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To slap or not to slap/why I hate it

To slap or not to slap/why I hate it

  • Total voters
    321
  • Poll closed .
#221
lowphatbass said:
I slap quite a bit, for quite a bit of reasons, in this order:

#1) I'm playing a cover tune that DEMANDS it.

#2) I slap to achieve the "attack", but style wise and from a standpoint of note selection and general shape of the bassline im "thinking" fingerstyle, IOW, not using the popping and octave jumping normally association with slap.

#3)Soloing. In some situations slap is a nice way to kick a solo whilst still keeping the groove going.

#4)I like to use slap as a "change-up" to accent the top of a solo, much like a drummer will switch from hi-hat to ride. Switching from fingerstyle to slap(or vise-versa) is a nice way to break-it up as long as you don't upset the groove too much.

#5)chicks dig it!

Slap is good for me. I like to slap.
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Good post imo. Especially point #2. Just a couple of thumped notes in a repetative phrase can add a dynamic that brings it alive. It doesn't need to be Vic Wooten to work.
 
#224
joeinsprings said:
Hey Jauqo, not to hijack the thread, but in your video that you have in your signature, are bored to death, or extremely concentrated? Just curious.
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Oh no not at all my Easter 100 brother and it doesn't take much concentration for me to do what I was doing in the video,it was pretty much me extending my naturalness.

In all seriousness I had a lot of fun during that performance.
 
#231
Well I LOVE to slap. My favorite technique. I like showing off because I don't get much recognition for anything else. Mainly, I'm a bass player who doesn't get recognized(What's new?!). I've got no sports skills, and all my knowledge is right behind the class genius, so I'm not noticed.

I can groove and walk all around, but if i need to be flashy, boy, I can do it. I didn't really get into bass for the recognition, and it was a total fluke i even started playing, but it's the best thing that's happened to me. I love to slap on my own or with my guitarist, but if I play with a drummer, drum machine, or (God forbid.) a metronome I fingerstyle/tap it up.

I'm a root-fight/octave person around a group of people to impress quickly, but one-on-one I like to do a root-third thing that i just jump around with. Slapping is a crucial try-out point for me, and if people look down upon me for slapping to try out a bass then so be it. I do my own thing, no matter what anybody says, because I know I can hold down a groove when i need to. i just prefer flashy things in front of non-bassists.
 
#234
Dr. Cheese said:
I love slapping and use it often when playing for fun. I came of age when Larry Graham was becoming widely known and the technique
was central to way i percieve bass. Interestingly, I tend not to do it as much when I play in public. In fact, a few months ago, my wife told me to "let people know what you can do, and slap like you do around the house." I did, and folks really enjoyed it. I then proceeded to do it a bit more, and I think it wore thin. The moral, to me, is that slap needs to be done in context for it to be most effective. Gratuitous slapping gets tired quickly!
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I really agree with that 100% Too many people slap for tooooo long, like... for an entire set.

The worst of the offenders are the people that are really good at it... And know it, They get a great sound and feel going, then its like the guy that talks to friggin much and after a few songs, it passes wearing thin and gets annoying.

I slap a lot, usually in most of the songs I play, it can be a technique or as some people use it, (Think wooten) A complete style.

On the other hand, I've seen a guy slap every note of an entire 45 minute set but it was done more... Tastefully (IMHO at least) And it was good, not that being showy is bad, but it can get old : )

O well, im turning into the guy that talks too much now, im done ! :smug:
 
#237
Slap bass...hmmm.

In local teen band's its overused a lot. I find the border between tastefully using a technique to increase variety and using it solely to establish your credibility as a player is often blurred beyond recognition.

I have nothing against the idea of slap bass. But often at shows I find I'm a lot more impressed by guy's who can do solid fingerstyle/pick grooves.

It also seems that people tend to jump into slap before they've mastered the basics of the instrument. I find that plucking/picking is the primary means of playing the bass, and one should aquire adequate skills in this area before attempting to seek other methods (slapping, tapping, ect). But often, players try to rush into other techniques before mastering basic ones, which usually results in a bad foundation to build on. Right?

bottom line: slap is cool if you know what you're doing and when/how to use it

p.s. this is all opionated
 
#238
opivy3056 said:
Slap bass...hmmm.

In local teen band's its overused a lot. I find the border between tastefully using a technique to increase variety and using it solely to establish your credibility as a player is often blurred beyond recognition.

I have nothing against the idea of slap bass. But often at shows I find I'm a lot more impressed by guy's who can do solid fingerstyle/pick grooves.

It also seems that people tend to jump into slap before they've mastered the basics of the instrument. I find that plucking/picking is the primary means of playing the bass, and one should aquire adequate skills in this area before attempting to seek other methods (slapping, tapping, ect). But often, players try to rush into other techniques before mastering basic ones, which usually results in a bad foundation to build on. Right?

bottom line: slap is cool if you know what you're doing and when/how to use it

p.s. this is all opionated
Click to expand...


All opionated but I agree.
 
#239
opivy3056 said:
...
It also seems that people tend to jump into slap before they've mastered the basics of the instrument. I find that plucking/picking is the primary means of playing the bass, and one should aquire adequate skills in this area before attempting to seek other methods (slapping, tapping, ect). But often, players try to rush into other techniques before mastering basic ones, which usually results in a bad foundation to build on. Right?
...
Click to expand...

Guilty as charged! Ever since I saw this video:

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I added that into my practice regimen. I have found that the thumb down/up with a lighter touch (and sometimes ghosting the up) seems to work pretty well for a lot of rock where you are mostly just pounding root notes. I am not sure you really call that slapping.

However, I am not sure that the thumb shouldn't be included in the basic techniques. It has changed the way I fingerpick. Interestingly enough, I notice Wooten uses a different hand position for "regular" fingerpicking (about 4:10 into the video he does a little) that takes the thumb out of the action. I am sticking with one hand position for now and it is the one where I can use the thumb or choose not to.
 

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