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The Beef with Slap

#61
I think people have a beef with slap as it's a bit of a showey technique that is a bit out of date in popular music. I love to sit down at home & slap away for kicks, but in a band situation it's rarely used - had a band leader yell 'the 80's are over!' on one occassion. When I'm in a guitar shop, I'll slap away for a bit as it helps me think I sound impressive without a drummer or drum machine around :)
 
#62
ma4rk said:
I think people have a beef with slap as it's a bit of a showey technique that is a bit out of date in popular music. I love to sit down at home & slap away for kicks, but in a band situation it's rarely used - had a band leader yell 'the 80's are over!' on one occassion. When I'm in a guitar shop, I'll slap away for a bit as it helps me think I sound impressive without a drummer or drum machine around :)
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It is definitely not out of date, there are many bands and genre's where the technique is required just like 8th notes are in certain music and genre's.


When I slap I definitely don't sound like the 80's and I've been utilizing the technique since the late 70's.


There's definitely a lot of prejudice and deep rooted ignorance towards this technique
 
#65
beardedclam said:
There was a time when every bass player slapped and every guitar player tapped. I am glad those days are gone. Yes, it can be tastefull and some folks are pretty good at it but for the most part it is speactacle of flash.
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Would you be offended if I ask when that time was? I've been around since before it started and apparently I missed it.
:)
 
#67
JAUQO III-X said:
It is definitely not out of date, there are many bands and genre's where the technique is required just like 8th notes are in certain music and genre's.


When I slap I definitely don't sound like the 80's and I've been utilizing the technique since the late 70's.


There's definitely a lot of prejudice and deep rooted ignorance towards this technique
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Maybe I should have said 'It's percieved to be out of date to a lot of people' hence the prejudice and deep rooted ignorance.
 
#68
I don't hate it at all. In fact, I use it when it's called for. But the problem for many is that it is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY over used. I heard a bass player in a COUNTRY band slapping about a dozen times the other night. Um..... there's no slap in country. (There's rap, and there probably WILL be slap at some point, but it's not here yet.) Plus, nobody wants to hear a Journey song, or Mustang Sally, or some old Motown with your musical jerking off plickity plackity fest during the whole song. Play what fits the song. If that's effects, slap, a pick, or a garden hose, fine. But if it's not, then just don't. If you simply can't resist slapping all freaking night, even when it's not called for, then you simply aren't mature enough to play. Go shoot things with BB guns.

However, if it's your band, your music, or music that calls for slap, then go for it.

And as far as that goes, learn EVERY technique you possibly can. Be able to play with a pick, with your fingers, slap, cop an URB with some foam under the bridge, pluck by the bridge, pluck up by the neck, tap, whatever. Learn it all and use it WHERE IT FITS.
 
#69
You slap haters are definitely starting to sound like Ken Smith....you know, the same guy who asked Stanley Clarke "how to do that thing with your thumb" and actually wrote an article in Guitar Player magazine titled "Bass Popping Technique". But now seems to hate it now for some reason...but it was ok when he did it.

When I was growing up, you don't slap... you don't get gigs or women. But we called it "thumbing" the bass.
 
#73
two fingers said:
..... there's no slap in country.
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Well, just to be picky, they've been slappin' bass in country, honky tonk, and rockabilly since before Leo built his first electric bass.

I know, that's not what this is all about. I just remember hearin' people ravin' about a cat "slappin' that bass fiddle" since I was a toddler in the 50's. I still love both types of slappin'.

Anyone ever hear Danny Wilson live with the Jeff Lorber Group in the late 70's? You left that show with a sore sternum.......and were glad of it.
 
#75
two fingers said:
Plus, nobody wants to hear a Journey song, or Mustang Sally, or some old Motown with your musical jerking off plickity plackity fest during the whole song.
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:p This forum never fails to satisfy!

---

A couple posters back said s/he liked to S&P at the guitar store to sound impressive - I feel the total opposite in my self-conscious mind and would feel like a total douchebag banging away at GC. Weird...

I guess it boils down to, if you wanna - do it / if you don't - don't. Play what makes ya happy. Makes sense, I guess...

:smug:
 
#76
Duckwater said:
The more techniques and possibilities we have, the better. I thump in a pretty traditional sense but just because something is fast or technical doesn't mean it can't have groove and melody. Check out Evan Brewer's playing:
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I don't know if you realize, or care but there's more than one track going on there. Becomes very obvious at 2:27.
Also, I give the guy props. Some cool ideas, pretty melodic, and he's got massive chops. But it's not my sound at all. IMO, it would sound a LOT better on acoustic guitar. If I were him that's where I'd take it-get the Flamenco thing happening.
Ebass? Gimme the huge Victa groove any day.
 
#80
dmusic148 said:
I agree with you here.
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Funny thing is I subconsciously cut anyone cutting their musical teeth some slack as they're trying to get up to snuff. It's the Master of the Universe cats who've got it all figured out and sound like they're playing under duress that occassionally get me. Hey, that could even be me.


"Faster or the puppy gets one right between the eyes!"
:eyebrow:


So they're probably doing it... for the puppies.
:D
 

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