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Can't slap/pop to save my life

#41
there are some really good instructional vids on youtube on slapping. victor wooten's come to mind immediately, especially the one that focuses on the double/triple thump bit. even after playing for almost 20 years, i caught onto stuff that i had never considered before.

listen to some RHCP. not the really early stuff - way too busy. thier cover of higher ground is a classic. suck my kiss is almost all thumb ... learn that, the way flea played it, and it will help your technique a lot. especially switching between thumb and fingers, and phrasing in general.

if you try to go too fast to soon, you will just get frustrated. it took me a few years before i could play higher ground right. now i catch myself thumbing tunes that years ago i would have played with a pick, or fingerstyle. sometimes the "bounce" factor just lets the pocket get a little deeper, and makes it easier to hold a groove.
 
#42
As for the question of whether or not slapping is "necessary," are effects really "necessary"? We use them because we like the way they sound! A lot of people slap because they like the way it sounds. I've loved slap since Larry Graham's work on Sly's "Thank You", and no amount of YouTube showoffs is ever going to change that. Is not what you use, but how you use it.
 
#43
The bass really can make a world of difference (when it comes to slap). Not to discourage you, but I've had non-bassists pick up my bass and slap pretty convincingly. Once you have a bass that can provide you with a decent slap sound you will find things a lot easier (you've already mentioned that the bass at school makes it easier for you to slap). The basics of slap technique are very straightforward and require only that you have an appropriate instrument and some perseverance. But if you aren't getting the sound you want when you strike that open E with the side of your thumb then it's probably the bass itself (or a dead string) that's holding you back. If you can, go to a shop and try out a bunch of different basses. See how much of a difference the bass itself makes and at least then you'll have a better idea of where you stand.

As for the all of the anti-slap comments, grow up. If you can't see the difference between the technique and how it's sometimes applied then you have a problem. If you play in a cover band that focuses on 70s or 80s funk and you can't slap then chances are your time in that band will be short. If you aim at being a professional sideman on bass, why would you deliberately lock yourself out of potential working situations by not equipping yourself with certain knowledge regarding basic playing techniques? I'm imagining that most of the anti-slappers here don't make their living as sidemen... :rollno:
 
#47
Double Agent said:
The slap hate here blows my mind. The OP wants to learn to do it, so who cares about your personal opinion?
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If it weren't for personal opinion there would be pretty much nothing to post here.

As for my opinion I don't hate slap, but I don't get upset or offended in the least if someone else does hate it.

It is like which is better chocolate or vanilla. I like both.

There is a real intolerance here sometimes. We need to allow others to express their opinions and not feel threatened by those opinions that are different from ours.

I play Rics some people hate Rics ... soo what?
I play Fenders some people hate Fenders ... again so what!

Get the point?
 
#48
theworldismad said:
You can't Slap and Pop? Good. Its not necessary.
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It's not necessary to play with a pick either, but some do, because they want to get a different sound.


Come on guys !! :rollno:

The OP asked a legitimate question about how to improve at slap/pop, not your opinions on the technique itself. If you dont like it, fair enough, but at least try advise a guy who wants to learn it.
 
#50
while i cant respond individually to every, i thank you all for your input

kreider204 said:
To the OP, are the any particular slap songs you were interested in learning?
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I've started listening to some more funky songs that involve slap/pop to try and learn a technique. There are a couple of songs by RHCP that I do like, but mainly what I want to go for is a way to spice up what I know and build on it.

And I also started listening to Les Claypool recently. I know that playing some of his stuff is like trying to run before you walk, but I've become pretty good at Tommy the Cat:

 
#51
GregPlaysBass said:
And I also started listening to Les Claypool recently. I know that playing some of his stuff is like trying to run before you walk, but I've become pretty good at Tommy the Cat:
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No doubt that's a really cool lick and a cool tune. I might not recommend it for a guy learning to play slap, though, because it's a bit of a party trick and you can't really hear what the notes are. But, you like it, so totally keep liking it and learning from it.

A really, really great recording that is full of excellent slap playing is Level 42's "A Physical Presence", a live album from 1984. Aside from some of the keyboard voices, I find that the music has aged pretty well, so unless you completely hate 80s music, you may find a lot to like in it. It was recorded before most of the songs that received airplay in the States were written, and on the whole the music is much more aggressive than people expect. The bass is way, way up in the mix and very midrange forward, which a)is different from most other Mark King recordings, and b)makes it really easy to hear and learn from. Highly recommended.
 
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#53
Double Agent said:
The slap hate here blows my mind. The OP wants to learn to do it, so who cares about your personal opinion?

As far as job security = no slapping, couldn't be further from the truth. A true professional should be proficient, at least, in as many styles as possible...slapping included. I have been asked to do it more often in more than one band, my current bandleader and I butt heads because he wants slapping in too many songs. Admittedly, we play a lot of 70s/80s funk, but still. I know a lot of guys overdo it, but when done tastefully and in the right context, it is an awesome style.

Also, Larry Graham is cooler than anyone in this thread. So, OP, do not let the negative threads discourage you. Spend the time to get slapping right. Even if you never use it in a professional context, at least you will have the security of knowing you can do it if it's ever called for.
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Thank you! My thoughts exactly. So many haters.

Since when is knowledge and being a more versatile bass player a bad thing?

You guys are nuts. And more importantly, if the OP asked how to improve his playing, why in the world do you think he gives a sh!t if you don't like slap? Just stay shut so that those that are looking for information related to the OP's question don't have to sort through countless posts of people hating on slap. It just clogs up what could otherwise be a very useful and helpful thread. Just shut the hell up if you don't like slap.
 
#56
FilterFunk said:
As for the question of whether or not slapping is "necessary," are effects really "necessary"? We use them because we like the way they sound! A lot of people slap because they like the way it sounds. I've loved slap since Larry Graham's work on Sly's "Thank You", and no amount of YouTube showoffs is ever going to change that. Is not what you use, but how you use it.
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+1

And I love Thank You!
 
#59
i started with octaves ala Larry Graham
then more syncopation ala Louis Johnson
then Gospel ala Fred Hammond
then melodic ala Marcus Miller
then virtuosoistic ala Victor Wooten

favorite slap/pop song ............... "Glide" by the band Pleasure.

hope this helps
 

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