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In Defense of Slapping

#21
My approach to bass was always rhythm before harmony. The rhythm is what got me hooked and slap, by its very nature, emphasizes the percussive/rhythmic potential of the instrument. I also happened to be listening to a lot of Level 42 around the time I started to play bass so that definitely influenced how I perceived bass (even though I was also listening to a lot of non slap records). But I think a previous poster was right in suggesting that it depends, at least partially, on what was around when a person was growing up. If you grew up in the 70s or 80s (as I did) you heard slap bass all over the place - from funk to disco to fusion to top 40 pop - so it was just natural to approach bass that way. A lot of the slap you hear nowadays is all about licks - not texture. Man, Marcus Miller played on countless records with his thumb and it was all about texture, not speed and licks. I think there's a lot of pressure to be "fancy" while slapping but most of my favourite slap lines (Teena Marie's "Square Biz" comes to mind) aren't about flash at all and often feature plenty of space between the notes.
 
#22
I used to think that I hated slap because I always heard it in the context of some dude playing random overly syncopated clicks at 150mph.

Now I like it after hearing stuff like "POW" by larry graham and also the main grooves in "Blast" and "Run for cover" by marcus miller. Admittedly I still don't like marcus miller's slap solos, just his slap grooves.

Also noticed some older gospel players always using thumb just like anyone else would use finger style with a pop here and there, sounds good when done right.
 
#24
carvinbassplyr said:
Slapping is a great dynamic tool. The reason it gets a bad wrap is because of guys who just thump away without even knowing/caring what/how many notes they're playing.

.....that overly syncopated, speed-clicking is what tends to turn people off because of it's lack of melodic content/value.

Also because the rests are just as important as the notes in music.
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Spot on. It's about playing in a musically tasteful way - a rhythmic pulse, catchy phrasing with hooks, rests and letting it 'breathe', and communicating with listeners by saying something meaningful with the notes other than 'look at me'.


There's a big parallel with jazz - many soloists overplay at the expense of musicality and just plain good taste. But when you hear a good one...... :D


Once you've developed a smooth transition from fingerstyle to slap and back, you're set. You can seamlessly incorporate a note here and there, intensifying as the song develops. A great dynamic tool that adds edge to the song. eg. Thumb downstrokes with muted pops for edgy rock (that scooped 80's 'clank').
 
#26
I play metal and don't really see a need to slap but I recently found at that individual slaps are great for accenting rhythmic parts. Like when playing a simple gallop line I might slap the first note of a group and let it ring through the guitar wall, not everywhere but it helps peaking with the bass and locking with the drums when guitars are going super melodic and you don't want to step into that territory but anchor it down. With a suitably gnarly tone the slapped note growls like a beast!
 
#27
Great post! Thumping is cool.

Anyone who rules out a whole technique based on what kids in GC or on Youtube do is just ignorant.

Somebody on here was telling me a few weeks ago I should have taken up guitar because I disagreed with their opinion that music would be better off if all bass ever had been played by the Nashville session, middle-of-the-road root/5th collective. I wonder how people like that have any fun at all when they play..
 
#29
Official non-slap player here. Not because I don't appreciate it but because it's a technique that doesn't fit so much into the music I play. But when I am just jamming along and having fun, it is actually fun (for me) to slap.
I am by no means a "professional" musician in that I don't get paid or earn a loving playing music. I play because it's damn fun.
One thing that I think sometimes get lost in some of these discussions is the concept of "playing music to have fun."
Playing roots and fifths in the pocket can certainly be fun if the band is cooking. But I also think slapping is a fun technique to play around with and some people (mostly non musicians and especially non bass players) LOVE it when you slap. This is FUN to me.
Do I do it in the music I play, no. Because that's not part of blues and honkytonk that I mostly play. Is it hella fun to do and do people dig it ?yup!
So slap away!
 
#30
carvinbassplyr said:
Can't believe how late I am to this party, but here it goes. I grew up playing urban gospel where slap is the predominant technique. You pretty much come straight out the gate slapping, that's just how it was. As I grew musically and started to take music serious as a career this is what I found...Slapping is a great dynamic tool. The reason it gets a bad wrap is because of guys who just thump away without even knowing/caring what/how many notes they're playing. The more rhythmic you get, the more it chops things up (pun intended). Props to Wooten, we all know what he can do, but that overly syncopated, speed clicking is what tends to turn people off because of it's lack of melodic content/value. Also because the rests are just as important as the notes in music. The slap lines that made it into some of the top 40 classics did so because they breath, they're not mucked up with flamencos or double thumb+pluck pluck for measures at a time.
Click to expand...

I can not improve on these comments.
 
#32
AaronVonRock said:
Anytime I look up a product demo on YouTube and the guy starts slapping, I immediately go to the next clip. It's a big turnoff for me. Not a fan of the sound at all. I have the same reaction when I hear a guitarist do finger tapping.
Click to expand...

This. almost every demo/audio snippet for bass compressors features just slap bass. Not useful when you want to hear how it reacts to finger style playing steady 8ths.
 
#33
Yeh slap is in all my favourite porno's.
Whoops, did I say that out loud?
No I'm not one that has mastered the slap, in fact I suck. But I do appreciate a good slapper ;).
But sub par slapping and inappropriate slapping can drive you nuts.
 
#34
I would generally be in the non slapping crowd as I find it sound obnoxious when I do it put I continue to try and get better at it and throw a slap in every now and then. I like listening to guys and gals that do it well but I'm not one of them. Everything in moderation (even moderation).
 
#35
I hated slap playing because it was too hard and I never heard it included in any good music.

One man changed all that for me: Marcus Miller.

Tasteful, musical, powerful and soulful. Love it. I still don't listen to any other slappers but MM has inspired me to learn the technique, practice it, and use it tastefully here and there in certain tunes.
 
#36
Not really my cup of tea, so I never really spent much time working on it. I grew up playing covers in the disco era, so I had to get the fundamentals down, but it's not really appropriate for what I do now. The rest of the world can slap away and have a great time!

What I think is interesting is how many players just immediately go to it when there's any sort of bass break or solo. I do my share of soloing, but use a much different approach.
 
#37
My original bass hero was John Paul Jones. So I learned the "traditional" finger technique. But then when I was in high school a band came along called Primus. And this crazy bass player played the instrument in a way that blew my mind. I had to learn what that guy did! Well, here it is 25 years later and I'm still trying to master Les Claypool's style.

The man changed the way I play, and a big part of his style is slapping. But he also adds strumming, tapping, the triple finger gallop... he does it all. And he doesn't always use pentatonics or play in E.

I mention Claypool as an example of a guy that knows how to do it right. If it fits the energy and pace of the tune he'll slap. If not, he won't. And yes, he grooves his ass off. It may not fit these classic rock and funk guy's narrow view of what a groove "should" be but he's grooving man.

Anyway, I personally try to keep Claypool in mind when I play. He plays what's needed for the situation. So, I'm 100% pro slap.

By the way, the OP's original post is one of the most eloquently stated arguments for anything that I've ever read. Good job sir!
 
#39
I'm 57 and a funk and R&B player for life. And I can slap my azz off. My pet peeve is that folks make it their business almost to an obsession to hate openly on the technique. In contrast, the folks who slap never/hardly ever hate on any other technique. I think it's more of a True Colors type of deal rather than someone expressing their right to free speech. Take a poll and ask the right questions and you'll come up with the demographics fo shizzle.
 
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