Who is your favorite slapper?

[MotorMind]

I really like the way Flea uses his slapping technique to support the song as opposed to being the main focal point.
Lately as people become more and more obsessed with speed and slapping it's kind of surprised me to hear how solid and basic Flea is starting to sound in comparison to some of the absolute overkill going on now.
Especially compared to that jerk in every music store you go to!

Yeah.. I know what you mean. Lately I went to the opening of a large local music store, where there was this young bass player playing all of that fast niddly-fiddly slap-stuff. Actually, he got asked by the shop owner to play, since he was so flashy, even though he was actually just a customer - I would have asked dough in his place He also played with one of the bands performing there (led by Candy Dulfer), where he showed off a lot of notes but little style - yet still was referred to as being so great.

Hey, more power to him... but it does show that people usually go for flash and speed and not for substance. I like Wooten for the former, but prefer bassists like Miller for the latter - even if that substance tends to be a little skewed at times

 

[Aram Bedrosian]

Hey guys,
I'm really glad this thread is moving so well!

I think it is pretty clear at this stage of bass evolution that style has to be there no matter what and flash isn't flash if it also has style, then it is just amazing..

The thing about simple, straight ahead playing with no 'flash' is that it doesn't push the instrument forward technically. In a subjective artistic medium like music, it is important, in my opinion, to at least have somebody trying to expand what the insrument is sonically capable of.....

Its sort of like 20th century classical music...it had to become atonal because there was nowhere left to go....So some bass players sound 'flashy' because 8th notes sounds great, and we all know it...there is no dispute, so why not try something new!

take care guys and gals

 

[bassist 4 life]

Louis Johnson, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten.

 

[JimmyM]

The thing about simple, straight ahead playing with no 'flash' is that it doesn't push the instrument forward technically. In a subjective artistic medium like music, it is important, in my opinion, to at least have somebody trying to expand what the insrument is sonically capable of.....

Its sort of like 20th century classical music...it had to become atonal because there was nowhere left to go....So some bass players sound 'flashy' because 8th notes sounds great, and we all know it...there is no dispute, so why not try something new!

I couldn't disagree more. What pushes the instrument forward is playing good music. You even said it yourself when you said style has to be there no matter what. Sometimes I think people try to push music so forward that they end up setting it back. In a world of priorities, making good music should always be number one. Pushing the technique envelope without making good music is meaningless. If music were food, good songs would be a healthy meal and flash would be a chocolate cookie...tasty but it could kill you if that's all you ate.

I'm currently producing an act that consists of bass, drums and vocals. This guy who plays bass and writes the songs for it has absolutely no interest in pushing the technique envelope. He just wants to make good music and doesn't want people to think of him as a bass player. The guy plays some amazing stuff. But first and foremost he's a songwriter. He even tells me that he doesn't want bassists to like him at all. But they will because he makes good music that stands up on its own merits, not because he plays flashy. His music is so good that the people who I've played it for don't seem to care or notice that he's playing bass as the lead instrument.

BTW, I just checked out some of your solo stuff...very good stuff! A little out there but in a good way.

 

[DWBass]

I couldn't disagree more. What pushes the instrument forward is playing good music. You even said it yourself when you said style has to be there no matter what. Sometimes I think people try to push music so forward that they end up setting it back. In a world of priorities, making good music should always be number one. Pushing the technique envelope without making good music is meaningless. If music were food, good songs would be a healthy meal and flash would be a chocolate cookie...tasty but it could kill you if that's all you ate.

+1 to this. Listen to Bill Dickens! What else can be possibly done, sonically speaking?? Personally, I think the next step in the evolution in bass playing will be cats all expanding on the tapping style! I think slap bass has sort of reached it's peak!

 

[Aram Bedrosian]

I couldn't disagree more. What pushes the instrument forward is playing good music....In a world of priorities, making good music should always be number one.

Hey Jimmy,
Thank you for your great feedback about my music!

About the topic,I actually agree with you. That is sort of what I meant about style. I should have elaborated a little more, but by style I really meant substance and musical quality. The quality of the music should always come first, regardless of the speed or techinque. It has to be there, flashy or not.
Once that is there I think it is a good thing to push the bounds technically...so I'm with you, bro!
take care