ATTENTION EVERYBODY!!! I AM NOW A SLAPPER!!!

de la mocha · #1 06-20-2006, 02:59 PM

At last, after rigirous training, training for years, on this day of TUESDAY 6/20/06 I AM NOW A SLAPPER/THUMPER!!!!

I wear my callouses as badges of honor!!!! I can finally add thumping to my arsenal!!! It feels so good!!! But with this newly aquired skill comes great responsibility! I must not over use this new talent! A true musician knows how to add just the right amount and kind of seasoning to the pot! I'm so happy! I will celebrate this day every year!

Listen, you guys just don't know how hard it was for me to learn. You see, I am a complete klutz with no coordination so it took me a while to master the timing and rhythm of slapping and thumping! I could lay down a solid and interesting groove in the pocket, but secretly envied all slappers! But now, i'm one of you!!!!!

There is a few people i'd like to thank. The guy that works in the guitar center accessories department on route 22 in springfield NJ (I forgot your name, but the demostration you showed me helped tremendously)!

I'd like to thank all the people who doubted me and said I suck, it was that anger that I converted into determination to make me strive harder!

I'd like to thank my mom and dad and the people hear at talkbass for your threads that kept me motivated! I honestly feel like crying! I went through HELL trying to learn thumping!

This thread may seem silly but I don't care, all of my blood sweat and tears finally paid off! I love you all! Peace!

Figjam · #2 06-20-2006, 03:21 PM

Welcome

KeithBMI · #3 06-20-2006, 03:23 PM

Just like that? You couldn't do it last night but this morning your Larry Graham?

Just kidding. Good job.

JOHNNY CHINGAS · #4 06-20-2006, 03:27 PM

Right On! Now you have skills like a Ninja. Use them for good, not evil.

Petary791 · #5 06-20-2006, 03:28 PM

Grats guy.

Drake Kennedy · #6 06-20-2006, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeithBMI

Just like that? You couldn't do it last night but this morning your Larry Graham?

Just kidding. Good job.

That's how it was for me, at least for double thumping and double plucking (which I just got down last weekend, overnight haha).

Congrats, now just keep at it. A piece of advice, make sure you learn to slap with propper technique, it makes all the difference. I had to totally relearn how to slap after teaching myself so that I could move on to more technical stuff.

Peace

kenlacam · #7 06-20-2006, 03:35 PM

Congrats! Welcome to the slappers and thumpers club! It was difficult for me to learn, as well , as it was one of the first things I learned about playing the bass 18 yrs ago.

Figjam · #8 06-20-2006, 03:35 PM

My technique has slowly evolved over time. When I first started slapping,it was entirely self taught, based on Fleas technique. Then It evolved into a more parallel,normal technique. Now Im into double thumping and double plucking and all that good stuff that victor does. I use a few different styles,depending what I am in the mood for.

tbone0813 · #9 06-20-2006, 03:38 PM

How about a sound clip of this new found technique?

theGrey · #10 06-20-2006, 03:45 PM

hello and gratz on your slapping.
i am trying to teach myself slap, just to enjoy the sounds and challenge. its nothing i really would include in my music as of yet. but im haveing troubles with finess nothing i practice sounds anything close...to what i would be listening to or what id like to hear if i was on the other side of the bass.
i understand it will take months if not a few years to actually "slap", but its not my first day playing bass either. haha may as well be im sure, are there any tips you or any one have, for finness and the smoothness of the runs?
thanks

j.
( by the way im new to the site and this is my first post nice to meet you all)

Verbannter · #11 06-20-2006, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by de la mocha

I'd like to thank all the people who doubted me and said I suck, it was that anger that I converted into determination to make me strive harder!

Sell out!

Nah nah <3, Nice job man. Just know, if you need anyone to give you a hard time you don't need to look any further then the Talkbass forum. Send me a tell and i'll give you that little extra bit of motivation you need you talentless hack!

Keep on jammin'.

d8g3jdh · #12 06-20-2006, 04:06 PM

Right on.

whitedk57 · #13 06-20-2006, 04:18 PM

Now you can show off at the music shop...

Just kidding. I am trying to become a slapper, but my motivation comes from the fact my wife hates it. She says "I don't mind that other stuff, but the slapping just gets on my nerves". Maybe someday she'll say it sounds OK.

de la mocha · #14 06-20-2006, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theGrey

i understand it will take months if not a few years to actually "slap", but its not my first day playing bass either. haha may as well be im sure, are there any tips you or any one have, for finness and the smoothness of the runs?
thanks

Well, persistence is the key. What I did was break the actual motion of slapping down into four steps. Then I practiced each step individually one at a time. Then I started slapping in one motion but very slowly at first in a very simple rhythm. After that I sped it up a few notches.

Once I got that down, I put on a drum track and tried to improvise simple rhythms over simple drum loops. Then, after litterally hours of practice today (on top of the previous five years of playing bass) I finally got it down!

So that's my tips, or what I've done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbone0813

How about a sound clip of this new found technique?

I'm not ready quite just yet. I'm still a little rough around the edges. I'm in time and have the rhythm down, I just need to tighten it up a little bit and smooth it out. But i'm there though!

Matt Till · #15 06-21-2006, 11:29 AM

Welcome. And now realize that you'll probably never use slap in a band setting. I love slap, it's really fun, but most of the time, it's pointless... I picked up slap because I thought it was funky. Now I'm trying to focus more on fingerstyle funk because it sounds so much better.

superbassman2000 · #16 06-21-2006, 12:04 PM

i dunno, it works pretty good in my seinfeld cover band...

Techmonkey · #17 06-21-2006, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

i dunno, it works pretty good in my seinfeld cover band...

best Seinfeld slap bass joke... ever...

Seriously tho - Alot of subtechniques of slap came pretty much overnight to me also - Triplets, raking, muting... but other techniques took me literally months to learn - Just plain slapping and popping took me nigh on a year to get nailed properly.

I used to find it impossible to use in a band situation, but it's not so bad if you use it sparingly. It's almost impossible to jam with as all improv slap riffs sound pretty similar - but if you sit down and think about what you're going to play, you can get some pretty usable riffs

labgnat · #18 06-21-2006, 12:39 PM

well i'm sure Anthony Jackson would be rather upset to hear about this

**Ryan L.** · #19 06-22-2006, 05:12 PM

Bassbarbie · #20 06-23-2006, 05:09 PM

Well I never thought I'd say this... but I wish I was a slapper!
ROFL

Seriously, well done! I tried and in the end decided the effort wasn't worth it. I'm not that keen on the sound, but it is a technique I'd like in my arsenal - just to throw a little in for a change... just once in a gig...