Why so much hate for slap??

[Mike Henderlite]

Slap is glorious when its done right.

Idiots that can't and think they can are the ones that cause the hate. I absolutely love it when the artist is competent. I feel there are too many guys out there that are afraid of slapping because of the hate. Just say f*** it and learn how to do it. You'll learn a new way to play, and make the fret board that much more fun. Its like playing drums on your strings!

 

[buddha Longbone]

IMO slap got stale because it was overused for so long. Slap is fun to practice, so a lot of us spent way too much time on it. When you get good at something, you want to use it, so a lot of guys threw it in where it didn't belong - that ruined it for everyone. Slap became Inna-Godda-Divida.

 

[stefancaunter]

It's almost impossible to play anything from the 70's & 80's without
using slap...so why all the hate?? I get that some folks try to apply it
to everything, which slap really isn't meant for everything...but it does
have legitimate playing uses!

So is it a case of folks hating on it because it's really best for Disco/Motown,
and should never be used elsewhere?? Or just a general slap hate as a whole??

It should be a tool in every bassists arsenal, to my way of thinking.
Not the only tool, just one of several screwdrivers...

because there’s no bottom end support for the band

 

[Dreamsinger]

It's almost impossible to play anything from the 70's & 80's without
using slap...so why all the hate?? I get that some folks try to apply it
to everything, which slap really isn't meant for everything...but it does
have legitimate playing uses!

So is it a case of folks hating on it because it's really best for Disco/Motown,
and should never be used elsewhere?? Or just a general slap hate as a whole??

It should be a tool in every bassists arsenal, to my way of thinking.
Not the only tool, just one of several screwdrivers...

Because they can't do it.

 

[RickyWoo]

Because they can't do it.

BS

 

[nozkcb]

I think in many cases it's not a matter of hating slap itself as a technique. Rather, the sometimes excessive use of it especially when done to excess and out of context.

In most cases, bass is an ensemble instrument and part of the Rhythm Section, and to have a player rapid fire 32nd note slapping riffs during a song while someone is singing, does not necessarily suit the song and draws unwanted attention.

It's no different than a drummer who's throws a complicated fill-in into every measure of a song. It's a matter of using tact and a tasteful technique, as is with everything else in music rather than a constant non-stop source of Self Indulgence.

 

[Kingmixer325]

Not sure how anyone could hate this, if only because you gotta respect the time it took to get this good.

“You got your licks, but you forgot your soul
You play real hot, but you leave me cold”

Hall & Oates
Beanie G and The Rose Tattoo

 

[Cito]

First thing, Hate is never a good thing to associate with anything!
Getting back to the Slapping subject, "Necessity is the mother of invention." Larry Graham Invented this Slapping style to compensate for a missing drummer in an early duo at 14 years old. See this video at the bottom.

I'm new to BassTalk.com so I haven't read all the forums , but A bass to me is a percussion instrument, and whether you pick,finger, slap, elbow ......... you're thinking beats. When I play Bass I'm thinking drums and my contact points are the sticks and both feet. Drum fills, , back beats , bass drum, high hat........., by the way, Drummers will ,"LOVE" you for this! another four letter word for you guys.
Here is that video

 

[Marial]

No hate, it's just not a technique that's useful for much of what I listen to. Additionally, it's gone from Larry Graham and the FUNK to clickety clickety clickety. Love the octuplets, now play them somewhere else, please.

 

[pwhalen]

I don't know man, reading this topic gives me the feeling that a lot of you just can't slap and therefor hate slapping. Just as I hate math, because I suck at it and never will be good at it

It's certainly possible with some, but I think that being your default belief is more projection (as shown by your math example).

I don't hate slap, but I also no longer spend any real time messing with it either. Has nothing to do with ability to play. There's all kind of stuff (sweep picking on guitar for example) that I can't do well, but still enjoy hearing in the right context. I don't care for slap out of context or poorly played, but that doesn't mean I don't want Marcus or Stanley to break it out if I'm seeing them. But pretending a belief is based on "sour grapes" for no other reason than you don't share the belief seems unfounded (and probably counter-productive)

 

[DWMUSIC]

Hate all you want. Larry Graham, Marcus Miller, Louis Johnson, Mark King, Flea, Will Lee, Victor Wooten, Byron Miller, Freddie Washington, Nathaniel Phillips, Brian Bromberg and even upright bassists like Milt Hinton and Slam Stewart are all legends. I’m not necessarily a fan of bassists who play with a pick but I don’t sit back a say they can’t play or are unmusical. Everyone has their way of creating music and in life there ‘s always going to be haters. So, let the haters hate and the players play..

 

[juancaminos]

Slap just isn't musical to me. It doesn't groove, it doesn't rock, it's just a showcase technique. Now if a real good player snaps a root or pops a five once or twice it gets your attention and I can dig that. Just play the groove, throw in some expertly executed flash and I'm ok (Gerald Johnson comes to mind)...Call me old fashion.

 

[tradernick]

Slap just isn't musical to me. It doesn't groove...

For sure, in most music stores on Saturday afternoon, it probably isn't musical and doesn't groove.

 

[MovinTarget]

I get that some people busted their @$$ to get chops and want to show off a little. The trick is to ground yourself and keep that drive in check

 

[RickyWoo]

I find it sad that a person who dislikes something is considered a "hater". Going to someone who slaps bass's home and burning it down is hate. Having no regard for slap bass is a given right to the listener and nothing more than that... A preference. Who cares if a person likes slap? Who cares if a person doesn't? Apparently more people than me.

 

[Robroy]

I find it sad that a person who dislikes something is considered a "hater". Going to someone who slaps bass's home and burning it down is hate. Having no regard for slap bass is a given right to the listener and nothing more than that... A preference.

The words "hate" and "bigot" are horribly misused today. They are rarely used within the confines of their dictionary meaning.

 

[RickyWoo]

The words "hate" and "bigot" are horribly misused today. They are rarely used within the confines of their dictionary meaning.

Yes, and it bothers me more than this thread topic. Haha!

 

[Badwater]

Slap is a huge part of modern bass technique. It all depends on how it's applied in music that can make it sound amazing. And if not applied correctly will degrade the music or sound like over the top tomfoolery with no place to go. That's why some slap players sound amazing and some not.

Also, reasons on why people hate slap could be the result of underlying subconscious or unconscious factors. Or, the lack of cognition to identify differences between sound/tones. AKA tone deaf.

 

[tradernick]

I find it sad that a person who dislikes something is considered a "hater". Having no regard for slap bass is a given right to the listener and nothing more than that... A preference.

I actually think the word 'hater' has a use in online culture because there are so many people who hide behind the keyboard and say the most ridiculous, denigrating, hurtful things (not on TB of course). Totally agree that someone who doesn't prefer to listen to slap isn't necessarily a hater.

And sure, it's your right to 'have no regard for slap'. But to say it's not musical and doesn't groove? That's wrong, and it's also okay to say 'Sorry, you're wrong'.

 

[RickyWoo]

I actually think the word 'hater' has a use in online culture because there are so many people who hide behind the keyboard and say the most ridiculous, denigrating, hurtful things. Totally agree that someone who doesn't prefer to listen to slap isn't necessarily a hater.

And sure, it's your right to 'have no regard for slap'. But to say it's not musical and doesn't groove? That's wrong, and it's also okay to say 'Sorry, you're wrong'.

Your second paragraph... I have no idea where that stemmed from, but yes.

I think to say that it isn't "musical" is probably being said by someone who has a fairly narrow sense of what music is. Music is a pattern of sounds. Slapping bass (well) takes musicianship, no doubt about it. Slap is a percussive technique. It doesn't "hold down the fort", per say. More so, it's a tool to accentuate a musical aspect of a song/part of a song. Technically. Sometimes the reality is, it's wankery. I think the latter is where the "hate" is being brought forth. I have heard people slap at shows and rolled my eyes. I have heard people slap and dropped my jaw. All that said, no, a person who doesn't like something doesn't get to go around something as "not musical" (when it literally is), just because they don't like it or can't get into the "groove".