"Slappa da baaaass! Right! Slappa da baaaass!"

[nutdog]

I hear it occasionally. More often it's "I dig the way your p bass with flats cuts through the mix" or "Your tube amp feels so great and your matched cabs sound the same throughout the room. Is that real tort?"

They're trying to find common ground to engage you. Smile and be nice.

 

[Mike Sorr]

Why does everyone say this when I mention bass guitar? Generally I don't really respond to this because there's just not much to say but it just seems to encourage people to say it again and again. Is this a normal reaction? Does anybody else encounter this on a regular basis?

Yeah, this has been yelled at me, usually by a guy drooling into his 10th Jack and coke, or by someone who wouldn't know a bass amp from a transistor radio. Words can not describe how much I despise it.

 

[barry irwin]

Why does everyone say this when I mention bass guitar? Generally I don't really respond to this because there's just not much to say but it just seems to encourage people to say it again and again. Is this a normal reaction? Does anybody else encounter this on a regular basis?

Those are the kind of people that are impressed by slap solos. Its there definition of what bass players are suppose to do.Slap has nothing to do with actually playing bass as a role but if you had to asking any or most of these to pick out the bass when a bass player is performing the traditional role of the bass they probably would not be able to.Sad but true

 

[Facebook user]

I don't think most of them even know what slap means.

 

[Plutonium244]

When you play upright, you get a similar line, but they are referring to this (just as irritating IMO):



Not that there's anything wrong with tap dancing....

It is a cool bass line:

That's excellent, thanks.

 

[bassbooty]

That reminds me of a Tom & Jerry video I remember watching back when I was a kid before I ever played the bass. It's Tommy the Cat playing the upright bass and soulfully singing as he serenades a female:

 

[tuba_samurai]

That's my favorite episode!

 

[superheavydeathmetal]

That reminds me of a Tom & Jerry video I remember watching back when I was a kid before I ever played the bass. It's Tommy the Cat playing the upright bass and soulfully singing as he serenades a female:

She's way better than that tramp who made Tom lay down on the train tracks.

 

[Woofer]

I think it's hilarious. What's to get upset about?

 

[superheavydeathmetal]

I hate slap. Got really good at it then realized it's pointless in majority of music and makes the other guys in the band mad.

To adapt a golf saying, you slap for show and fingerstyle for dough.

 

[Jay2U]

 

[orange joe]

Unfortunately I too hear this bloody saying every so often.I don't respond when I hear it.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

I tend to hear it far too often amongst non-musicians...it's especially painful the two times I've been chatting up some pretty girl at a bar and am about to try to get her phone number when she finds out I'm a bassist and launches into that "Slappin Da BBBAAASSSSSS!".

The musicians I hang out with know not to say it.

 

[noahw1]

I hate it! I either say nothing but give them a look that says "that's a really dumbass thing to say" or if I know the person I tell them in a nice way that it's not really a "cool" thing to say with utter disgust and disdain in my voice. I also let them know that no bass player worth his salt would ever say it.
Dumb movie! hahaha...actually I've never seen it but isn't it in reference to Geddy Lee who doesn't even slap? Oy vey.

 

[Cole Louis Allar]

slapping da bass right in yo face

 

[BostonJazz72]

I don't get offended at all when people say this to me. I think it is quite funny because they are trying to find some kind of common ground with you. I recently had a refin on my Fender Jazz Bass from Chicago Fret Works. I posted on my Instagram account thanking them and this is how they responded:

 

[madbass6]

I suggest just lol. what else can you do ! after all the rumor is laughter is the best medicine!!

 

[itsalljustaride]

I must be in some kind of minority here it seems in that not only have people said this to me many times, and never have I found it annoying, but in fact I actually love this movie and Paul Rudd....

Maybe I'm just lucky.

I had never seen the movie the first time I heard someone say this to me. I bought a bass off CL from a guy and his friend came along, and when they drove off his friend was yelling this out the window (they were younger). I was like, hmm, odd behavior for sure, but they're kids, soooo....

Then I saw the movie and it made sense, and I chuckled a bit.

 

[Facebook user]

It's not upsetting or offensive and I don't have an issue with people starting a conversation with me but it is pretty annoying and yelling the same sentence seven times in a row is a pretty poor attempt at starting a conversation. I'm sure some mean well but most seem to just like being loud and abrasive.

 

[Facebook user]

I don't hear "slappa da bass" and immediately become irritated. It's just that, because of the movie I suppose, everyone says it over and over and over again. I didn't realize that it being obnoxious was part of the scene though so maybe in the future that will change my perception.