To slap or not to slap/why I hate it

[JAUQO III-X]

Lets all practice stuff that will be useful in a commercial setting. Soon enough we'll either be playing bass on diaper commercials or doing some funky hiphop lines for Britney's boyfriend.

Wow

 

[NickyBass]

I don't know when the definition of slapping became 'playing a thousand notes a minute with no groove and not knowing theory or harmony.'? To me, slapping is what you do with it. I don't mind seeing a bassist slap all night. Provided that it is tasteful and grooves. I am working hard on it, and I feel that I can make certain parts groove more when played with just the thumb, as opposed to fingerstyle. That dosen't mean the parts are busier, they just feel better. Take someone like Victor Wooten. When people imitate him, they pick his busiest and most "gimicky" lines. They give him a bad name. He is an extremely funky and tasteful bassist when he's just laying it down.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Wow

He was making a sarcastic remark to Snarf's post.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

He was making a sarcastic remark to Snarf's post.

I know but it just knocked me out again

 

[morf]

Hehe sorry I had to be so harsh

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Hehe sorry I had to be so harsh

 

[Marcus]

I suppose this (thread) is the equivalent to Jazz guitarists v. Metal guitarists.

 

[jzucker]

I was wondering what was the % of Bass players here who utilize this technique ?and I noticed that there is also a pretty nice % here who hates it and I was wondering what is your reason for not liking this particular technique ?

I like it, I use it and it's fun. What more can you say?

Is it appropriate for every circumstance? Of course not. The folks who hate it typically can't do it (at least not very well). They'll say they're just not interested in it but you know that goes.

Yeah, I know it's not politically correct and all that...

I'm still waiting to hear all these great grooves that folks claim they can get without slapping. Yes, I know Berlin and Willis can do it but the folks in this (and other related) threads who claim they don't slap because they can get better and funkier grooves without it...Well...Let's hear some of it.

I did a gig saturday night with a guitar/bass/drums trio. Though I love slapping, I held myself in check and slapped on maybe 2 tunes the entire night. The guitarist totally dug it and was surprised that I could slap because I had done fingerstyle grooves the rest of the night. He thought that it fit perfectly where I used it.

I guess he's wrong too?

 

[BataMusician]

I guess people are just getting tired of it. It had something amazing when it was new, but that has worn off and it has become quite predictable. Which does of course not reflect the technique itself but its use in a very formulaic and narrow way. And obviously, it is often used to show off - which can be done more or less musically (guess what's more frequent). To me it has its place in music, but I find it a challenge to use it in a way that's fresh and musical.

 

[jzucker]

I guess people are just getting tired of it. It had something amazing when it was new, but that has worn off and it has become quite predictable.

LOL - It's no more predictable than anything else. It's just a technique. It's like saying playing 1-3-5 arpeggios are predictable. It's the musician who makes the music. The techniques are just tools.

 

[Robear22]

I guess people are just getting tired of it. It had something amazing when it was new, but that has worn off and it has become quite predictable. Which does of course not reflect the technique itself but its use in a very formulaic and narrow way. And obviously, it is often used to show off - which can be done more or less musically (guess what's more frequent). To me it has its place in music, but I find it a challenge to use it in a way that's fresh and musical.

So bass players have been playing fingerstyle forever and that in some way has been able to stay fresh but slap has become predictable?

I view it as another technique that should be in the quiver of any capable bass player to use when it is needed. Like others have stated before it is cool when used properly but I don't get the idea that if someone plays slap they are showing off. Just another technique is all it is folks. Like tapping, thumbing, chording, fingerstyle, and picking. It just moreso deals with the percussive and rhythmic aspect of the bass.

 

[jzucker]

So bass players have been playing fingerstyle forever and that in some way has been able to stay fresh but slap has become predictable?

I view it as another technique that should be in the quiver of any capable bass player to use when it is needed. Like others have stated before it is cool when used properly but I don't get the idea that if someone plays slap they are showing off. Just another technique is all it is folks. Like tapping, thumbing, chording, fingerstyle, and picking. It just moreso deals with the percussive and rhythmic aspect of the bass.

Thank you. As I said before.

What he said: "I hate slap"
What he meant: "I can't do it"

 

[Tristan]

So bass players have been playing fingerstyle forever and that in some way has been able to stay fresh but slap has become predictable?

I view it as another technique that should be in the quiver of any capable bass player to use when it is needed. Like others have stated before it is cool when used properly but I don't get the idea that if someone plays slap they are showing off. Just another technique is all it is folks. Like tapping, thumbing, chording, fingerstyle, and picking. It just moreso deals with the percussive and rhythmic aspect of the bass.

agreed 100%

 

[JAUQO III-X]

It just moreso deals with the percussive and rhythmic aspect of the bass.

I feel this may be one(there are many) of the key factors why a lot of Bass players don't care for the technique when they attempt it and it dosen't seem to work for them.Of all the Bass techniques that can be applied to Bass,this one seems to be the Bad boy of Bass techniques.

 

[baba]

I like it when it's used tastefully. See "Peg" for tasteful slap in the midst of finger style. It sounds great!

 

[morf]

I feel this may be one(there are many) of the key factors why a lot of Bass players don't care for the technique when they attempt it and it dosen't seem to work for them.Of all the Bass techniques that can be applied to Bass,this one seems to be the Bad boy of Bass techniques.

This is true. I've been playing percussions for awhile and slap was a much easier approach to bass than playing melodic lines.

 

[Snarf]

Lets all practice stuff that will be useful in a commercial setting. Soon enough we'll either be playing bass on diaper commercials or doing some funky hiphop lines for Britney's boyfriend.

I'd take either of those gigs in a second.

 

[Supertanker]

Take someone like Victor Wooten. When people imitate him, they pick his busiest and most "gimicky" lines. They give him a bad name. He is an extremely funky and tasteful bassist when he's just laying it down.

Amen to that Brother!!!

Victor has some DEEEEP Pockets!!!

SuperT

 

[morf]

yeah, well, i think youre on your own there

 

[Altitude]

I feel this may be one(there are many) of the key factors why a lot of Bass players don't care for the technique when they attempt it and it dosen't seem to work for them.Of all the Bass techniques that can be applied to Bass,this one seems to be the Bad boy of Bass techniques.

Agreed. I am on record as being a fan and user of the style. See my Avatar. However, it is possible for a player to pay less attention to, or even ignore completely, the tastefulness of the notes he chooses when playing slap and focus only on the technical percussive aspect. When that happens, I'll be the first to agree that the player is probably removing value from the groove.