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Do you Slap? if show how much?
- Thread starter SamJ
- Start date
I'm quite proficient at slapping, and do ocasionally use it when I'm playing, but when I slap when playing live I can barely hear the "pluck" of the string, I can barely hear it, so I feel like I'm not quite sure of what I'm playing. However, when I do hear myself in a live situation, I really like to slap from time to time to add some spice.
thanks for all the responses and the poll fellas... it's about what I expected.. I too am in the dabble but not proficient though I wish I was... I seem to have the speed and thumb technique down, but I'm not able to get a good groove nor am I able to get a 1/2 or 1/4 note with my thumb consistently.. so in effect, I don't use it other than in the shed when I play alone..
I do appreciate that we kept this somewhat civil... slap has it's place for sure, I listen to many types of music and some of it has slap style... nobody says you have to be an expert in slap to be a true bassist, nor should anyone judge you if you prefer it as a technique.
I do appreciate that we kept this somewhat civil... slap has it's place for sure, I listen to many types of music and some of it has slap style... nobody says you have to be an expert in slap to be a true bassist, nor should anyone judge you if you prefer it as a technique.
I voted "dabble but proficient", but im not sure that's not 100% true.... I would say "proficient and used occasionally" as in maybe 5% of the time ill actually use it...nothing wrong with either, but doing modern pop music there isn't too much call for that, unless your playing playing "uptown funk" from Bruno mars..and again that maybe 5% of the song if that...
I really enjoy slapping in small doses. I view it as a technique like a hammer on, a little glad to accent the overall sound. But I can't listen to an hour of slapping. I use 4 fingers on my plucking hand (thumb to ring) ,so I'm conversant. I prefer plucking and I can exert incredible force or torque or pounding to get the tone I'm looking for. I have yet to snap an E string but not from lack of trying.
You should check out the Doug wimbish video, he has a weird technique he calls flamenco slap, its kinda like popping technique except it only really works on the E string, he can do it fast too!!
So, some one who has no interest in something or even dislikes it is insecure. Really?
Lemme rephrase. It's OK to NOT enjoy a face shredding guitar/bass solo. However, to assert superiority and decry an exposition of sheer skill as something lame that needs to fall into obscurity makes the author look either, unlikely, ignorant, or likely, insecure.
In other words, "Never really cared for slap" isn't equivalent to "slap is so overused and cliche, it needs to die". Why would you desire the death of a technique, lest you were pissed at your own ineptitude to execute it? And, if you just never wanted to learn the technique because it wasn't relevant to your play style/genre, why would you express such a strong opinion on it? And just because something is overused, does it make it lame?
I won't pull assertions lest the OP is transparent.
Dabble. Proficient.
Which are both lies. I only "dabble" because the cover songs I do don't call for slap, yet I'll slap/pop any chance I get. And I'm not "proficient" because I don't attempt the double-thumb technique. Every time I practice is it feels like I'm going to rip my thumbnail off. I'd like to not do that. I'm very sure it's because I don't have the technique down at all. Sort of a circular problem of failure.
I just don't slap frequently in songs unless I'm bored at practice.
I like slap bass, because I like the percussive sound. It has it's place in certain songs, and not in others. I'm okay with that. I'm not mad my band doesn't play more slap bass songs, or pick songs, or finger plucking songs.
I think bassists should learn a minimal amount of the technique, as they should with all techniques but it's not necessary. If you're happy not doing it, remain happy.
Which are both lies. I only "dabble" because the cover songs I do don't call for slap, yet I'll slap/pop any chance I get. And I'm not "proficient" because I don't attempt the double-thumb technique. Every time I practice is it feels like I'm going to rip my thumbnail off. I'd like to not do that. I'm very sure it's because I don't have the technique down at all. Sort of a circular problem of failure.
I just don't slap frequently in songs unless I'm bored at practice.
I like slap bass, because I like the percussive sound. It has it's place in certain songs, and not in others. I'm okay with that. I'm not mad my band doesn't play more slap bass songs, or pick songs, or finger plucking songs.
I think bassists should learn a minimal amount of the technique, as they should with all techniques but it's not necessary. If you're happy not doing it, remain happy.
Yes.I slap every minute.I am very good at slapping only in E without any rational thought,just pure muscle memory.I try to sound like 70's porn movie music because it is my favorite!
drool
drool
Yeah, I slap all the time. Because:
It's fun.
The band love it (and dance).
The crowd love it (and dance).
It works, stylistically, for the music I play.
I play fingerstyle too, and often mix both into the same line. As I usually point out in these threads, the only people I've encountered really who don't like slapping, are other bassists on Talkbass.
It's fun.
The band love it (and dance).
The crowd love it (and dance).
It works, stylistically, for the music I play.
I play fingerstyle too, and often mix both into the same line. As I usually point out in these threads, the only people I've encountered really who don't like slapping, are other bassists on Talkbass.
In what context is it overdone? Guitar Center? Hardly a professional environment! Where else? Youtube vids? Hardly a professional environment! Where else? I find it odd that you have Marcus Miller listed as one of your teachers!
Carry on.
- Oct 18, 2012
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- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
I've seen Marcus Miller and it was a great show. However, I did find the constant slapping to be boring after a while. I think slap can add to a song when it's done in limited amounts but it seems that many modern players feel like they have to slap in order to be considered valid as a bass player.
I noticed the people who can't slap are the people who do not like slap.
I use the most effective tecnique I can for the song i am playing. And I slap the hell out of my bass. My audience does not care if I play a 1/16 note run with my thumbfingers, or a pick.
I use the most effective tecnique I can for the song i am playing. And I slap the hell out of my bass. My audience does not care if I play a 1/16 note run with my thumbfingers, or a pick.
Or, maybe many modern players slap, like many old school players before them, because they enjoy it and it's awesome.
It's not ubiquitous like it was 30 years ago, that's for sure. These days you could definitely spend a night walking up and down the street and not hear much slap coming out of the clubs.
On the other hand, it's still prevalent in smooth jazz, gospel, and commercial jingle music, genres that employ a lot of bass players. Plus I've yet to see a wedding band with a half-decent book that wouldn't reasonably require the bass player to play a little slap bass.
So it all depends on where you're looking. And if a guy wants to be a gigging bassist who doesn't always get to pick what he plays, it's a good thing to have a little slap in the repertoire.
I grew up during the time when slap bass was at its hottest, so it's in my DNA a bit. I'll be the first to observe, though, that when most players hit the slap, they stop caring much about note choices and things get octavey-pentatonickey real fast. Therefore boring, to my ears.
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