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Anyone else find slap overrated?
- Thread starter hesham8
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+1. Well said!
Bottom line is we're all bass players. For any of us to knock each others' preferred or not preferred technique is ridiculous.
Post something more productive like guitarist\drummer\soundmen\singer\keyboard player bashing or tube vs SS or victor vs jaco or P bass vs all!
+1+1. Well said!
Bottom line is we're all bass players. For any of us to knock each others' preferred or not preferred technique is ridiculous.
Post something more productive like guitarist\drummer\soundmen\singer\keyboard player bashing or tube vs SS or victor vs jaco or P bass vs all!
This one time at band camp this guitard..........................
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
The dislike for what is termed as slap bass is the only bass technique that covers racial,social,moral and ethic grounds to the point that it brings out the true colors, of those who really have an issue with what really comes down to nothing more than another tool in our tool belt.
+1, DW and I are about the same age and grew up on Graham, Louis Johnson, Clarke, etc. Slap is in my DNA. Slap is not much in current r&b, but it will be back one day.
I think it's still around, though not really in the R&B genre as much. Look at all the non-R&B bands that use it constantly:
311
RHCP
Bow Wow Wow (already mentioned)
Incubus
Jamiroquai
Primus
Fishbone
John Mayer Trio
Etc.
Without the technique of slap, I guarantee these guys wouldn't be liked as much at all.
The masses still dig slap a lot. In my old Soul/Funk group, when I busted out the slap songs people ate it up.
Personal preferences of course, to each his/her own.
Personally I'm more interested in the melody, rhythm, and phrasing of a solo, not the attack technique.
I find that many slap/pop solos are heavy on the speed and percussion and light on the melody and phrasing. It's a nice effect when sprinkled around sparingly and when consistent with the group's groove, but when overused it just becomes boring and numbing. My 2 cents.
Personally I'm more interested in the melody, rhythm, and phrasing of a solo, not the attack technique.
I find that many slap/pop solos are heavy on the speed and percussion and light on the melody and phrasing. It's a nice effect when sprinkled around sparingly and when consistent with the group's groove, but when overused it just becomes boring and numbing. My 2 cents.
The first time I got into slap was in the mid to late 80's when I discovered Mark King, Stu Hamm, Stanley Clark and Flea. Over the course of 20 years I have practiced it. Played it in certin situations and marveled at some of the pro players who were so good at it. But as of lately meaning the past couple of years I have shyed away from it and tried to get my groove going better. I started listening to more R.B. and pop players like Paul S. Denman(Sade) and Jack Daley(Lenny Kravitz). A good friend of mine and may God rest his soul Scott Palmer showed me the way a few years ago that groove was the way to go. Flash is great but when it comes down to it in my opinion without that bottom end groove the music would be lost.
I disagree. While you won't hear it on the radio, R&B, Funk and Jazz and Gospel still utilize slap bass. Take a trip to Europe or Japan and you'll see and hear plenty of slap bass. If you're not finding it, you ain't looking hard enough for it. I own a ton of it!
I agree with the above that said overrated no, overused yes. It takes what it takes to get the song done and in some cases slap gets that done in a really groovy way. It's a technique and a tool just like any other.
I do enjoy slap in small amounts and with the right bassist. The problem I see is that most people in the general public think slap is the ultimate bass technique. Somehow it is seen as the master's technique and unless you can play slap, you are no good.
Always been a frustration to me and who hasn't come across someone in a jam session that says first thing to the bass player, DO YOU SLAP? :scowl:
Always been a frustration to me and who hasn't come across someone in a jam session that says first thing to the bass player, DO YOU SLAP? :scowl:
how can something like a technique be rated?
sure, one can like it or dislike it, with or without explanation, but who rates it?...it's analogous to asking who thinks chocolate is overrated--no ratings, just preference...unless someone actually keeps a running tally of points, which would make for interesting conversation
this being said, i like a lot of music wherein this techinque is employed and even featured...it's not a catch-all sound to me at all--larry sounds like larry, marcus sounds like marcus, etc...i watched a couple of videos of abraham laboriel yesterday, he slapped a phrase or two, and it was fantastic
sure, one can like it or dislike it, with or without explanation, but who rates it?...it's analogous to asking who thinks chocolate is overrated--no ratings, just preference...unless someone actually keeps a running tally of points, which would make for interesting conversation
this being said, i like a lot of music wherein this techinque is employed and even featured...it's not a catch-all sound to me at all--larry sounds like larry, marcus sounds like marcus, etc...i watched a couple of videos of abraham laboriel yesterday, he slapped a phrase or two, and it was fantastic
Sorry, I meant in the way Dr Cheese had put it. I agree it's still there, and probably more than ever. It's not the R&B mainstream like it was in the LG, or Louis Johnson days though. Then again R&B in general isn't much like that anymore.
The only thing ive ever liked it in is RHCP Mothers Milk album. Nobody Wierd Like Me is a great song.
I think it also comes in what type of circles you hang in! If you play with mature, well rounded bass players, you'll never have a problem with anyone overusing slap! If you hang with cats who think Flea or Victa Wooten is the end all of of bassdom, then you're hanging with the wrong cats. I don't have a problem with anyone asking if I can slap! I play what the song needs..........period! If that's not good enough, I'm in the wrong band! Buh bye!
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
Slap is not overrated... not by a long shot. Slap lines that are confused with a 5 min solo are common (among amatures). But slap done well and in the proper setting (like any technique) is a beautiful thing. BTW if you play Urban Gospel or Smooth/contemporary Jazz you can't avoid slap any more than you could fingerstyle. You simply need to know when and how to use it.
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