Learning Slap on a 4 vs. a 5?

[IotaNet]

I’ve picked up my bass after a 10 year layoff and have committed to learning some things I never could do before. One of them is slap.

I’ve always been a 5 string player and coincidentally have never been able to get the hang of slapping. Is this a technique better learned on a 4 string?

I know you can slap on a 5 (or even a 6), but for the baby steps I need to take, is it better to get a cheap, active 4 stringer to work on the basics?

Interested in your thoughts.

 

[ryco]

I pretty much learned slap on a 5 string because it was my first bass with active pups.
Because of the tighter string spacing meant it was a lot easier to slap once I bought an active 4.

 

[Reedt2000]

Wider spacing can make it a little easier to isolate the strings with your thumb and fingers, so in that way a 4 string might make it a little more instantly gratifying. But really you can play slap on any bass. If you're primarily a 5 string player then I'd just learn on your 5 string.

 

[smoothbrain]

IMHO One can slap on anything with at least one string. You just have to put in the required practice time to learn how to do it.

 

[GMP]

Naw. Go buy a 4 string. Then you will have another bass. Having another bass is always a good thing.

 

[IotaNet]

Naw. Go buy a 4 string. Then you will have another bass. Having another bass is always a good thing.

 

[Les Fret]

It’s easier on a 4 string because of the extra muting you have to do on a 5 string. But it is super doable on a 5 string as well. Just be careful with muting the B string with your left and also right hand/arm. You will get there. Good luck!

 

[sean_on_bass]

I’ve picked up my bass after a 10 year layoff and have committed to learning some things I never could do before. One of them is slap.

I’ve always been a 5 string player and coincidentally have never been able to get the hang of slapping. Is this a technique better learned on a 4 string?

I know you can slap on a 5 (or even a 6), but for the baby steps I need to take, is it better to get a cheap, active 4 stringer to work on the basics?

Interested in your thoughts.

you can learn on the 5, no problem. the only difference is sometimes slightly tighter string spacing, but that shouldn't stop you at the end of the day. With that said, some players may simply prefer using a 4 string vs a 5 for the style, but you can learn on whatever you have. No need to overthink it, just dive in.

 

[chris_b]

If you are going to play slap lines on a 5 string bass, learn on a 5 string bass.

If Bill Dickens can slap on a 9 string bass you can work out how to slap on a 5 string bass.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Wider spacing can make it a little easier to isolate the strings with your thumb and fingers, so in that way a 4 string might make it a little more instantly gratifying. But really you can play slap on any bass. If you're primarily a 5 string player then I'd just learn on your 5 string.

This. +1

If you are going to play slap lines on a 5 string bass, learn on a 5 string bass.

+1.

…… but if you’re legally struggling with slapping a 5er, then…..

Any bass needs to be set up properly with the right strings and action suitable to slap well on.
A cheap 4 string bass might be a dog to learn on. It needs to be a suitable for slap bass. Fresh strings sound better IMO.

Yes - you CAN slap on any bass, but go to a shop and ask for a bass that’s easier at for a beginner to slap on. Try a whole bunch and compare. You’ll know pretty quickly if you find it noticably easier straight off the bat.

I learned 4 before 5 string. If I had trouble learning a song on the 5, I’d learn it on the 4 first, then transfer it to the 5.

Same with Fretless bass. I could learn a new song in days on a fretted bass, but it’d take weeks to transfer that knowledge across to the Fretless bass. Over time that transfer time got much shorter and I often went straight to learning something on the Fretless first. YMMV.

 

[Les Fret]

you can learn on the 5, no problem. the only difference is sometimes slightly tighter string spacing, but that shouldn't stop you at the end of the day.

I agree. String spacing is a bit overrated I think. I do a lot of slapping on my 14mm spacing six string and even on my electric guitar. No problem there. You can basically slap on anything that has strings. It's just a matter of getting used to it. But I know that might not go for everyone.