slap on a 5 string

[kkaarrll]

I love my gl l2500 tribute
I can play all sorts of stuff with it
the left hand makes sense for this old guitar player

the right hand does too with a pick

but

slapping

I can make the slap with the thumb, I can pluck with the index or the middle finger


I cannot find a dang way to keep the rest of the bass quiet


I can execute the octaves and slaps/plucks with them easily up and down the fretboard-----I just can't get it to shut up on the non used strings


suggestions?

Do I need a 4 string?

crap

 

[Andrew McGregor]

Left-hand muting; it's all about where you leave your spare fingers.

 

[pravus]

^^ Get a good feel for the strings under your left fingers and muting becomes automatic after a while. I make small adjustments to either lift off or slightly hold pressure on strings. It helps beyond slapping too. You'll probably find weird harmonics spots. Just play and focus and it'll come together.

 

[kkaarrll]

should I bar with my left index finger?

 

[Dug2]

gets even harder strung e-c!!! practice is all i can say here

 

[Andrew McGregor]

should I bar with my left index finger?

No, that will put too much tension in your hand. Just make sure and have some contact with the strings that are going to ring. If you're accurate, the lower strings shouldn't ring on much anyway.

 

[20db pad]

You have to use all sorts of muting techniques. Usually it's a combination of left hand muting (not necessarily barring), using the left hand thumb over the neck to mute, and sometimes the part of the forearm starting at the underside of your wrist.

 

[AngelCrusher]

Keep practicing. This is 100% a practice issue. There is no other way to develop the feel for your bass than logging the hours.

 

[Jrussblues]

if you have played an open d you can master muting the other strings. Just like the first open d you ever play sounded like crap, so will slapping until the mutes come naturally.

 

[Watchootognbout]

FretWrap.Why Fretwrap? | TalkBass.com

Helps to mute that sympathetic low B.

 

[Frenchy-Lefty]

I like to mute the B string with the tip of my left-hand thumb (actually it is my right-hand because I am a lefty but you get the idea).
If slapping was my main objective when playing bass, I'd probably emulate the masters like Victor Wooten or Marcus and play my 4 string Jazz bass. Especially that the B string rarely sound good when slapped.

 

[chungweishan]

If I'm playing an E to hi-E slap, my left-hand thumb mutes the B-string. If I'm playing any other note, then my index finger is barely touching the B-string, pressing down the note on the E-string, and slightly resting on the A-string. I prefer using my pinky for the octave, so it frets the octave note on the D-string, and slightly resting on the G-string.

Just in case, here's a relatively embarrassing video of me playing "Higher Ground." I'm going through a whole bunch of weird techniques, and I don't exactly recommend them, but it works comfortably for me.

 

[Watchootognbout]

then my index finger is barely touching the B-string, pressing down the note on the E-string, and slightly resting on the A-string. I prefer using my pinky for the octave, so it frets the octave note on the D-string, and slightly resting on the G-string.

This too!

 

[yoshi]

Practice practice practice. I play slap on a 6 string with 16mm spacing and don't have trouble hitting the right bits. In fact if I try on wide spacing/4 string I'll probably miss the target string(s) as it's what I'm used to.

Tips:
Make sure your thumb is parrallel to the strings and no breaching them in a perpendicular fashion as some players do and it'll make your technique much cleaner/more accurate (in my opinion).
Don't divebomb your slaps: keep the movements close and concise so you don't need to recallibrate your aim on each attack.
Also don't forget about right hand muting, ie using your slap-hand palm/side to mute as well as the left hand. This is something a lot of people overlook.
Practice all this sitting and standing, and while not looking, and also after a few beers.
Especially when starting, do not use any "add-ons" like string dampeners or effects; figure out how to get the cleanest tone before refining it.

Old video, but I had good targeting on a 6 string 16mm even after 6 Newcastle Brown Ales. Nothing too technical but good fun!

 

[AngelCrusher]

FretWrap.Why Fretwrap? | TalkBass.com
View attachment 627726
Helps to mute that sympathetic low B.

What size do you use?

 

[Mushroo]

To my ear, muting (or lack thereof) is one of the most obvious metrics for whether or not a player has actually taken lessons with a good teacher. A lot of self-taught players never learn how to mute properly, because it is one of those techniques that is "invisible" when strong players do it correctly; you only notice its absence when weaker players fail to employ it.

So, the obvious answer is, "find a local 5 string player who doesn't have this problem, and ask him or her to show you how to do it."

 

[Watchootognbout]

What size do you use?

Large.My five string bass is 1 3/4 wide at the nut.
You get three in a pack. for $29.00.