I use it now and again but I can't come up with those creative slaplines that everyone else can. Maybe one day
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To slap or not to slap/why I hate it
- Thread starter JAUQO III-X
- Start date
Moe Monsarrat said:
When your a good slapper, theres nothing better sounding.
You have to be good though. Takes 100% self confidence to be a good slapper.
You cant be uptight about anything, the second you start doubting yourself, you lose your groove. Thats what it seems like with me anyway.
Hopefully I'll be a good slaper one day. Sure is taking a long time though. Im still no where near, the slapper I want to be.
I love popping and slapping but I rarely do during a set.
The public wants to hear bass players pop and slap, so I'll do a little bit during sound check or setup just to get em going.
My personal goal is be more like James Jamerson as oppossed to Marcus Miller (understand I love MM and what he does)...
SuperT
The public wants to hear bass players pop and slap, so I'll do a little bit during sound check or setup just to get em going.
My personal goal is be more like James Jamerson as oppossed to Marcus Miller (understand I love MM and what he does)...
SuperT
I'll slap around when I'm on my own, but I almost never did in a band context unless covering a song where it was necessary (e.g., Aeroplane).
I've come up with lots of original slap & pop riffs, but we never used them in our original music. It seems almost easier to come up with parts slapping - I guess because if you make a noise at the right point in time, for the right length of time, it often works! It did not stylistically "fit" with the majority of the music we played. I don't know that music necessarily has to be "funky" to mesh well with a slapped bass line, but it sure does help. If it doesn't fit with the music, then it just looks (and sounds) like a bass player trying to show off.
Slapping the bass makes the bass the focal point of the music, which is not typically the case otherwise. In my last band, there was no way the massively overblown ego of the singer/guitarist could have dealt with the bass being a center of attention! "What - you mean they aren't looking at me?!?!"
I am hoping to incorporate more slap style in my next band project because it is just plain fun to do! It seems to excite the crowd and make the girls shake their butts. What's wrong with that?
Some people just like the sound of it, plain and simple. It's bass and drums at the same time, sort of. I've had people walk up between sets and say "hey man, play us some funky bass!" while they mime a slap line. They might not know what to call it, but they know what it is, and they know they just like the sound. So do I.
For whatever reasons, it has become a bit cliche. Similar to two-handed tapping guitar solos like Van Halen used to do - back in the day it was all the rage for a while, but then eventually everyone stopped doing it because everyone was doing it.
I think the main point is that is is a technique to be used when appropriate, and not overused just to show off.
I've come up with lots of original slap & pop riffs, but we never used them in our original music. It seems almost easier to come up with parts slapping - I guess because if you make a noise at the right point in time, for the right length of time, it often works! It did not stylistically "fit" with the majority of the music we played. I don't know that music necessarily has to be "funky" to mesh well with a slapped bass line, but it sure does help. If it doesn't fit with the music, then it just looks (and sounds) like a bass player trying to show off.
Slapping the bass makes the bass the focal point of the music, which is not typically the case otherwise. In my last band, there was no way the massively overblown ego of the singer/guitarist could have dealt with the bass being a center of attention! "What - you mean they aren't looking at me?!?!"
I am hoping to incorporate more slap style in my next band project because it is just plain fun to do! It seems to excite the crowd and make the girls shake their butts. What's wrong with that?
Some people just like the sound of it, plain and simple. It's bass and drums at the same time, sort of. I've had people walk up between sets and say "hey man, play us some funky bass!" while they mime a slap line. They might not know what to call it, but they know what it is, and they know they just like the sound. So do I.
For whatever reasons, it has become a bit cliche. Similar to two-handed tapping guitar solos like Van Halen used to do - back in the day it was all the rage for a while, but then eventually everyone stopped doing it because everyone was doing it.
I think the main point is that is is a technique to be used when appropriate, and not overused just to show off.
- Jul 30, 2006
- 2,315
- 453
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist:Regenerate Guitar Works Carvin, Micheal Kelly Guitars
By "dated" I mean it's something that was more popular in the past. By "indulgent" I meant that it's more of a solo than a meaningful part of the song. The bassist is indulging in a solo. I'm not a big fan of bass solos(or tuba solos). My favorite bass solo(other than dub stuff) has got to be Pop Staples' immortal 16 bar solo on "I'll Take You There" by the Staple Singers. Simple, melodic & over before it starts to bore you to tears.
twangchief said:
+11111111
Been using the technique since the early '70's when it was called thump'n. I think it is over used now. Therefore I try not to use it as much as I did in the 70's and 80's. Playing fretless helps me with that
Those who hate it probably can't do it. But, why would you learn to do it if you hated it? Or, they are slapper wanna bees but just can't get the hang of it. Or, they just hate everything.
As a funk lover myself, there is a big difference between showing off as you say, and slapping well. Speed and percussion are only part of good slapper's skills,and lets be real here folks. When some people think of a guy showing off they think of some young kid that is in a guitar center rat-a-tating though some horrible blistering machine gun pace with no sense of the Groove. Too many people forget how melodic and tastful Wooten is with his slap. He builds his solo's and doesn't always just show chops. I think in 10 years we will see too many young kids as you say being able to hit a tasteless 1 minute solo and then looking clueless when it's time to creat or hold down a nasty groove.morf said:I think the kids showing it off is a good thing. In 10 years the world will be full of monster players and you'll all twist your tongues 7 times in your mouth before speaking badly of them
Nice poll, Jauqo.
A lot of people feel that a bass player must be defined as a slap player or not. Perhaps it has been that way in the past. I think it need not be in the future. Slap is merely a way to gain a particular tone out of a bass, and it happens to be a tone that is unique to our instrument. Therefore I find it a good tool - but it is only one club in the bag.
I look to John Patitucci, especially his albums before "Now" as good examples of a guy who slaps, but not a guy who is a slapper - if you undrestand the difference.
A lot of people feel that a bass player must be defined as a slap player or not. Perhaps it has been that way in the past. I think it need not be in the future. Slap is merely a way to gain a particular tone out of a bass, and it happens to be a tone that is unique to our instrument. Therefore I find it a good tool - but it is only one club in the bag.
I look to John Patitucci, especially his albums before "Now" as good examples of a guy who slaps, but not a guy who is a slapper - if you undrestand the difference.
I look for opportunities to fit slapping and popping into songs whenever I can (otherwise, I'm a fingerstyle player), but I have no interest in doing slap/pop solos.
I love slap. Its fun, it sounds good to me, I'm good at it and people like it when I do it.
Certainly not to be used all the time, but if you're good at it, people will appreciate it when you bust it out.
Certainly not to be used all the time, but if you're good at it, people will appreciate it when you bust it out.
WJGreer said:
I'ts kind of like a dunk in basketball. Great if you can get to the rim and do it, but a nice jump shot give's you 2 points as well.
king_biscuit said:
I can't say that I agree with that because most Wooten is not an acrobatic stunt. He usually builds all of his madness, and is extremely melodic and funky!!!! I love Mark King as well but even he is accused sometimes of overdoing it.
Me and slap- I mostly use it when the band's just jamming, but when it comes to actual songs/songwriting, I almost never use thumb slap. Just straight fleshy fingerstyle and occasional pops for accents.
Slapping is fun, I like to do it, but most of the time my thumb slaps don't have the thick meatiness to sit well in the mix like my fingerstyle tone does.
Slapping is fun, I like to do it, but most of the time my thumb slaps don't have the thick meatiness to sit well in the mix like my fingerstyle tone does.
Alec W. Conway said:+1 on the "lets bash malmsteen" part
Even though I don't like slap, I'd become a slap freak anytime if its to annoy the guy.
envy is a terrible thing.
I don't slap a lot. Never practiced it much because the music I played didn't call for it. My slap chops are pretty basic, because I play 3 or 4 songs with my bands that require slapping, and in general, I am much more concerned with a tight groove than flash.
I just joined a funk band, and let me tell ya, my slap is gonna have to get better -- cause a lot of the music calls for it. I did have to slap one simple song in the audition, so I guess I am ok. I still am always looking for reasons to play fingerstyle instead, just cause I am much more comfortable as a fingerstyle player. My practice routine the last week has been at least half slap stuff, cause I need to get tighter, more focused, more controlled -- i.e., groove as well when I am slapping as when I am playing finger style. I don't have big slap chops and I don't care. I get and keep my gigs cause I can play a tight groove and hold a song together, not noodle over the top of everyone else.
Of course I want my chops to improve, but the most important chops (for me) revolve around that groove.
It's been said repeatedly here. Slap is just another tool/technique, not a type of music. The more tools you have, the more possibilities you have in your playing. If you're a wanker, you're a wanker, regardless of what technique or instrument you play with. If you are a good musician, you find tasteful ways to play to the situation using the tools at your disposal. I am just working towards being a good musician. I don't much care if I can impress the kids at the music store.
I just joined a funk band, and let me tell ya, my slap is gonna have to get better -- cause a lot of the music calls for it. I did have to slap one simple song in the audition, so I guess I am ok. I still am always looking for reasons to play fingerstyle instead, just cause I am much more comfortable as a fingerstyle player. My practice routine the last week has been at least half slap stuff, cause I need to get tighter, more focused, more controlled -- i.e., groove as well when I am slapping as when I am playing finger style. I don't have big slap chops and I don't care. I get and keep my gigs cause I can play a tight groove and hold a song together, not noodle over the top of everyone else.
Of course I want my chops to improve, but the most important chops (for me) revolve around that groove.
It's been said repeatedly here. Slap is just another tool/technique, not a type of music. The more tools you have, the more possibilities you have in your playing. If you're a wanker, you're a wanker, regardless of what technique or instrument you play with. If you are a good musician, you find tasteful ways to play to the situation using the tools at your disposal. I am just working towards being a good musician. I don't much care if I can impress the kids at the music store.
oh, one more thing to add...
I tend to agree with JimmyM about slap tone. I never slapped on flats, but I prefer those warmer old school sounds. I can't stand the excessive clank (for me -- yeah, it works great for MM), unless it really is what fits the song.
I tend to agree with JimmyM about slap tone. I never slapped on flats, but I prefer those warmer old school sounds. I can't stand the excessive clank (for me -- yeah, it works great for MM), unless it really is what fits the song.
I'm one of those respondents that never use it, but like it when it's tastefully done by others.JAUQO III-X said:
It's a wonderfully percussive way to play the bass...when the drummer/percussionist lays down a simple beat behind it. Or when there's no drummer present.
