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How to become a slapper
- Thread starter Bass_Boi
- Start date
1. Learn the proper technique, which is really just how you are comfortable.
2. Practice.
3. Keep practicing.
2. Practice.
3. Keep practicing.
I second that. As far as deatails- make sure your getting a clean tone and minimizing overtones. Try to keep your thumb parallel to the string your slapping, and slap with the side of your joint. that's the easiest way I've found, and the most common. Maybe it isn't right for you though...
To add:
1. Listen to Larry Graham, Louis Johnson, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten.
2. Transcribe their music.
3. Practice some more from what you've learned from these guys.
1. Listen to Larry Graham, Louis Johnson, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten.
2. Transcribe their music.
3. Practice some more from what you've learned from these guys.
- Dec 26, 2001
- 400
- 4
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Acoustica Mixcraft; Endorsing Artist: DR Strings
There used to be a link...
cool trick I learned on these boards (I think).
1) Get a drumstick - not a chicken or turkey one but a percussionists type LOL.
2) Place the stick - under the palm - between your index finger/thumb and ring/pinky fingers.
3) Hold your arm straight out and tap a rhythm on the table - tap out quarter notes, 8th notes, 16ths, triplets(thumb side)That gets your wrist used to the motion and the stick acts as a fulcrum.
4) Goes on forever......that is the right hand action anyway. Then there are ghost notes and a lot of other crap...
As cool as it is and as impressive sounding as it is to the great unwashed, I wish someone would invent another strike to this instrument. I'm getting a but annoyed at going to music stores and hearing "the great wack-off" all the time.
cool trick I learned on these boards (I think).
1) Get a drumstick - not a chicken or turkey one but a percussionists type LOL.
2) Place the stick - under the palm - between your index finger/thumb and ring/pinky fingers.
3) Hold your arm straight out and tap a rhythm on the table - tap out quarter notes, 8th notes, 16ths, triplets(thumb side)That gets your wrist used to the motion and the stick acts as a fulcrum.
4) Goes on forever......that is the right hand action anyway. Then there are ghost notes and a lot of other crap...
As cool as it is and as impressive sounding as it is to the great unwashed, I wish someone would invent another strike to this instrument. I'm getting a but annoyed at going to music stores and hearing "the great wack-off" all the time.
I'm not a slapper by ANY strecth of the imagination, but there are a couple of technical aspects to getting a good sound (some already mentioned):
1) Keep your thumb parallel to the strings
2) Mute inactive strings with your fretting hand and palm of your slapping hand.
3) Think of hitting the string like a hammer striking a nail, i.e.) use a clean up-and-down stroke.
4) Slap/strike the string at the first fret
5) Boost lows and highs (while cutting mids) on bass/amp to help you get the tone you've probably heard on recordings, etc.
Good luck and have fun!!!
1) Keep your thumb parallel to the strings
2) Mute inactive strings with your fretting hand and palm of your slapping hand.
3) Think of hitting the string like a hammer striking a nail, i.e.) use a clean up-and-down stroke.
4) Slap/strike the string at the first fret
5) Boost lows and highs (while cutting mids) on bass/amp to help you get the tone you've probably heard on recordings, etc.
Good luck and have fun!!!
Slap and Pop technique
You can use the knuckle of your thumb to slap (you have more control if you slap with your thumb parallel to the string) and your pointer and/or middle finger to pluck (I use both)
I use my thumb for the E string mostly (B if you use a 5 string), but if im playing something fast I use my thumb on the same strings that I'm plucking.
Check out the link I gave you ad think about getting a video for instruction!
Always keep your wrist loose!
Trena
You can use the knuckle of your thumb to slap (you have more control if you slap with your thumb parallel to the string) and your pointer and/or middle finger to pluck (I use both)
I use my thumb for the E string mostly (B if you use a 5 string), but if im playing something fast I use my thumb on the same strings that I'm plucking.
Check out the link I gave you ad think about getting a video for instruction!
Always keep your wrist loose!
TrenaTony Oppenheim had a great book in the 70s. I think it was called Slap It. It's probably still in print.
Practice major/minor scales and maj/min Pentatonic over three strings just using your thumb to start. This helps increase your accuracy in hitting the A and D strings. Do this exercise in quarter notes.
Then try the exercises using eighth notes and pluck a muted G string on the upbeat after every note. This will get the hand rocking back and forth between lower and upper strings. Start slow, go for accuracy and the speed will follow. Remember to stay loose and take a break if hand starts feeling tight or cramped. Good luck.
Practice major/minor scales and maj/min Pentatonic over three strings just using your thumb to start. This helps increase your accuracy in hitting the A and D strings. Do this exercise in quarter notes.
Then try the exercises using eighth notes and pluck a muted G string on the upbeat after every note. This will get the hand rocking back and forth between lower and upper strings. Start slow, go for accuracy and the speed will follow. Remember to stay loose and take a break if hand starts feeling tight or cramped. Good luck.
treena, what are those things that that guy is using? ive seen someone use them in concert before and i was totally confused.
No. This is no slapping. These are "funk fingers", small drumsticks attached to the fingers. The technique is almost the same as fingerstyle.
I think what Jimbob said is practicing rhythms (on a table) with the usual slap technique, but using a drumstick to hear what you're doing.
They are a lot of different way to slap.
find the most comfortable for you.
Practice a lot, try to do dofferent drum patterns.
Kick=Thumb
Snare=Pointer finger or middle or both.
Fretting hand technique will come naturally.
find the most comfortable for you.
Practice a lot, try to do dofferent drum patterns.
Kick=Thumb
Snare=Pointer finger or middle or both.
Fretting hand technique will come naturally.
I respectfully disagree!
There is a proper technique for slapping and it is not neccessarily how you feel most comfortable.
For example, some people slap with their thumbs almost at a right angle to the strings. You can get to a certain standard playing this way, but in the end it will limit you once you get into more advanced techniques.
I'd advise WATCHING other pople play slap bass, as well as listening.
A good, traditional slap technique, in my opinion, is very important if you want to actually be any good at it.
I'm not any good at it, I just try hard!
Theres an amazing trick by victor wooten where he slaps, but his thumb goes 'past' the string so that he can then pop the string on the rebound to play 2 notes in one go and play faster than speedy gonzales at a cheese convention. Since hearin about it ive tried for days but im no closer to getting there
