Originally posted by jeffbonny
Originally posted by Brad Johnson
That was a UK question, jeff
What State does UK stand for again?
[/B]
The Bluegrass state
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Why Slap?
- Thread starter Marty Forrer
- Start date
The Bluegrass state
Thanks so much Bruce for your answer and Jim K, too, for your input about Japan. Maybe we need an "International Folder" here at Talkbass.
The Pat Metheny question would be a good debate for another thread. I think he does play jazz, but then that would open up a lengthy debate as to what IS jazz. Is anybody here watching the PBS series by Ken Burns who has exhaustively documented the development and history of jazz from the earliest days of pre-Civil War New Orleans on?
I would say that Metheny plays a genre of jazz. I'd like to know how others define it, particularly Al DeMeola, one of our most outspoken critics of FM jazz (the Kenny G variety.)
For background music, I see Bruce's point about loving all music so much that none of it is ever background, but Bruce is a full time professional musician. I HAVE to do many other things that require my concentration and I just can't be 100% involved in the music at the time. Still, I love music so much, too, that I need and want an accompaniment...a soundtrack for my life, so to speak. The accompaniment I like is "smooth jazz" and blues. My husband, on the other hand, enjoys Latin pop and has that on exclusively when he controls the radio station.
One last point here, having lived in other countries myself, five others in fact, I know each country has pretty much limited types of music available for the majority of its citizens to hear. Maybe the Internet can open that up so different genres of music can be heard and appreciated by more people all over the world...even smooth jazz.
Jason Oldsted
The Pat Metheny question would be a good debate for another thread. I think he does play jazz, but then that would open up a lengthy debate as to what IS jazz. Is anybody here watching the PBS series by Ken Burns who has exhaustively documented the development and history of jazz from the earliest days of pre-Civil War New Orleans on?
I would say that Metheny plays a genre of jazz. I'd like to know how others define it, particularly Al DeMeola, one of our most outspoken critics of FM jazz (the Kenny G variety.)
For background music, I see Bruce's point about loving all music so much that none of it is ever background, but Bruce is a full time professional musician. I HAVE to do many other things that require my concentration and I just can't be 100% involved in the music at the time. Still, I love music so much, too, that I need and want an accompaniment...a soundtrack for my life, so to speak. The accompaniment I like is "smooth jazz" and blues. My husband, on the other hand, enjoys Latin pop and has that on exclusively when he controls the radio station.
One last point here, having lived in other countries myself, five others in fact, I know each country has pretty much limited types of music available for the majority of its citizens to hear. Maybe the Internet can open that up so different genres of music can be heard and appreciated by more people all over the world...even smooth jazz.
Jason Oldsted
Well I'd like to be, but I've never found a way of making it pay enough.
I have a full-time day-job although you might not think so! I tend to work from home a lot and I suppose I have the choice of what CDs to put on from a large collection, so always feel it's worth putting on something good. But I can see that if you're on the move or in a place where you can't carry around a large collection, then the radio is useful. In this context, I suppose that "Smooth Jazz" might be a slightly more appealing alternative to the boy/girl "manufactured" bands that dominate the airwaves in the UK - just! But then I haven't heard it so, might be wrong!ofcourse this is going to be the first thing new bass players are going to try, hell they'll try anything, can't you guys remember first trying out your bass, being a some what new bass player myself, i tried to slap the hell out of my bass, but then realized that this just wasn't going to work for me. Just like all other new players will. However you can't say it's dead or that it shouldn't be used, listen to flee, or korn, not that i like him to much, but does use it quite well, some of tool. all really depends on your musical ear, if you like it, hell slap all you wand, if it can fit, if you don't, don't use it.
but when it's all said and done, a real bass player should be able to do everything and anything on their bass, to get the best sound out, so don't cheat yourself!
See ya coz
OK I think that I'm gonna jump into the fire here but anyway. I like slap, and I slap a lot on a new bass when I go to a music store - probably more than I play fingerstyle. I like both techniques, as well as several others as a way of getting sound (dare I say music) out of the instrument.
Now I can't speak for anyone else but when I'm "slapping the hell" out of a bass at a store it's not because I'm trying to show off or anything else. Instead I'm trying to get a feel for the bass and I find that the configuration of the bass (string spacing, pickup placement etc) affect my ability to slap more than my ability to play fingerstyle. Since slap plays a fairly important role in my playing I think that it's fair that I try this technique out at music stores.
Also (and I'm sure that this point has ben raised before) everybody recommends for the new posters on the board that practise is the only way to become a better player, perhaps these annoying people at music stores are practising in the hope to develop a style like Marcus or Mark King but hey they have to start somewhere.
As far as the comments that slap is not used anymore (or not required for use in 90% of bands etc - what about your own original music? If you are writing your own stuff and can find other musicians who share your ideas and who like what you do then why do you have to worry about what everyone else in the world is doing. Afterall music is a way of expressing myself and what I feel - not just copying a current trend etc. (I hope this is what most of you feel also).
Perhaps all of you who are irritated by the slapping that goes on in music stores should try and chill out a little (please don't take offense) and let others do what they do. Afterall younger players need encouragement and support if they are to become the great players of the future.
On a final (and unrelated) note I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year. Keep on groovin, C-YA.
Ben
Now I can't speak for anyone else but when I'm "slapping the hell" out of a bass at a store it's not because I'm trying to show off or anything else. Instead I'm trying to get a feel for the bass and I find that the configuration of the bass (string spacing, pickup placement etc) affect my ability to slap more than my ability to play fingerstyle. Since slap plays a fairly important role in my playing I think that it's fair that I try this technique out at music stores.
Also (and I'm sure that this point has ben raised before) everybody recommends for the new posters on the board that practise is the only way to become a better player, perhaps these annoying people at music stores are practising in the hope to develop a style like Marcus or Mark King but hey they have to start somewhere.
As far as the comments that slap is not used anymore (or not required for use in 90% of bands etc - what about your own original music? If you are writing your own stuff and can find other musicians who share your ideas and who like what you do then why do you have to worry about what everyone else in the world is doing. Afterall music is a way of expressing myself and what I feel - not just copying a current trend etc. (I hope this is what most of you feel also).
Perhaps all of you who are irritated by the slapping that goes on in music stores should try and chill out a little (please don't take offense) and let others do what they do. Afterall younger players need encouragement and support if they are to become the great players of the future.
On a final (and unrelated) note I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year. Keep on groovin, C-YA.
Ben
Yeah - they need encouragement to go home and practice and not do it music stores!
I'd support that!
Like Anthony Jackson said, slap is a technique, not a style.
I can do old school slap very well, but not the Victor Wooten type stuff.
But I don't get many calls for slap. A church that I used to play in called for it a lot, and that's where I developed my slap chops.
But the church that I play in now is mostly piano, bass and organ, no drummer, and traditional style, so no slap there. But it gives me a great opportunity to be melodic!
Do what the music calls for, not what is going to impress people.
I can do old school slap very well, but not the Victor Wooten type stuff.
But I don't get many calls for slap. A church that I used to play in called for it a lot, and that's where I developed my slap chops.
But the church that I play in now is mostly piano, bass and organ, no drummer, and traditional style, so no slap there. But it gives me a great opportunity to be melodic!
Do what the music calls for, not what is going to impress people.
You have never listened to Faith No More, 311, Live, STP, or any of the other "semi-popular" bands that have been on the radio the last 5 or so years? Oh, and those Red Hot Chili Peppers guys... I hear Flea likes to slap every now and again.
I used to be proud of the fact that I didn't play slap. Didn't like it, didn't want to learn it, didn't see any need for it. Now I slap the opening line for my band's opener because it hits people in the face.. POW! A while back it struck me that NOT learning to slap was something akin to driving a car and for whatever reason not wanting to learn to go into 3rd gear. It's there, it's available, but why bother using it? You can definitely get by without it.
Even if you NEVER use it... does it really hurt to learn?
Just my $.03.
Peter
here's something that will irritate some people on here no end; on another (non-music related) forum, I got into an argument with a frustrated music journalist type (who was white, and a non-musician) who had the view that "slapping is allright when it's done by black guys" and "sorry, but if you're white you'll look like a snugglemuffin if you slap your bass".
Incidentally I'm not white, but he didn't know that, and I didn't bother telling him either.
I took offence at his suggestion of some kind of "racial segregation" for music styles.
I use slap sometimes with a covers band, but I haven't yet found a suitable use for it in my originals band, and don't feel the need to use it just to say "hey, I can play slap too".
[Edited by The Mock Turtle Regulator on 01-13-2001 at 09:36 AM]
Incidentally I'm not white, but he didn't know that, and I didn't bother telling him either.
I took offence at his suggestion of some kind of "racial segregation" for music styles.
I use slap sometimes with a covers band, but I haven't yet found a suitable use for it in my originals band, and don't feel the need to use it just to say "hey, I can play slap too".
[Edited by The Mock Turtle Regulator on 01-13-2001 at 09:36 AM]
Keyboards play bass .. bass players slap/pop.
I find lay people respect slappers more than groovers. I'm a groover, and slap for effect. I just love to lay it down solid like the pros. However, I get the most response from slapping.
Sorry. I'm getting a little cynical.
Later.
I find lay people respect slappers more than groovers. I'm a groover, and slap for effect. I just love to lay it down solid like the pros. However, I get the most response from slapping.
Sorry. I'm getting a little cynical.
Later.
How would an argument go on this subject?:
"Do not!"
"Do, too!"
"Do not!"
This assumes so many things on so many levels, why argue?
David Hungate=Ray Reindeau? I don't think so, though they both slap or have slapped. So how could one intelligently generalize when there are so many shades of players, so to speak? There's a long thread on stereotyping elsewhere on TB, sometimes it got as silly as real life.
"Britney Spears has slap bass in her songs is because she is one of largest selling acts in the country and if her bassist utilizes this technique, it obviously isn't dead, is it?"
--> But surely most of her audience wouldnt even know what that twangy sound is? - It could be her bassist taking the piss out of the scene by playing this ancient tecnique?
I think slap is a great technique, but I dont use it cause I cant make it sound original, it just sounds like I'm trying to immitate Flea (probably beacause I spent so many years doing just that... "regrets, I've had a few..")
I do however play the strings hard from time to time, almost popping when using 2 finger technique, cause I can still maintain my sound through that.
Our guitarist was gigging in North UK with his band once and their bassist was warming up in stage, just noodling a little slap (like one does/did?) and this beery norther pipes up in the audience...(imagine a yorkshire accent)...
"SLAP BAASSS, SLAP FAACE!"
..
...
Wicked!!!!!!
[Edited by arther daily on 01-17-2001 at 06:05 AM]
--> But surely most of her audience wouldnt even know what that twangy sound is? - It could be her bassist taking the piss out of the scene by playing this ancient tecnique?
I think slap is a great technique, but I dont use it cause I cant make it sound original, it just sounds like I'm trying to immitate Flea (probably beacause I spent so many years doing just that... "regrets, I've had a few..")
I do however play the strings hard from time to time, almost popping when using 2 finger technique, cause I can still maintain my sound through that.
Our guitarist was gigging in North UK with his band once and their bassist was warming up in stage, just noodling a little slap (like one does/did?) and this beery norther pipes up in the audience...(imagine a yorkshire accent)...
"SLAP BAASSS, SLAP FAACE!"
..
...
Wicked!!!!!!
[Edited by arther daily on 01-17-2001 at 06:05 AM]
The title on this thread says: Why slap?
Seeing the question mark, I can and will treat it as if it were a question.
My answer would be: Because I like doing so.
The answer depends on the person who is being asked.
See? it's not that complicated.
Seeing the question mark, I can and will treat it as if it were a question.
My answer would be: Because I like doing so.
The answer depends on the person who is being asked.
See? it's not that complicated.
Mark's stuff doesn't seem to get airplay, could be that people don't like it, could be that he's missed the market (if he has, good on him - that's often a good sign!)
There is some radio for off-beat stuff in the UK - I've been getting played on The Late Junction on Radio 3 (the coolest radio show in the UK, and not just cos they play me!) - my track was last played between Edgar Meyer and PJ Harvey!! That's a pretty wide spread...
Radio in the UK is a really strange animal. In the US (where I am right now), the radio formatting is so narrow, that so long as your music isn't diffuse of too original, targeting the right stations is easy. For me, there are a couple of tracks on my CD that have been popular over here on some ambient, experimental and new age stations...
cheers
Steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk
I listen to Radio 3 more than any other for music nowadays - most other stations are just irritating.
I suppose the point I was trying to make was that it seems strange when you go into guitar/bass shops (especially in the West End)and find kids slapping the hell out of basses. Where are they getting this from - there isn't any slap bass on the radio or TV in the UK that I hear and it's just not a sound you hear anywhere these days, so why do they think this is going to be of more use to them as a bass player than any other technique? (Old Farts like myself, of course, have countless records and CDs from the past with great slap bass stuff!)
The only conclusion you can draw is that they think this somehow impresses anybody listening, but then if it's a technique that is rarely (if ever) used, then why should they think it is "cool". How does somebody growing up today even find out about slap bass - is there are playground network of slappers or maybe they just hang around these shops a lot and the assistants show them what they played in the 80s? I can't believe they just stumble upon this by accident.
I suppose the point I was trying to make was that it seems strange when you go into guitar/bass shops (especially in the West End)and find kids slapping the hell out of basses. Where are they getting this from - there isn't any slap bass on the radio or TV in the UK that I hear and it's just not a sound you hear anywhere these days, so why do they think this is going to be of more use to them as a bass player than any other technique? (Old Farts like myself, of course, have countless records and CDs from the past with great slap bass stuff!
)The only conclusion you can draw is that they think this somehow impresses anybody listening, but then if it's a technique that is rarely (if ever) used, then why should they think it is "cool". How does somebody growing up today even find out about slap bass - is there are playground network of slappers or maybe they just hang around these shops a lot and the assistants show them what they played in the 80s? I can't believe they just stumble upon this by accident.
The early 90's punk-funk-rock: fishbone, firehose, chili peppers, faith no more thing spawned Nu-Metal (limp bizkit, Corn etc) who all slap the living ****e out of their basses...
If you need to blame someone, blame Flea. IMO Mothers Milk is the best funk-rock album and was obvioulsy very influential when it was released in 1989. It was the pinnacle of Fleas "I can slap my bass very hard and fast" phase... (despite that, there is some wonderful bass playing on the album)
I started playing bass (or trying to) in 1990 and have been a peppers fan since 87/88, so the 1st bassist I was 'amazed by' was Flea - obvioulsy I began slapping like a madman. I'm 26 now which is probly about the same age a most of the bands on MTV.
If you need to blame someone, blame Flea. IMO Mothers Milk is the best funk-rock album and was obvioulsy very influential when it was released in 1989. It was the pinnacle of Fleas "I can slap my bass very hard and fast" phase... (despite that, there is some wonderful bass playing on the album)
I started playing bass (or trying to) in 1990 and have been a peppers fan since 87/88, so the 1st bassist I was 'amazed by' was Flea - obvioulsy I began slapping like a madman. I'm 26 now which is probly about the same age a most of the bands on MTV.
