I have been wondering for a long time if you can slap a fretless bass. being primarily an upright player, I am really comfortable with a fretless bass, but I have been attempting to learn some slap style playing. that being said, can I play the slap on a fretless, or would i need a new guitar?
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can you slap a fretless bass?
- Thread starter deepseabass
- Start date
Do you mean slap, like rockabilly slap? Or like slappin' and poppin'?
just asking as 'slap' means different things on the double bass and bass guitar....
just asking as 'slap' means different things on the double bass and bass guitar....
Then: yes. (And even if you'd said the other one, I'd also have said yes... just not quite as yessily)
- Jan 12, 2011
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yes and I also ask what for? Some actually sound very good when slapped. hey,you can drag race a family sedan if you want to but it defeats the purpose kind of. I say sing on a fretless, thump on a fretted.
You cannot. If you do, the fretless bass police will arrive at your door and confiscate your bass. They may replace it with a ukelele. I don't know why, but I've seen it go down that way. So be careful out there.
(+1 on the Bakithi reference, that whole album woke us all up to fantastic featured bass playing on a mainstream album)
(+1 on the Bakithi reference, that whole album woke us all up to fantastic featured bass playing on a mainstream album)
Here's a couple of other video searching around youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbXLdNes404
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2DlWn4BKUA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbXLdNes404
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2DlWn4BKUA
Just ask Les Claypool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4OhIU-PmB8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
His fretless CT doesn't seem to mind. Solo at 3:00.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4OhIU-PmB8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
His fretless CT doesn't seem to mind. Solo at 3:00.
Yes. You do have to be a little careful with force, unless you're cool with chewing up the body end of the fretboard, but as a little spice now and then it works just fine. Unless you are really outside the range of good technique, you probably won't be using enough force to do much damage, but eventually you will wear through the coating if you're doing it a lot on a coated fretboard. You won't get quite the metallic sound of a fretted bass...but it will still be percussive, just a lot more dry. It's actually good for your technique, because you have to be very clean with the thumb to get a tone.
Well, it appears you haven't heard of Michael Manring. Prepare yourself for a virtuostic treat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkkzzAjSxDs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkkzzAjSxDs
Yea, I was like this question has been very answered. Yes, you can slap the silly shi-t out of a fretless bass.
