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the thread i have been reluctant to write...

joebar

joebar

Jan 10, 2010
5,193
4,051
#1
i am a bass player of over 25 years and i believe that i am well versed in all genres and styles of playing except one: slapping.
i have painstakingly developed my technique and abilities to a pretty high level, but it is very unnatural to slap and pop the strings.
i can still play funky rhythyms and such, but i have decided that i don't want to slap just because everbody else does; i would feel like a fraud.

IME it is always the default style of playing for any bass player that walks into a music store etc. i have yet to meet someone who is actually really good at it. it just seems like an easy way for a bassist to show off.

i love the sound of funky slapping done properly, but i just cannot get the right feel.

are there any other bassists out there that struggle with this?
i am talking good solid players otherwise, but not in the slapping departnment.

a funny anecdote:
my brother (who is a drummer) when he picks up my bass to noodle around, he immediately starts slapping because he says it is natural for him to do so. he is really not bad at it.
for me it is not natural. perhaps some people are just more inclines to a certain style of playing?
 
#3
It's not my FAVORITE style but I do wish I was better at it. I stink at it, actually. I think it's always a good thing to have as many tools in your bag to do the job as you possibly can. I don't get the prejudices out there for/against styles and music theory. I want to be able to do it all...
 
#4
I agree that slapping is done to death. It is ok when done well, and even then, only very sparingly.

As for it not being natural... well, for that matter, neither is bass playing in general, as our hands, fingers, wrists, etc were not intended by nature to be used in this way.
 
#6
When I want into a music store and the bass has neck dive, I'll slap. Ergonomically speaking, my right arm is holding the body down a bit more to leave my left arm free for playing. If the bass balances really well, I'll play some fingerstyle stuff on it.

I usually can't get a feel for the fingerstyle stuff though because the action is horribly high and the strings are sticky and dull. Slapping allows me to bypass that and to at least get an idea for what the bass sounds like with a bit of life in the strings.


There's a reason it's a go-to for a lot of people, and I wouldn't doubt that both of the reasons, even subconsciously, are a big part of it.
 
#7
Well versed in all genres and styles? How's your Bikutsi feel? I'm half-teasing you. I have always had a love-hate relationship with slapping, and I definitely avoid it at times because I feel that it can be the ultimate cliché. I can't stand the Flea school of pickety-pockity and so much of what I hear people play seems to be influenced by Flea. I would focus on developing a strong, accurate thumb stroke before anything else. Listen to Larry Graham or early Marcus Miller. Those guys kept it solid and to me that's what it's really about. Leave the endless triplets to others and concentrate on playing bass! That's my 2 cents' worth (for what that's worth...).
 
#8
I hear you joebar. I've been playing for over 20 years. All my basses were chosen and set up with flatwounds for nothing other than finger-style. That's all I play. I play with a very light touch and the strings are right down on the deck. I feel like a bit of a dinosaur.

I really enjoy listening to slap/pop bassists when it's done well. I just have no interest in playing it myself.

Secretly, I feel like I'm hurting my basses by slapping them!
 
#10
Your drummer may be good at it because slapping can be a lot like playing a hand drum. It's like playing rhythms with both hands.

I used to do an awful lot of slapping through the mid to late 90's. I completely stopped for a long time to focus on finger style funk, which I prefer. Only recently, when I joined a new band and they are requesting me to slap for some songs they are recording, did I start slapping again.

I started with this book back before the days of the Internet
http://www.slapit.com/
I lived with that book for a good year. Tony rocks.

It's still an excellent way to learn short of having a good teacher to show you.

Be patient, work it up slowly, and you'll get to a point where it becomes a physical thing in your hands, very much like playing hand drum rhythms.

It's kind of hard to describe, but if you've ever played a drum rhythm there's a point where the entire groove gets into your body and there is no more conscious effort as to what your hands are doing, only the feel and groove.
 
#11
Slapping is really cool when it is used to create good bass lines -- think Larry Graham. I think what people are sick of seeing/hearing is the poorly done machine gun Flea style slapping. Not slapping because others are doing it is silly. If you are not going to use techniques because others are using them, I'm not sure how you are going to get any sound out of your bass at all. Remember there are an awful lot of guys playing with their fingers and picks too; I'm going to assume you won't stop using those techniques, though... :eyebrow:
 
#12
king_biscuit said:
Not slapping because others are doing it is silly. If you are not going to use techniques because others are using them, I'm not sure how you are going to get any sound out of your bass at all. Remember there are an awful lot of guys playing with their fingers and picks too; I'm going to assume you won't stop using those techniques, though... :eyebrow:
Click to expand...

That's an excellent point. I tend to avoid slapping mostly when it's a situation where people expect me to slap because, to them, slap equals "funky". I also don't like the idea some people seem to have that a bass solo means it's time to slap.
 
#15
I'm no expert at slapping and I use it sparingly, mostly just for fun. I often get funny looks while doing it, and comments like "Are you playing Seinfeld or Barney Miller". I'm actually bored of listening to people slap on Youtube (except maybe for Marlowe or others with that style), it's all kinda starting to sound the same to me, even though I respect the talent and practice that goes into it.
 
#18
After 40+ years attached to my bass I realized that "slapping" was pretty much an athletic pursuit. I am beginning to think of it as being in the same realm as unaccompanied solo speed-metal guitar. I am actually not denigrating players who do it well and actually make music with it. We all enjoy watching the "masters" so to speak.

I play in a funk band and slapping sort of goes with the territory but I rarely use it because the rhythmic pulse is really what counts and finger style is the best for that. Any audience that is attuned to or an aficionado of that genre will usually respond wildly to a short slap solo. After that I figure I have lived up to my responsibility and, certainly not being a master, I hope I don't have to do it again. Ha-ha...
 
#19
Years ago I meet a bassist who just killed at slapping then when it was time to play a simple groove line he couldn't do it to save his life. Remember it's just a style done to imitate the drums. Most bass lines done in slap are usually done as a octave, five, seven and minor third. Then it's triplicates and flamingo. ..... Then there's Marcus who seems to do it all with ease. Always work on what YOU enjoy playing and leave the rest to the rest.
 

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