The Slap Bass Welcome Center

[Snerek]

Where your bass hangs is going to be VERY important with your narrow string spacing. Try to keep your thumb as parallel as possible to the strings to avoid smiting the wrong one. If that involves hiking your bass up a bit, give it a try to see if it helps. Also, if I know I'm going into a slap-heavy section or song, I'll give the body a quick lift to get the neck closer to parallel with the floor. This slides my strap a little and repositions the neck and strings to be more parallel. I find it easier to get my thumb into the correct position for me that way. Hope that helps, if you still feel that it is a PITA, try a four-banger at a store and see if you feel more comfortable. I usually get funkier on a four, but my fives are really comfy now too, so it doesn't seem to make as much difference now.

okay okay, so parallel is the goal.... i do wear my bass pretty high, i have found this helps a lot with slap and finger technique. we'll see... my entire mindset is that it takes a long time to get "COMFORTABLE" with anything... and i just have not put the time in with slap technique. hopefully when i put the time in, my comfort level will increase and i'll be able to rock out them lines!

 

[Bassic83]

okay okay, so parallel is the goal.... i do wear my bass pretty high, i have found this helps a lot with slap and finger technique. we'll see... my entire mindset is that it takes a long time to get "COMFORTABLE" with anything... and i just have not put the time in with slap technique. hopefully when i put the time in, my comfort level will increase and i'll be able to rock out them lines!

Also, relax your thumb...it doesn't take a lot of energy, and you don't have to beat the string. My thumb glances across the top of the string, spanks it into the fret, then comes to rest usually against the next string- kind of hitting "through" the string. It's all in the wrist! Actually, it's more in the ball joint that is our thumbs...don't hold your thumb stiff in the out position. This should make a difference in "getting comfortable" with it.

 

[Coelho]

I didn't see him mentioned in this thread anywhere so here it is. I found this guy roaming around and he has really helped by showing and playing other songs. It's not the real over the top stuff ( i.e Wooten,Hamm etc.. ) but I really dig his vibe. It's the real funky stuff and it's all put there through the goodness of his own heart. I believe his name is Thomas Risell but he goes by the moniker MarloweDK on youtube. Here is a link.

http://www.youtube.com/MarloweDK

Hopefully this helps somebody else.

This guy is awesome, very nice guy as well (I wrote him some times). I am a big fan of his rhythm feel.

 

[skaismyhero]

ive been slapping for a few years now, but i think my technique is wrong. I hit the top of the string. Do you hit the side or the top?

 

[bassdaddy5]

Fun thread. I love watch watchin' guys throw down some slap grooves. I can hardly look away.

I bought the "Slap It" and was initially slowed by the lack of tab as well. Determined to figure this stuff out, I made photo copies and wrote tab-like notes around it. I spent a number of weeks really focused on learning it.

In the end, I really enjoyed workin' it out, and I recommend these lessons to anyone. In fact, after learning 10 or 12 of the mid to advanced lessons, I was inspired to come up with my own composition. I worked it up over a series of weeks, bought an inexpensive 8-track with built in drum machine and recorded it. I then overdubbed some accompaniment instruments (guitar, keys). You can hear the result here: Link Removed
I didn't directly lift any of Tony's licks, but the style is quite similar.

As others have said, you start slow and simple, practice and move forward. I wasn't new to bass and had some simplistic slap skills before starting this, but didn't know how to practically apply it.

In spite of the missing tab, the combination of CD and written music allows you to go at your own pace and really study the details. It is an effective approach I thought.

Best of luck, Daren

Great job on your track!!! Makes me want to get a recorder, though I'm no where near your skill. Guess I better practice. Awesome job!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

This guy hasn't been posted here yet and he deserves a special place in this thread, IMO.

 

[Nooboy]

Hey guys, how do you exactly train to slap really fast? i feel that my slapping speed is really pathetic. Also how can you come up with a nice melodious slapping line? i've nvr really been able to do that. So far what ever i try sounds bad. Any help?

 

[Bassic83]

This guy hasn't been posted here yet and he deserves a special place in this thread, IMO.

WOW! Great feel! Weird technique, though- but whatever gets the job done, and he's definitely getting it done! I really like the cross-string triplets he does. I need to learn that thumb technique.

 

[BassplayerBrian]

Hey guys, I guess I'm not especially new to slapping, just lately I've been getting stuck and muscle memory always forces me into the same rhythmic pattern and was wondering what you would recommend to break the fixation my hand has on playing it.

Also, I know he doesn't do it much, but when Bootsy has slapped, it looks like he's slapping with his entire hand, and I love the explosive sound he gets but I'm not sure what part of his hand he's hitting the strings with, can anyone shed some light on this?

 

[Growler]

Hey guys, I guess I'm not especially new to slapping, just lately I've been getting stuck and muscle memory always forces me into the same rhythmic pattern and was wondering what you would recommend to break the fixation my hand has on playing it.

Find a riff or beat that is completely different from what you normally *practice*, then *practice* playing it 1/4 speed. Make sure you are counting it out correctly. Heck if you only look at the beat itself, you could slap/pop it entirely on two notes, as you are trying to learn the rhythm and not the notes.

Even when you've gotten to the point where you are completely bored of playing it at such as a slow speed, keep playing it that way. Then say go from 1/4 to 1/2 speed. It should not take you 5minutes to nail a good riff with solid rhythm and timing in 5minutes. If so, you wouldn't be asking these questions

 

[latkingz781]

I don't wanna make anyone laugh, but I'm just starting out slapping, and I'm having one thing rally bug me. For example, I slap the e string fine (yeah anyone can), but when I have to slap (let's say) the a string, my e string almost always makes noise. I know this means something in my technique is obviously wrong, but can someone help me?

 

[Erlend]

Made a little twist on the victor wooten slap/sweep thing.

 

[Tom7]

...
I bought the "Slap It" and was initially slowed by the lack of tab as well. Determined to figure this stuff out, I made photo copies and wrote tab-like notes around it. I spent a number of weeks really focused on learning it.

In the end, I really enjoyed workin' it out, and I recommend these lessons to anyone. In fact, after learning 10 or 12 of the mid to advanced lessons, I was inspired to come up with my own composition. I worked it up over a series of weeks, bought an inexpensive 8-track with built in drum machine and recorded it. I then overdubbed some accompaniment instruments (guitar, keys). You can hear the result here: Link Removed
I didn't directly lift any of Tony's licks, but the style is quite similar.

... In spite of the missing tab, the combination of CD and written music allows you to go at your own pace and really study the details. It is an effective approach I thought.

Best of luck, Daren

I REALLY enjoyed that, Daren. Was that a Ken Smith bass?

I'm backwards I guess. I've played French horn since 6th grade and can read music but can't read tab. I really admire how you leveraged your determination to make you grow.

Now that you can read both tab and music, you have a leg up on guys like me.

At any rate, that was a cool clip and well played.

 

[SiliconElle]

I don't wanna make anyone laugh, but I'm just starting out slapping, and I'm having one thing rally bug me. For example, I slap the e string fine (yeah anyone can), but when I have to slap (let's say) the a string, my e string almost always makes noise. I know this means something in my technique is obviously wrong, but can someone help me?

I used to have the same problem and still do occasionally. Just keep practicing so your accuracy improves. Also experiment with the angle that you strike the string until it feels most natural. What kind of bass do you have? My main bass is a 5-string with a narrow neck. Because the strings are so close together, slapping can be hard on that bass. That is one of the many good reasons to always have a 4-string in your arsenal.

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

WOW! Great feel! Weird technique, though- but whatever gets the job done, and he's definitely getting it done! I really like the cross-string triplets he does. I need to learn that thumb technique.

This guy Invalid Link Removed changed my approach to double thumping by making it a lot easier, which in turn enabled me to use all four other fingers more easily.

 

[Outlaw_son]

Exellent Reading. Suscribed

 

[905]

Hey guys.

I've a pretty grim blister on my index finger; is there anything I can do to get rid of it faster?

 

[nbw]

Hey guys, how do you exactly train to slap really fast? i feel that my slapping speed is really pathetic. Also how can you come up with a nice melodious slapping line? i've nvr really been able to do that. So far what ever i try sounds bad. Any help?

as general as the question is, I'm in the exact same situation. Going with conventional wisdom I just practice misc slap licks that I can find at lower tempo's with the metronome, but trying to play them faster physically feels almost unrelated to what I'm doing at slower tempo's on my popping end. I think my problem is I haven't quite found the exact amount of pull/attack I need for my popping fingers.
And again ditto on coming up with slap lines. Still doesn't feel natural to me and all as far as using the technique to communicate. Silly as it seems, it just feels like I read chapter 1, and 3 in the slap book and there is something very important in chapter 2 that I'm simply not getting. lol

It's all vague and confusing and turning to be rather disheartening.

 

[BobaFret]

as general as the question is, I'm in the exact same situation. Going with conventional wisdom I just practice misc slap licks that I can find at lower tempo's with the metronome, but trying to play them faster physically feels almost unrelated to what I'm doing at slower tempo's on my popping end. I think my problem is I haven't quite found the exact amount of pull/attack I need for my popping fingers.
And again ditto on coming up with slap lines. Still doesn't feel natural to me and all as far as using the technique to communicate. Silly as it seems, it just feels like I read chapter 1, and 3 in the slap book and there is something very important in chapter 2 that I'm simply not getting. lol

It's all vague and confusing and turning to be rather disheartening.

Some of the best slap lines are pretty slow. Don't concern yourself with speed. It will come to you when it's time. Precision is the key so until you can play the part perfectly slow don't try going fast. I would find some songs that you like and learn them. The more you learn the more new ideas will come into your head.

 

[jaxsn]

I promise to keep this short.
1st I'd love to say, hey fellow talk
bassers (what up Matt). I have not
spent time on here in a strong minute.
_________________________

Get to know your bass, close your eyes
and focus on slappin 1 string, making
sure you rest your "slap finger" on the
string without slipping.

Do this slow for 10 minutes straight.
then as fast as you can for 5 minutes
straight.

then do the next string.... and so on.

now start over at the normal speed.
do this every day for 5 - 10 days
(each day)

Note: the high speed, exercises your
slapping, but going back slow or
normal, allows your brain to predict
what you are going to do before you
strike the string.

I am a big time fan of creative
slapping, I love it. but it's not the only
way to play.

I'm working on a solid "off timing"
grove style.

here is a link:




East Hartford, Connecticut