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Creating slap grooves? Getting started.

mebusdriver

mebusdriver

Jun 11, 2001
900
23
42
USA, Warner Robins GA
#1
I've been playing for a little while and have messed around with some slap stuff but I'm just no good at coming up with slap grooves or licks. I feel like I don't have the basic understanding of where the slapped and popped notes belong in a line. Where the accents make the most sense and add the most flavor. Overall my technique is good I just need some inspiration.

Can anyone hook me up with some info on a good book or sight with some basic slap grooves to get me started on the building blocks of creating slap lines. Maybe even some musicians with some good PLAYABLE slap lines to learn and pull ideas from. :bassist: I'm not talking MM or Victor solos, I'm looking for BASSLINES. I'm interested in the groove and the foundation. Thanks.
 
#3
mebusdriver said:
I've been playing for a little while and have messed around with some slap stuff but I'm just no good at coming up with slap grooves or licks. I feel like I don't have the basic understanding of where the slapped and popped notes belong in a line. Where the accents make the most sense and add the most flavor. Overall my technique is good I just need some inspiration.

Can anyone hook me up with some info on a good book or sight with some basic slap grooves to get me started on the building blocks of creating slap lines. Maybe even some musicians with some good PLAYABLE slap lines to learn and pull ideas from. :bassist: I'm not talking MM or Victor solos, I'm looking for BASSLINES. I'm interested in the groove and the foundation. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Check out some Flea, too. Just listen to a lot of songs that have slap bass in them, then imitate it on your bass.
 
#4
geoffkhan said:
Check out some Flea, too. Just listen to a lot of songs that have slap bass in them, then imitate it on your bass.
Click to expand...

-1.

When looking for good models for slap grooves, flea is a no-no IMO. Check out some Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooteen. Though they may seem complex at first, a lot of that stuff is very simple. A great song to check out is "The SInister Minister". Learning the pattern of the song and working on the hand movement is great practice for beginnner slap.
 
#5
Whafrodamus said:
-1.

When looking for good models for slap grooves, flea is a no-no IMO. Check out some Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooteen. Though they may seem complex at first, a lot of that stuff is very simple. A great song to check out is "The SInister Minister". Learning the pattern of the song and working on the hand movement is great practice for beginnner slap.
Click to expand...

Not much of a Flea fan here, but he's pretty good at solid grooves and slap grooves and such.

Check out Oteil Burbridge, then. He's capable of some great slapping! Check out the album "The Stranger's Hand" with Oteil, Steve Smith, Howard Levy, and Jerry Goodman (yes, from Dixie Dregs!). One of my favs.
 
#6
To know when to pop or slap when creating lines?

I find Playing the slap/pop like similar to playing the drums Kick(slap) snare (pop) mostly the pops are on off-beats but for good effect try popping on the downbeat once in a while to mix it up
Again alot of creating licks come down to playing what you hear which means studying theory / ear training if you got that then you can create some melodic lines
 
#7
Jace The Bass said:
To know when to pop or slap when creating lines?
I find Playing the slap/pop like similar to playing the drums Kick(slap) snare (pop) mostly the pops are on off-beats but for good effect try popping on the downbeat once in a while to mix it up
Click to expand...

I agree...it would be totally boring & predictable to always hear a Thumbed note on the downbeat with a Popped note on the upbeat.
I tried searching for the Dave Larue stuff posted here(from old Bass Player Workshops); couldn't find them. Maybe a Google search would work("Larue Left Hand Slap").
Anyway, for inspiration, look for ways to slap/pop your grooves across the barline or attempt ODD groupings or DISPLACED figures(this will move the Thumbed notes & the Popped notes from their typical places).

Drum books are nice...example: Pick out a transcribed drum part(like Clyde Stubblefield) & play his kick & snare parts as a Slap/Pop bass figure. Then reverse...then maybe add Fretting Hand "Slaps" to accent.

Regarding Flea-
What he does on "Aeroplane" is really a building block for Slap/Pop.
In a 1/16th note groove, he is keeping his plucking hand in a constant Thumb-Pop motion while choosing notes & RESTS.
So-
l1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&al
The Thumb(obviously) plays the Large/Bold notes
The Pops/Plucks occur on the 'upbeats'(all the "e"s and "a"s).

Maybe practice the general Thumb-Pluck motion until it feels very natural.
Eventually, ACCENT only the "e" & "a"s...mute the "downbeat"/Thumbed notes.
(Again, keep the Thumb/Pluck motion going).

Then start substracting "notes" while adding RESTS or muted Pops.
l1-e&2e&-3-&-4e&al-e&-2-&-3e&--e&-l etc
 
#9
Whafrodamus said:
-1.

When looking for good models for slap grooves, flea is a no-no IMO. Check out some Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooteen. Though they may seem complex at first, a lot of that stuff is very simple. A great song to check out is "The SInister Minister". Learning the pattern of the song and working on the hand movement is great practice for beginnner slap.
Click to expand...


Although not my favorite, flea is a very solid player with some tasty grooves
 
#10
Yeah, to form basic groovy slap grooves, try using the theory of strumming guitar with slap and pop. If you've played any guitar, you'll know that basically you do downstrokes on the downbeat and upstrokes on the upbeat (that is between the beats). Transpose that idea to bass -- put slaps on the downbeat and pops on the upbeat. Just get a solid right-hand rhythm going, and then start putting in notes with the left hand. Be sure to leave in a lot of mutes -- that's what makes it funky.
 

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