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I respect the talent fine, but I'd be annoyed listening to a song with that style for 4 minutes.
I knew a brilliant player who could drop it in anything, but always had the taste of where and when, so he never wore it out. I once was asking him about that and he remarks that like anything else, you never know where it could fit . . . . . and he then proceded to play 'RoundAbout' perfectly (not all funked up, but exactly as Squire did) and it sounded like two million bucks and utterly appropriate. Once again, it's all down to the guy behind the wheel, the musician and not the axe.
Freekmagnet
Commercial User
OK back in the day, my old band used to share management with Primus and out of sheer convenience, we used to gig with them fairly regularly. Now remember, this was when they were still a local band in The Bay Area around 1987-1989 maybe. There were probably at least 10 other bands around in what was then called the East Bay “Thrash Funk” scene. Pretty much every one of those bands had bass players knocking out one slap lick after another all night long. Lots of gigs. Lots of bands. Lots of slap bass.
To this day, I’m still tired of hearing slap bass. No disrespect to any of those bands - they were great and those were good times - just too much of a good thing I suppose. Or maybe I just grew out of it.
To this day, I’m still tired of hearing slap bass. No disrespect to any of those bands - they were great and those were good times - just too much of a good thing I suppose. Or maybe I just grew out of it.
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I like the Steely Dan making of Peg video where Chuck Rainey talked about he snuck slap into the recording. The bass line is a good one and the slap of the line makes it better. Very tasty.
On the other end of the spectrum are those bassist that slap when it comes time to solo. Why? Because they cant melodicaly solo..they dont know how. The slap is great rhythmically but usually has zip melodic or harmonic content. So when the opportunity to solo arrives, they break out the effects pedal and the slap schtick. This may entertain young children but its a usually a zero as far a musical statement. More like Spike Jones.
On the other end of the spectrum are those bassist that slap when it comes time to solo. Why? Because they cant melodicaly solo..they dont know how. The slap is great rhythmically but usually has zip melodic or harmonic content. So when the opportunity to solo arrives, they break out the effects pedal and the slap schtick. This may entertain young children but its a usually a zero as far a musical statement. More like Spike Jones.
It's just that slap sounds extremely harsh and just terrible when not played in a tasteful manner.
The rest of the people that hate it are jealous that they can't slap.
The rest of the people that hate it are jealous that they can't slap.
Slap bass is purely for effect.. People tend to not like effects.. Because it's over used.. I like slap.. But i like to annoy people.
I played over a thousand gigs in bars and clubs during the 80s in a very popular band in Monterey, California, and in all that time i spent maybe 10 minutes slapping.
The only thing I hate about slap, is not being able to do it. 
I take it Mohini Dey's slap doesn't tickle your fancy? I'd agree with you. Bridge pickup slapping = no thanks.
Good stuff, but I also only made it in a minute before quitting.
For those who think I'm hating on slap, here you go. Some of the best slap I've ever seen, Abe Laboriel style.
Excellent point, IamGroot! Personally, I can slap a little. Not terribly well, but that's mainly due to not being interested enough to invest time in it. At one point, my then-blues band played Further On Down The Road and we had a little break-down where I threw in some basic slaps. It worked, people liked it.
I fear that my current band will want me to play a solo line on some song or other. To that end, I am learning ... pentatonic scales by means of Ed Friedland's book
Because let's face it, in pop/rock/blues weekend warrior circles it's become a standard procedure to slap as soon as someone calls a bass solo. At least around these here parts.
Why would you think that? Because in all the movies we see artists are open minded lefties and businessman are closed minded righties? Why would someone's artistic ability pre-determine their views on social mores, finances or a country's approach to crime?
seems a bit prejudicial...
I've once had an audience member come up to me and compliment me on my playing because it was slap-free (what a nice thing to say, right!). So it's not just bassists hating on the technique.
Slap is fine, it’s just played so poorly by the great majority that it is, generally, annoying. There are countless YouTube/FaceBook/etc clips of somebody sitting on their bed grinding out a slap lick (999.9% of the time in E) (can someone please find a different key?), either grinning or putting on the “serious bass face” while pounding out this drivel (out of time, by the way). Don’t blame the technique, blame the lazy players who abuse it.
You win talkbass for today. Best post yet.
I dont slap a lot, but when I feel like it suits the song I’ll do it and I couldn’t care less what other bass players think. If the thousands of people that post on talkbass start buying my bands records then maybe I’d care.
Had to!
Personally I suck at slapping. Would I like to get better of course. I think it’s just another tool in a player arsenal.
