Elements of good slap bass

[unclespats]

I've been playing bass for ages but never really mastered playing slap bass. I look at the guys on you tube and wonder how they get the sounds they have. So I was wondering, what are the elements of getting a really good slap bass sound?

I guess we need to start with the basic technique of slapping and plucking - but what about:

- the type of bass - active or passive? Which works best for this style? Any partic makes/models better (I have a 70's fender P and a fretless musicman)
- type of strings - I presume wirewound, but what gauges?
- Effects pedals - what do you recomend - how important is compression etc? (I've got a Fishman compression pedal and Boss bass chorus)
- Amps - any particular recomendations? (I've got an ampeg SVT3 and a couple of trace cabs, a 4x10" and a 1x15")

What is going to get me to that pefect fat slap sound?

And are they recomendations on how to learn the technique better? I am having trouble finding a local tutor (in Basingstoke) - any particular DVD/online courses anyone could recomened - or a particualr person on Youtube?

Thanks in anticipation for the comments

[thisnameistaken]

For an old-school funk sound you've got suitable enough gear, a P-bass with roundwounds and a compressor is all you need.

If you want to sound like an '80s fusion slapper then you need much more expensive gear and a Bill Cosby sweater, but nobody wants to sound like that do they?

[bubinga5]

To get a good slap sound..

you can use either active or passive
Round Wound strings
I dont use any effects and you shouldnt need to...ok maybe a bit of comp
Any fairly good amp

There is no magic recipe, a good technique with the basics, touch, practice...its all in your hands...if you havent got this down, no gear in the world will make you sound better...

ive seen awsome sounding slap coming out of an old Encore bass....fresh strings help though..

my point is you dont need to touch on all of your details to get a good slap sound...

just to add it sounds like you already have the right gear for the job...even the Stingray, but with RW's

Edited September 28, 2010 by bubinga5

[unclespats]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='970794' date='Sep 28 2010, 03:41 PM']For an old-school funk sound you've got suitable enough gear, a P-bass with roundwounds and a compressor is all you need.

If you want to sound like an '80s fusion slapper then you need much more expensive gear and a Bill Cosby sweater, but nobody wants to sound like that do they? [/quote]

Ok - I'll stick with the current gear, forgo to sweater and get some lessons then.......;-)

[unclespats]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='970796' date='Sep 28 2010, 03:43 PM']To get a good slap sound..

you can use either active or passive
Round Wound strings
I dont use any effects and you shouldnt need to...ok maybe a bit of comp
Any fairly good amp

There is no magic recipe, a good technique with the basics, touch, practice...its all in your hands...if you havent got this down, no gear in the world will make you sound better...

ive seen awsome sounding slap coming out of an old Encore bass....fresh strings help though..

my point is you dont need to touch on all of your details to get a good slap sound...

just to add it sounds like you already have the right gear for the job...even the Stingray, but with RW's[/quote]


Ok - lessons, pratice, practice, pratice, pratice, practice, pratice........etc

[bubinga5]

yeah for sure.... also...listen, listen, listen, listen...

[Conan]

"Slap" is not necessarily a style or a sound in itself - just a technique (or more to the point, a range of techniques). There is a huge range of different ways to do it, and the end result will differ as a result.

Some love it, some hate it - but done tastefully, it can be a real weapon in your armoury (so to speak!). If Claypool can slap on a six string fretless and make it sound good, then anything else should work!

Effects wise, I actually don't like comp as it irons out the dynamics too much - but you have to have a fairly even hand to make slap work well anyway IMO. I do like a bit of chorus or delay though...

Edited September 28, 2010 by Conan

[JTUK]

There is plenty of good stuff on youtube...DKmarlow for example.
but mostly you need a decent pair of ears...

You can do as most here probably did..which was to play a record to death and practise over it which is as good a way as any.

But if I was learning now..I'd set a nice loop up and just jam over it.

There are many many sub-styles within the genre..so it is a long way from octaves now.
In one corner you have MM, who is old skool or classic, then you have Wooten who is tricky and then you have someone
like Caron who is pretty much all about double-thump with a full hand playing the strings. You'll know what I mean by that when you see him. Loads of other trail blazers like Abe Laboriel who set that train in motion pretty much, IMO.

Pick a player you like and nick his riffs...move on to the next one and after a few times of this, you could have a balanced non-cliqued attempt at the whole art, IMV..

so, yeah..stay away from cliques..and once you have gotten it all out of your system, you'll play the style in a maximum of 2 bar fills, hopefully and not gun away at riffola..!!

So don't negelect your other playing for a style you'll not use anywhere near as much you think..and if you are doing it to death, you are probably doing everyones else's patience in at the same time...!!!

Use sparingly and tastefully, IMV.

[Chris2112]

For me, the elements are:

Bass: usually something modern with a hi-fi sound. Kubicki, Status, Alembic, Fodera with EMGs, Spector etc etc

Strings: stainless steel roundwounds (sometimes thin, never heavier than .45 guage)

amps: Again some thing a hi-fi sound (or Trace Elliot). I'd suggest something like an Ashdown Mark King setup

effects: none (although a touch of chorus can be useful for fingerstyle parts in between slapping)

[unclespats]

Tks - I will check those guys out. I've just downloaded a course by a guy called Dmanlamius.

Just in the time since I posted this thread (only a hour or so I guess), I've already learned loads!

The combination of a thumb slap, a pop, hammer ons and mutes is amazingly effective!

[bubinga5]

QUOTE>>>Pick a player you like and nick his riffs...move on to the next one and after a few times of this, you could have a balanced non-cliqued attempt at the whole art, IMV..

i think your spot on JT...never a good idea to focus too much on a certain players techniques...giving yourself a broader outlook on the technique is great imo...

once you got the basics down and incorporate what you know, you can make up stuff on your own..

i think its very easy to turn slap and pop into an exercise everytime you play it....keep it musical...this is not gospel, but when i first started the technique i only used my thumb and played parts that i would usually play fingerstyle..then build on that with pop...

IMHO, unless you want to solo, the best slap is very understated...

Edited September 28, 2010 by bubinga5

[unclespats]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='970841' date='Sep 28 2010, 04:27 PM']once you got the basics down and incorporate what you know, you can make up stuff on your own..

i think its very easy to turn slap and pop into an exercise everytime you play it....keep it musical...this is not gospel, but when i first started the technique i only used my thumb and played parts that i would usually play fingerstyle..then build on that with pop...

IMHO, unless you want to solo, the best slap is very understated...[/quote]

I agree - I want to be able to blend it into the stuff I already play - to have it as another tool in the box as it were. So I need to get really comfortable with the basic techniques then adapt and improvise as required.,

[bubinga5]

what do you play bro?

[Fat Rich]

Fresh roundwounds are probably all you need.

Muting and note length is all important, even if you prefer more legato slap playing to the more machine gun style. It'll test your muting on your fretting hand to stop strings ringing and to not catch harmonics when you meant to damp the strings.

But otherwise slap isn't that difficult, it just takes a bit of practice and it's quite addictive even if it's not used so much these days.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Fat Rich

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='970871' date='Sep 28 2010, 04:49 PM']Fresh roundwounds are probably all you need.[/quote]

It can actually sound good on flats too. Very thumpy and vintage sounding but it's a good sound, not as invasive and annoying as bright, zingy slap bass.

[unclespats]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='970869' date='Sep 28 2010, 04:48 PM']what do you play bro?[/quote]

I in a number of different environments - one band is a 6 pix that does old soul, old R&B abd a bit of funk type stuff. Another band is 3 piece blues rock outfit. I also play on Sunday mornings in Church - so a bit varied really!

One thing I do want to do is to enhance my solo-ing ability - to maybe develop a party piece or two, just for fun.

[51m0n]

A decent set of strings (roundwound

A low(ish) action

So basically a well set up bass (doesnt really matter what kind, but some are easier to slap on than others)

[b]Good technique[/b]

Hardest parts are getting a slap to sound decent initally (the string has to be vibrating, so bounce off or through it), once you have that working with a relaxed feel to you hand, arm, shoulder, neck then you are getting there.

FX: compression if set up right can sound amazingly good for slap, and doesnt have to 'rob you of all dynamics', thats something of a myth; but you need a quality compressor, set up right. Chorus tends to sound very 80s on slap IMO, fine if thats what you are after though. Envelope filters and phasers can sound as funky as a three day old nappy, or as cheesy as, its all about what you play!

[JTUK]

B5

I have ripped so many players than all my hackneyed riffs run into one big mess and it would be hard to find where I started..so of course, I try to pass it all off as my own style.

But, for sure, for the purpose of this exercise and to sub-divide guys down even further..

LJ...all thumb..ditto Popwell.
MK... LH pats and machine-gun triplets..tbh, probably the least enduring style in terms of staying the course. No one uses it now but MK wannabees in pubs.

I like what Caron is doing.. but Laboriel was all the RH flamenco approach for years before Wotten got hold of it...they have just been taking it on...IMV

But if you had to ask me for a couple of guys that have been there from the start ( pretty much ) and are still first call now and have timeless styles in a groove sense, it would be Miller and Washington.

Done well, I can listen to anyone...done way OTT and I am the first to turn off.

If you play the style in songs. my rule is kind of 2 bars max... that way, nobody gets too pissed off with it taking over the track.

Edited September 28, 2010 by JTUK

[bubinga5]

[quote name='JTUK' post='970893' date='Sep 28 2010, 05:10 PM']B5

I have ripped so many players than all my hackneyed riffs run into one big mess and it would be hard to find where I started..so of course, I try to pass it all off as my own style.

But, for sure, for the puropse of this exercise and to sub-dived guys down even further..

LJ...all thumb..ditto Popwell.
MK... LH pats and machine triplets..tbh, probably the least enduring style in terms of staying the course. No one uses it now but MK wannabees in pubs.

I like what Caron is doing.. but Laboriel was all the RH flamenco approach for years before Wotten got hold of it...they have just been taking it on...IMV

But if you had to ask me for a couple of guys that have been there from the start ( pretty much ) and are still first call now and have timeless styles in a groove sense, it would be Miller and Washington.

Done well, I can listen to anyone...done way OTT and I am the first to turn off.

If you play the style in songs. my rule is kind of 2 bars max... that way, nobody gets too pissed off with it taking over the track.[/quote]Im sure everyone in the history of bass playing has borrowed/learned from someone else..the real pioneers were the old double bass players and Larry etc, who learned from them...

there is a way of EQ,ing, playing slap without overtaking a song and playing slap all the way through...depending on the song of course...
i will usually back the tone way off on the jazz..

check out this track that Randy "Hope" Taylor plays on...to me this is very musical..he uses fingerstyle, double stop slides at the start, but the slap is so in touch with the music..... fairly simple, gives the bass line an aggressive bass line with just slap, pop and great rythm...

masterful playing for me this..

would like to know your thoughts on this..

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytQLBqIHak"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytQLBqIHak[/url]

Edited September 28, 2010 by bubinga5

[squire5]

[quote name='unclespats' post='970802' date='Sep 28 2010, 03:48 PM']Ok - lessons, pratice, practice, pratice, pratice, practice, pratice........etc[/quote]

You need to practice typing practice. Good advice though.

[unclespats]

[quote name='squire5' post='970938' date='Sep 28 2010, 05:51 PM']You need to practice typing practice. Good advice though.[/quote]

Ha! Typing never was my strong point, hopefully my playing is better!

[phil.i.stein]

there is a lot of snobbery directed at different styles of slap-playing.

stick to learning those players you like, and incorporate that into your own syle/sound/fx/whatever.

different strokes etc..

[bubinga5]

[quote name='phil.i.stein' post='970964' date='Sep 28 2010, 06:12 PM']there is a lot of snobbery directed at different styles of slap-playing.

stick to learning those players you like, and incorporate that into your own syle/sound/fx/whatever.

different strokes etc..[/quote]i dont think sticking to just players you like, is the right way to go...or maybe it is in this instance...depends what you want to achieve..to get an original well rounded slap technique i think its important to look at all styles...imo

[urb]

One misconception about slap is that it needs to be done aggresively, in the way Flea does it, but this is really the exception and not the rule - a light touch and small hand movements are the key to getting a full sound from each note and creating a flowing groove - plus if you study Marcus Millet or Victor Wooten's technique you'll see how they use economy of motion to play faster ideas. A low action and light-ish strings will really help you play with greater control.

Mike

[urb]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='970981' date='Sep 28 2010, 06:23 PM']i dont think sticking to just players you like, is the right way to go...or maybe it is in this instance...depends what you want to achieve..to get an original well rounded slap technique i think its important to look at all styles...imo[/quote]


I disagree - learn the masters note for note and then use what you've learned to feed into your own style of playing - it's how they did it - ask any top pro and they list the players they listened to and copied - if it's good enogh for them it's good enough for you and I