Geddy Lee and slap bass

[Pete C]

I got the new Rush album Snakes and Arrows the other day, and it is a real treat to listen to. Something struck me though. On the instrumental Malignant Narcissism Geddy does a very fast, although brief slap solo. This was about the speed that Claypool does the solo from Laquerhead. Anyone have other Geddy Lee slap lines.

[The Lurker]

er. AFAIK, geddy does not slap now, nor has he ever done so. He just plays fingerstyle really hard with lots of treble.

[Kink Rimson]

It's not slap. But you're right, it is a treat to listen to.
I think it's their best since Moving Pictures.

[Dave Siff]

Geddy recorded that song with a fretless bass, too. He talks about it in the new issue of Bass Guitar magazine.

[Pete C]

Yeah, you're right Lurker, it isn't slap, but damnit it does sound like it at first glance.

[Kink Rimson]

Originally Posted by Dave Siff

Geddy recorded that song with a fretless bass, too. He talks about it in the new issue of Bass Guitar magazine.

Sounds like he's using a slide to me, the last note of the song has that peculiar slide 'rattle' tone to it. But I'm probably wrong.

[funkalicious101]

he slaps a couple accent notes on "The enemy within" nothing flashy or fast though.

[toaster2k3]

In an old issue of "Bassplayer" he says that he tried to get into slapping back in the late 70's but it didn't really work with Rush's music.

[keb]

Yeah it's just him playing hard... in Geddy's own words, it's "slapping without slapping."

[Papersen]

Originally Posted by funkalicious101

he slaps a couple accent notes on "The enemy within" nothing flashy or fast though.

and a couple of notes on "Mysthic rhytms" intro.

[Kink Rimson]

Originally Posted by funkalicious101

he slaps a couple accent notes on "The enemy within" nothing flashy or fast though.

They're not slaps, they're pops.

[Thunder_Fingers]

Geddy pops alot realy, especially live. and he plays very hard by the sounds of it..

im sure its not slap, aparently he asked Jeff Berlin if he could learn him to slap, and Jeff's response was "No, Slapping ruins real bass players"

Im not sure of that though, im just remembering reading it somewhere.

[glivanos]

+1

I remember reading something about that in a Bass Player magazine interview with Jeff Berlin.

He is not a big fan of pop and slap.

[Audiophage]

He's definitely popping on the R30 DVD. You're probably just hearing really heavy attack in his pizz.

[GrooveWarrior]

On a side note, I was driving to work this morning listening to the local (actually largest in the country) AM talk radio station when a commercial came on for the new album and tour. A 30 second commercial from Atlantic. Pretty impressive marketing that I didn't expect. I do find it comical that the Rush demographic is heavily AM talk radio listeners. I'm sure when they started out, they didn't see that coming.

[Winterpegbass]

I saw Jeff Berlin at a bass clinic in the 90s and he said he didn't like slap bass playing. After he said that he demonstrated his famous slap/pop intro from "5G" a song on a Bill Bruford solo album. He also told a story where he was filling in for Chris Squire at a large YES concert and screwed up the intro to roundabout.

[Dave Siff]

Originally Posted by GrooveWarrior

On a side note, I was driving to work this morning listening to the local (actually largest in the country) AM talk radio station..

"The big one".. 710, WLW! On a perfectly clear night, I've been able to get their signal in Atlanta. KMOX in St. Louis, too.
Only two weeks until Rush in concert!! Holy smokes.

[Fassa Albrecht]

Originally Posted by Thunder_Fingers

Geddy pops alot realy, especially live. and he plays very hard by the sounds of it..

im sure its not slap, aparently he asked Jeff Berlin if he could learn him to slap, and Jeff's response was "No, Slapping ruins real bass players"

Im not sure of that though, im just remembering reading it somewhere.

If slapping ruins 'real' bass players, then is someone gonna tell Mark King?? Or Victor Wooten?

[Thunder_Fingers]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

If slapping ruins 'real' bass players, then is someone gonna tell Mark King?? Or Victor Wooten?

well, dont ask me, i wasnt the one who said it..

[Papersen]

Originally Posted by glivanos

+1

I remember reading something about that in a Bass Player magazine interview with Jeff Berlin.

He is not a big fan of pop and slap.

And usually is, IMHO, a bit disrespectful with those things (technique in this case) that he doesn`t agree/play/believe.