · #2 06-25-2010, 05:07 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYt6X...eature=related

John Wentzien · #3 06-25-2010, 05:07 PM

Hang in there! You will be fine!

Jonathan1990 · #4 06-25-2010, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5StringBlues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYt6X...eature=related

Is this the 2010 rickroll?

Fassa Albrecht · #5 06-25-2010, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5StringBlues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYt6X...eature=related

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Wentzien

Hang in there! You will be fine!

At the moment I feel like smashing my bass in frustration!

Spino · #6 06-25-2010, 05:21 PM

Try to get the best sound that you can by hitting the bass with as light a touch as possible then later when you've got that down you can beat shitoutofit!

Fassa Albrecht · #7 06-25-2010, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spino

Try to get the best sound that you can by hitting the bass with as light a touch as possible then later when you've got that down you can beat shitoutofit!

TripleDouble · #8 06-25-2010, 05:28 PM

Get a book of drum rudiments, and using your octave slap and pop in place of "L" and "R", practice these patterns slowly with a metronome, being as clean and precise as you can while producing a nice tone. Slowly increase the tempos, be patient, enjoy being fussy, and in no time you will have the mechanics to play anything slappy you can dream up. Then have fun, add hammers, pulls, slides, trills, and just be creative.

AQUANOVA · #9 06-25-2010, 05:30 PM

Maybe you were born without a slapping gene.

Fassa Albrecht · #10 06-25-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleDouble

Get a book of drum rudiments, and using your octave slap and pop in place of "L" and "R", practice these patterns slowly with a metronome, being as clean and precise as you can while producing a nice tone. Slowly increase the tempos, be patient, enjoy being fussy, and in no time you will have the mechanics to play anything slappy you can dream up. Then have fun, add hammers, pulls, slides, trills, and just be creative.

Well I'm also a drummer, so rudiments I can handle! Yaay!

@Aquanova: I hope not, I'm a massive Level 42 fan.

Eminentbass · #11 06-26-2010, 01:11 AM

Speaking of Level 42, have you tried learning "Love Games"? It's pretty strenuous to keep up the combination of slapping left hand ghosting/slapping that he does but simple enough to be able to hear what's going on. If you haven't tried it, start out with just the audible slapped notes on the open E, then try figure out where the percussive left hand comes in and fills in the gaps. Also seeing as someone mentioned rudiments, I used to be a drummer as well and found it helpful to do those by alternating slapped notes with the left hand ghosting.

Stu Hamm explained it quite well in one of his instructional videos, maybe there's a clip on youtube(on my mobile not a pc right now so I can't search for a link). Mark King makes extensive use of this technique. In the end exercises are just exercises and only a way to get a grasp of the various techniques but learning songs will help put all of that in a musical context plus help build the stamina, endurance and fluidity to get through the 3 minutes or longer that a song lasts for.

P.s. Staying relaxed and using economy of motion still applies to slapping, you don't need a huge wind-up to produce a good tone with your thumb. Plus, it helps decrease the chances of your forearm cramping halfway through a song (yup, this has happened to me, onstage, in front of a crowd, in the middle of "lessons in love" which I was cocky enough to think I could sing and play

)

sangsaratrip · #12 06-26-2010, 02:10 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SODrT...eature=related

check that link out by Sklarevski, good dvd

most slap bass lines that usually catch attention are the quick ones

learn some primus songs, like the DMV, or The Awakening (look this one up on youtube)

tapping and hammer ons are pretty much half of the slap bass style

You need to get your fretting hand working a lot more, check out Bill Clements style, no joke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ThulqDmKc

check out the buddha bass man, Bill Dickens lessons

check this dude, probably has Mark King's style down the best on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONFs_vwn9o0
(triplet technique)

if you want to be good at slap bass
get more dynamic, learn different techniques and employ them in your playing

http://www.slapit.com/
check this book out for exercises

lock into the kick drum and playing lots of ghost notes

it's all about the funk

Devo-lution · #13 06-26-2010, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eminentbass

Speaking of Level 42, have you tried learning "Love Games"? It's pretty strenuous to keep up the combination of slapping left hand ghosting/slapping that he does but simple enough to be able to hear what's going on. If you haven't tried it, start out with just the audible slapped notes on the open E, then try figure out where the percussive left hand comes in and fills in the gaps. Also seeing as someone mentioned rudiments, I used to be a drummer as well and found it helpful to do those by alternating slapped notes with the left hand ghosting.

Stu Hamm explained it quite well in one of his instructional videos, maybe there's a clip on youtube(on my mobile not a pc right now so I can't search for a link). Mark King makes extensive use of this technique. In the end exercises are just exercises and only a way to get a grasp of the various techniques but learning songs will help put all of that in a musical context plus help build the stamina, endurance and fluidity to get through the 3 minutes or longer that a song lasts for.

P.s. Staying relaxed and using economy of motion still applies to slapping, you don't need a huge wind-up to produce a good tone with your thumb. Plus, it helps decrease the chances of your forearm cramping halfway through a song (yup, this has happened to me, onstage, in front of a crowd, in the middle of "lessons in love" which I was cocky enough to think I could sing and play

)

This left hand thing is cool and I use it when playing Level 42's songs, but isn't the fluent use of this technique somewhat limited to the open strings?

What helped me a lot, was learning how to slap "through" a string and landing on the string below... It made the whole movement a lot more fluent for my wrist.

also, keeping the slapping motion as small as possible (no huge swinging going on) gave me a good increase to my speed.

Eminentbass · #14 06-26-2010, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devo-lution

This left hand thing is cool and I use it when playing Level 42's songs, but isn't the fluent use of this technique somewhat limited to the open strings?

It's easier to learn with open strings but with a little adjustment, the fretting hand index finger can be used to fret other notes plus double up as a barre to mute the open strings, while using the other fingers to ghost. The barre concept is also how Stu Hamm does his pop/left hand ghost/thumb triplets. I also like to reverse those and do them thumb/left hand/pop.

bassdog · #15 06-26-2010, 05:38 AM

Have you tried Ed Friedland's slap dvd?

Bababooey · #16 06-26-2010, 06:06 AM

What is your definition of "can't slap"? Maybe you're better than you think you are. Mark King is a really solid bass player so if you're comparing yourself to him then yes, you can't slap. Practice control, tone, timing and watch the professionals (Mark King, Marcus Miller, Claypool, etc). When the technique clicks you'll be happy with your hard work and patience.

Fassa Albrecht · #17 06-26-2010, 09:53 AM

Cheers to anyone who's so far answered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassdog

Have you tried Ed Friedland's slap dvd?

Ooh...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bababooey

What is your definition of "can't slap"? Maybe you're better than you think you are. Mark King is a really solid bass player so if you're comparing yourself to him then yes, you can't slap. Practice control, tone, timing and watch the professionals (Mark King, Marcus Miller, Claypool, etc). When the technique clicks you'll be happy with your hard work and patience.

I can do most basic rudiments (to use a drummer's word). I can understand most of the theory behind it. But I go to pieces when I try and play anything remotely interesting or more complicated or learn any of the slapbass stuff I enjoy.

I also seem to have the issue where, if I'm playing for any sustained amount of time, I just can't play.

Example- I thought it might just be a case of me not challenging myself to learn anything 'hard'. So I tried to learn Mr Pink by Level 42. That was a bad idea...

eq777 · #18 06-26-2010, 04:41 PM

Get a teacher!!! Study Larry Graham, Marcus Miller and Louis Johnson!!!

bassdog · #19 06-27-2010, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by bassdog
Have you tried Ed Friedland's slap dvd?

"Ooh..."

Does that mean yes? I mention this dvd becacuse I used it to learn and it gave me a good start. Taught fundamentals and some nice grooves to learn. Bob

Fassa Albrecht · #20 06-27-2010, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassdog

Originally Posted by bassdog
Have you tried Ed Friedland's slap dvd?

"Ooh..."

Does that mean yes? I mention this dvd becacuse I used it to learn and it gave me a good start. Taught fundamentals and some nice grooves to learn. Bob

I had a copy of it somewhere but what happened to it in various house moves is anyone's guess. I didn't really get into slap-bass (least not playing it for myself) until pretty recently.

I'll probably pick another copy up later...