People who whine about slapping

[bassdude51]

 

[Sparkl]

Remembering that this thread was originally posted on the double bass side of the house, this was not trolling. Just informational.

Carrion.

Yeah, apologies for that, upon reading further down I also realized that, my bad.

 

[Fynn]

When you are on a stage, you are generally one of two things. Either you are a musician hired to play a very specific part and most deviation from that would not be very well received, or you are a musician more in the role of an entertainer. The latter generally has some more artistic liberties. If you are in the role of the entertainer, you generally are the reason why people came to begin with. That's the sort of moments where you can let all out with a nasty thumping and plucking riff, that doesn't even have to be strictly fitting in a musical sense, but people will still be stoked.
If you are hired to play music that does not contain any slap, then people will most likely not enjoy it very much, or atleast be sort of indifferent to it.
Ofcourse the line between those two scenarios can be very blurry, but in most cases the bassist is supposed to serve the song and slap just doesn't always fit that well...

Either way, I love thumping and plucking. Most of what I do when I noodle around by myself, is exactly that. It just gives me joy. The fact that we as bassists have an instrument that is so incredibly versatile, is half the reason why I love playing so much. I do however try to keep a sensible rhythm going, even when I'm just noodling around. I'm not constantly trying to do the fastest and most flashy lines possible. And I definitely don't neglect my finger picking.
I would say, when it comes to just playing what comes to mind at random, 50% of it is slap, 40% is finger picking, and maybe 10% is with a pick.

 

[SpankBazz]

Moved to BG.

Thank you.

 

[HeavyJazz]

Avishai Cohen. If I want some cool bass slappin', he's a gas to watch and listen to.

 

[devnulljp]

Great, now we're going to get into the age-old Tsugaru vs. Shinnai bachi style (Of course, real shamisen players play only kouta with their fingers!) argument.

 

[Masbutch]

Have you really thought? I think the "Sure, he can play some flashy licks, but let's hear him play some REAL bass with a band!" boogie man only exists in music forums. How do you come across that? Do you corner the kid slapping at Guitar Center and demand that he play some ZZ Top?

Yes for real! In fact last week I was talking to a band needing a bass player and their biggest complaint about the previous bass player was all he wanted to do was play slap bass and it didn’t fit the music. This is FAR from the first time I’ve heard of a similar situation

 

[Harper]

Yes for real! In fact last week I was talking to a band needing a bass player and their biggest complaint about the previous bass player was all he wanted to do was play slap bass and it didn’t fit the music. This is FAR from the first time I’ve heard of a similar situation

But that's probably more a case of expectations and communication than anything, right? I'm sure the guy could play simple, appropriate lines but was choosing not to. I know a dude who has played in bands for years and he'll start throwing random slappy stuff into (for example) Green Day songs. It's not that he's unable to play the part straight, it's that he's making a choice, good taste be damned.

 

[J Wilson]

It's like any other technique in the tool bag:. Used well in the right place, it's fabulous.

In the middle of 'Walkin' After Midnight', not so much. I actually saw this one night. Geez . . . not the 50's slapped upright bass/no drums as country records were recorded in those days, but someone fresh off the plane to NashVegas with an electric. Yep, gonna get into that country music . . .

For me, no chance of that, I'm USELESS at doing it. Tried and tried to get my hands around it, so far to no avail. Oh well.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

It's whines, all the way down.

 

[conttador]

Unfortunately.
It's very much a thing.
The great Anthony Jackson has gone on at length about how silly he thinks the technique is, which is interesting because there is great music that has come from it from very skilled players.

Anthony Jackson, that has been known to use a pick??

I’m not a pick guy and I certainly ain’t no Anthony Jackson so I’ll pass on passing judgment…

if you like playing finger style, slap, pick or w funk fingers go right ahead!

 

[brianrost]

Did we come up with a different conclusion than the previous 100 threads about this?

 

[Masbutch]

But that's probably more a case of expectations and communication than anything, right? I'm sure the guy could play simple, appropriate lines but was choosing not to. I know a dude who has played in bands for years and he'll start throwing random slappy stuff into (for example) Green Day songs. It's not that he's unable to play the part straight, it's that he's making a choice, good taste be damned.

I know they brought it up to him many times that it didn’t fit their original music hence why they were looking for some one new. Again it ties back into my point that all some guys want to play is the same old slap and it doesn’t fit all types of music

 

[Harper]

Again it ties back into my point that all some guys want to play is the same old slap and it doesn’t fit all types of music

Agreed!

 

[bassGtar]

We get it. You don't like it.
Go somewhere and do what makes you happy.
I don't ever hear anyone asking guitarists not to play with distortion.
It's not going anywhere.
Please get over yourself.
That's all.
*steps off soapbox*

Dude, whatever makes you slaphappy, do it. Be proud of your slapping, but please stop whining. TalkBassLand belongs to all of us and we all have the right to be here and have our opinions. I don’t like it either when people make broad statements like, “I don’t like slapping”, “I don’t like rapping”, or “I hate Spanish music”. They close themself off to new experiences. But it’s their bad, and it’s no skin off my ass.

Distortion, that’s another matter!

 

[DaveParker39]

who exactly is complaining?
if you're slapping your way through My Way by Frank Sinatra that's on you

 

[MtManiac]

I'm having trouble understanding what you're not understanding.

I don't keep a log book of every time someone has criticized me. I've been told not to play a pick by other bass players, by guitar players, and by other instrumentalists, both on gigs and in jam situations, and just in offhand conversation.

I'm not sure what's selling to you that I "really identify with slapping". I simply think that some people (mostly non-bass players) pigeonhole the bass guitar into this conservative ideal that a "proper bass player" consists of a Fender Precision Bass into a Fender amp played finger style with a bassline consisting of 8th note roots, or fifths if you want to spice it up.

That description is hyperbolic, but it's indicative of how some people (mostly non-bass players) think about the instrument... and I don't care for that kind of thinking. That is the point that I am making when I say that it's nobody's concern but mine that I play with a pick (or slap, or use pedals, or use a funky bass, etc)

Ok.

Similarly, I’m having a hard time understanding what the problem is.

 

[IamGroot]

TROLL HUNTER 60MM 8FT

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I'd like to have an argument, please.

Sorry, this is the verbal abuse department. Arguments are downs the hall, room 7B…

 

[Killing Floor]

Jaco didn’t need to whine about slapping…

has anyone said that yet? Too lazy to look at all the pages but this is probably the most important and interesting post. I think you’re going to agree.