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.. through the string or bounce back????
- Thread starter gai113
- Start date
I hit harder if i go thru the string, other wise I just bounce off of it. what part of your thumb is hitting the string?
I had that problem. I found if I hit it with my knuckle joint and quickly bounce my thumb off of the string, it'll sound. Also, keep your hand very loose and relaxed. If you keep it real stiff and let it just sit over the string, it'll get that clanky muted sound.....
Both... depending on application. Regular slapping I bounce off but if I'm doing something with a double thumb, ya gotta go through so you're in position to bring it back up. Make sense? Also, there's more to it than just banging the string. Your left hand (assuming you're a righty) plays a part as does the palm on your right hand. Hope that helps ! Good luck !
straight through, without the bounce. i also have my students go watch marcus miller and larry graham videos instead of flea.
the position he keeps his hand though allows to go both ways since he does occasionally double thump. you look at guys that slap like flea at that angle and a double thump aint going to happen.
If you slap through the string you're not bringing your hand back to the "ready" position as quickly, thus it's not very efficient. Your thumb should slap the strings against the fretboard in a way that the recoil of your hand is seemingly faster than the attack.
Just keep practicing over and over until you find a way to pull your thumb back quick enough to allow the string to vibrate.
Just keep practicing over and over until you find a way to pull your thumb back quick enough to allow the string to vibrate.
+1 on all who said both. I bounce off if I'm playing fast slap patterns and plucking a lot, but I love the feel of following through and coming to rest on the next string as well. Also very good points about following through to set yourself up for the double thump, which isn't nearly as hard as many people seem to think. Just keep an open mind-- there's almost always more than one way to perform a technique.
One of my favorite demonstrative videos, from Marcus himself -
Double-thumbing
But yeah, both would be the proper answer.
Double-thumbing
But yeah, both would be the proper answer.
the trick is to learn both, in slow, heavy runs, slap thrugh, in quick syncopated rhythms learn to bounce, learning to slap through is better cause your already halfway to learning to double thump
It's not that I'm a big expert on slap, but what I've noticed that moving thump through and resting it on the next string gives a deeper thicker sound whereas when you bounce off you sound sharper and lighter, a bit harsher. Also, when slapping through, I can mute strings with thump root knuckle after thump passed the string.
I got really good at slap when I learned to slap 16th notes with my thumb. When I do this I am not 'playing' every note but rather muting a lot of them and play syncpated 'funk' note patterns. I think it's a great exercise to do this because it forces you into good technique because otherwise you can't do it.
