The beautiful world of tapping!

[fat-bottom]

OK,
As a working musician I really can't see the need for this stuff.
I'm certainly not knocking it, but I'll continue to spend my practice time in theory, reading and harmony.

 

[Oysterman]

Yes, I can see why you think that. But it's a lot of fun to fool around with, and if you can incorporate it without letting it being dominant (and by that, disturbing?), it spices up things. Just like slap/pop, often not "needed" at all, but can be fun if done right.

Knowing theory and harmony is more important, I agree 100%. But you don't get as many "oooh"'s from the crowd by just knowing theory as when you tap or slap a 32nd note figure...

 

[ohmanohjeeze]

umm....what exactly is this so called "tapping" maybe i've heard it but just don't know it by name???? confusion!

 

[toolfanhere]

tapping is when you use the fretboard of the bass like a piano. you dont pluck, pick, or slap but rather press down on the frets like keys. its primarily used to play pieces of music that require a great amount of speed. go listen to "jerry was a racecar driver" by primus. its a fairly easy tapping song to learn for a beginner at tapping.

 

[Lovebown]

Originally posted by T Jay
Lovebown,
With all respect, please tell me when bass players need to be "all over the fretboard at once"? I primarily play one note at a time, because that's what the people who hire me want.
To me, "Think Piano" means hire a piano player. What tunes might I recognize, which have the bass player tapping through the song, not just on the solo?
I intend no sarcasim, I'm just trying to see if tapping is a useful skill for me to learn.
Thanks

Well, what the bass player needs and doesen't need to do is a subjective matter, but yeah, you probably won't get hired to do meat-and-potatoes or jazz or whatever because you can tap stu hamm stuff backwards, but it is a tool as Oysterman says to make stuff more interesting.

But on the other hand I should probably be spending time studiying theory and playing my scales rather than tapping, but hell. It's fun to tap em' frets

/lovebown

 

[Pacman]

Originally posted by Lovebown


It's fun to tap em' frets

/lovebown

And ain't fun what we're all doing this for?

 

[anon5458975]

Amen, Pacman.

 

[ohmanohjeeze]

oh that's what tapping is! haha. yeah i'm not good enough to do that crazy stuff

 

[Stingisanoldman]

There's a lot of debate here whether or not tapping is useful. Not that I'm a sage or anything but here's my point of view. Like I'm trying to be able to do as much as possible so as not to limit myself. If my band wants me to slap, I'll slap. If my band wants a good groove I'll try and set that up. If they want a jaw-dropping solo then I can try stuff like muting and tapping etc. Thing is the bass is the only instrument I know of that has so many different methods of playing. I think I'm going to taste 'em all...

Sting

 

[Zonplayer]

I agree with Sting on this one. Why limit your playing to certain techinques? But if you are content playing bass using standard techniques thats great. However, that is not why I play bass. I play bass because it is the most powerful, beautiful, lyrical instrument ever created and has unlimited possibilities. I want to utilize the sonic potential of the instrument.
Tapping widens the tonal spectrum of the bass, and is a great way to approach chording, and larger intervallic relations between bass and treble notes. In solo playing I often find myself approaching the bass in this way...the possibilities are endless!!!!!!