Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Slap bass: anyone else over it?
- Thread starter adamsmatthewj
- Start date
- Status
+1
People can overplay with ANY technique (i.e. - Billy Sheehan with plucking is a great example), so we need to blame the player not the technique. Interestingly enough, Billy hates pop/slap as well because it "Reminds [him] of disco music when they were replacing live bands with jukeboxes in clubs"....what??
It's funny because Billy sounds like bees in a jar!
Yeah no I love Billy. Rock star and all around super nice guy. We like what we like!
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
I experiment with using it in subtle ways, but it rarely makes it into the final product (my decision, I just like picks better, even when getting funky). I see no reason for others who know how to do it and deliver it not to use it though.
I play in a Rush tribute band and slappin da bass is definitely not part of my repertoire. A little pop here and there adds flavor though.
It is the "sweep" of the guitar solo. When a guitar play sweeps through his solos I get board with it quickly. When he sweeps from note to note here and there I appreciate it.
Same with slapping. Love the flavor. Less is more!
It is the "sweep" of the guitar solo. When a guitar play sweeps through his solos I get board with it quickly. When he sweeps from note to note here and there I appreciate it.
Same with slapping. Love the flavor. Less is more!
One of the reasons I love this instrument is its ability to straddle the lines between melody and rhythm. Slapping is often a valuable tool to emphasize the latter. Just because you associate it with cheesy 80s music or Guitar Center wanking doesn't mean it is any less valid. The musicality is a product of the player, not whether s/he is using fingers, pick, thumb, or a combination of the above.
Personally, I never cared for it much, neither listening to others or doing it myself. Live and let live though - others love it and do it well.
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
- 4,433
- 537
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
I rarely slap (old blues dog), but can enjoy it when done well, or dislike it when not. Same goes for ANY technique. I don't get the hate I see for it sometimes. Just yesterday I was listening to some Victor (Flecktones) and was totally into it. YMMV, big deal. Life's to short to be bitchin' at the little stuff!
I will slap from time to time and i try to work a couple minutes of it in when i practice on my own. I use it for fills in a bunch of songs. But at the same time were writing our 4th album and the longest slap part I've had on any song was maybe 30 seconds. You don't have to slap like your living in the 70s or 80s. Tesseract is a new band I'm pretty into that uses slapping very tastefully. If you haven't checked them out i would look them up. Their bassists doesn't use slapping to "show off" his slapping parts are actually very simple and mostly used to add groove and dynamics.
Look up : Tesseract Nocturne on YouTube. You might not even catch his little slapping accents the first listen, but stuff like that is awesome IMO. They are a very cool band i think a lot of people would be into if they checked them out. Plenty of meshuggah type rythmic madness that keeps your head bobbing, great djent and post metal flavors thrown in the mix, plus the vocals are not expected. Its like if the singer from 30 seconds to mars was kidnapped by meshuggah and forced to write music. Very tasteful use of slap bass and his little bit here little bit there use of slap is what separates that bass player from all the meat and potatoes bass players that can be kinda boring to listen to in heavier music.
Look up : Tesseract Nocturne on YouTube. You might not even catch his little slapping accents the first listen, but stuff like that is awesome IMO. They are a very cool band i think a lot of people would be into if they checked them out. Plenty of meshuggah type rythmic madness that keeps your head bobbing, great djent and post metal flavors thrown in the mix, plus the vocals are not expected. Its like if the singer from 30 seconds to mars was kidnapped by meshuggah and forced to write music. Very tasteful use of slap bass and his little bit here little bit there use of slap is what separates that bass player from all the meat and potatoes bass players that can be kinda boring to listen to in heavier music.
I'm not a big fan of slap in general, but it has its place. To me it's like the bass equivalent of double-tapping or super-fast multi-octave runs on guitar; it gets old fast, but if you use it sparingly it can be a really cool way to spice up a song.
slapping was made to test out basses, and perhaps impress non bass players while annoying bass players
Well it was annoying at last year's NAMM. It seemed like every player was trying to impress me with their slap, and when heard all over the convention center constantly for a few days I was ready to wear a "No Slap" t-shirt.
But I agree, it is a technique, something to add to your bad of tricks, and used when needed. Overdone it does seem to be a bit of bass-turbation, but so is most any other technique when it is all the player chooses (or can) do.
But I agree, it is a technique, something to add to your bad of tricks, and used when needed. Overdone it does seem to be a bit of bass-turbation, but so is most any other technique when it is all the player chooses (or can) do.
- Status
