is this slap technique ok? (ex-cellist)

that is tapping.

 

Welcome to TalkBass!

That was tapping (kind of) in your video. Here's the thing. I realize you are really excited about trying all kinds of techniques on the bass. But stuff like that probably won't get you a gig. Learn how to play "regular" first. Then throw in other techniques for fun.

 

Check out PlayBassNow.com, by MarloweDK.

 

+ 1 for Marlowe. here is a good video. Remember to rotate at the wrist, but to not move the rest of your arm around.

 

This is close to one style of slap that I saw ... but the way you're doing it you seems to make what many people call false harmonics by tapping the fret making the harmonics jump out.

check this guy out ... quite close to you :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLyV5JLvxM0
run the video at 2:30

and well ... all this talk about it won't give you a gig and bla bla bla ... those guys are old rocker playing the same old cover ... you can use whatever technics when you are in an original band and the crazier the better if you ask me ...

check this japanease band, they have a lot of slap bass line and even tapping in this one ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7deLeYaepA
(by the way there is a very funny joke at the start if you can stand the first 2min of cheezyness)

 

Outer space man, that is really happening in a far out way.
Really cool.

 

its not necessarily slap but its cool!

 

In contrast to the cello, there are people still alive today who were born before the bass guitar was invented. It's a very young instrument, and I tend to believe that the techniques are still being invented.

What you're doing sounds cool. It's not tapping. Tapping is when you use hammer-ons and pull offs to finger notes with both hands, using sufficient force to render a plucking hand unnecessary. What you're doing is essentially slapping, but with a different part of your hand, and much farther down the neck than most would do it. As Clef de fa has pointed out, this is causing harmonics to ring out at times. This is cool if you can control it and do it at will. It's less cool to me (though arguably still valid) if the harmonics are coming randomly.

I would also caution that slapping this way exclusively will cut you off from well-established slap techniques that will allow you to play more complex ideas. My suggestion would be to continue experimenting with this technique, but also take some time to learn more conventional slap technique.

 

Another MarloweDK fan, here. His slap DVD is the worth the bucks, IMO.

Scott DeVine's got a good slap lesson on his site, ScottsBassLessons.

And Walt Finnerty (phillybass101, here) has just made a DVD available from his slap clinic.

 

looks a bit like the way Jayen Varma or Quintin Berry slap, and they seem to do ok!