geilerbass Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 There's basically only one appropriate time to slap and that's between scenes on Seinfeld... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inyabass Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 I'm not a big fan of slap so I've never really sat down and concentrated on it long enough to be able to do it proficiently. The pluck bit is OK but the thumb tapping thing is too much like hard work to learn. I just imitate a slap style by plucking upwards with my thumb and middle fingers (like 'We are Family') or simply hitting the bottom E string with my index and middle finger (like the start of 'Simply the best')... It's kind of "whatever works and sounds like whatever it's supposed to sound like"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobiebass Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 Listen to Soul to Squeeze by RHCP. one of the chorus's is slap. My fav song to play and listen to. End of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 (edited) Slap, whether MK-esque or in the style of Victor Wooten is a wholly valid technique and extension to the instrument. But as with all techniques, it needs to be used appropriately. On another note, I love how a thread like this brings out all the "slap haters"! Makes me laugh Edited July 14, 2008 by OutToPlayJazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inyabass Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='239609' date='Jul 14 2008, 10:59 PM']Slap, whether MK-esque or in the style of Victor Wooten is a wholly valid technique and extension to the instrument. But as with all techniques, it needs to be used appropriately. On another note, I love how a thread like this brings out all the "slap haters"! Makes me laugh [/quote] Agree wholeheartedly LOL. I don't hate slap... no I really don't. I guess I'm just lazy by not applying myself to learn it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 (edited) I think a lot of people who slag off slap cant actually do it properly as the funk technique it is designed to be used as (ie larry graham/louis johnson). A lot of slap players i see tend to push the strings or play to many notes and forget about leaving space in there lines allowing the funk to breathe.Good danceble funk comes from the brain anticipating timed beats and pops.I love it and its a great knicker dropper at partys.I think claypool sounds and acts a bit like zappa but hes not as clever,however his bass lines are interesting and a break from the norm. Edited July 14, 2008 by YouMa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor_of_the_bass Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 I love slap (and personally have a superb grasp of this style of playing) but hate to hear it played badly, there are some truly awful slappers out there but some very good ones too. It has become derided due to its overuse out of context, thats all you can say really (as noted by fellow Statist Out to Play jazz). Plus, a lot of players who hate it can't do it, there's a guy I know who is a great rock bassist who hates it purely because he is unable to do it! Its a facet of playing but in no way the be-all-and-end-all of bass playing. I recall top players such as Rob Burns etc quoting this 20 years ago in Guitarist magazine (and this was in the heyday of the King etc!). Nick (try playing What is this Feeling/Loathing, from the musical `Wicked' - what a greatly satisfying non-slapped bassline, a real exercise in accents/rests!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 less is more for me definatly. people like wooten just dont appeal to me whatsoever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finbar Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I can't slap. I wouldn't mind some proper lessons on it. I hate it because I can't do it, and consequently never use it or think 'some slap would be nice here'. But I'd probably think differently if I was a master of it ;p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blamelouis Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 Like Jaco said "theres only two types of music good and bad " ! Good slap = Rio Funk Marcus Miller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Yeah, I think a lot of the hate comes from people not being able to do it, so consequently, instead of working on it and getting better they spit their dummy out and mock it. Taste is very important. If you can drop in a slapped bar here or there, it will be much more apparent to your audience than if you have been hammering away with your thumb all night! However, if constantly slapping fits your gig, go for it (for example, if you're in Level 42). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 [quote name='Chris2112' post='239810' date='Jul 15 2008, 10:33 AM']Yeah, I think a lot of the hate comes from people not being able to do it, so consequently, instead of working on it and getting better they spit their dummy out and mock it. Taste is very important. [b]If you can drop in a slapped bar here or there, it will be much more apparent to your audience [/b]than if you have been hammering away with your thumb all night! However, if constantly slapping fits your gig, go for it (for example, if you're in Level 42).[/quote] That's what the OP was complaining about, dropping in slapped bits here and there just to say 'look at meee!' to the audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 [i]'Bass guitarists - please refrain from slapping. It hurts the economy, and upsets the well-being of your fellow Britons. Thank you for your co-operation.'[/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blamelouis Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 BASSISTS KNOW YOUR LIMITS !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 [quote name='bremen' post='239828' date='Jul 15 2008, 10:52 AM']That's what the OP was complaining about, dropping in slapped bits here and there just to say 'look at meee!' to the audience.[/quote] Of course, taste and discretion must be exercised, do not misunderstand me. I mean, employ the technique for the benefit of the music, which will have a positive effect on the audience. If you're doing it to show off, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. A perfect example of what I mean would be the slap part played by Bakithi Kumalo in Paul Simon's [i]Diamonds on the soles of her shoes[/i]. It only lasts for a couple of bars and only comes round a couple of times, but is a nice contrast to the fingerstyle groove he plays. Of course, he isn't doing it to show off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 [quote name='Chris2112' post='239862' date='Jul 15 2008, 11:32 AM']It only lasts for a couple of bars and only comes round a couple of times, but is a nice contrast to the fingerstyle groove he plays. Of course, he isn't doing it to show off.[/quote] Of course not. That would be absolutely unthinkable. S.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamonUK Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I love slap and think it should be used more liberally, especially to spice up boring rock tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybassplayer Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I think that the occasional bit brings a song to life so I am determined to improve until I have the confidence to put the occasional fill in. I am also working to understand exactly how to do the "car wash" fill but watching the youtube vids is confusing Anyone in the Yorkshire area got a free few hours to show me just how to get it right with perhaps a few other slap riffs for other occasions ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IncX Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 i slap some things i cant play with my fingers... like Master of Puppets *lol* it is a lot easier to double thumb and pop it rather than play it with 2 or 3 fingers. im also a firm believer of "getting a few bars of slap in" as oppossed to doing it thruout the song. dont get me wrong, i only get to slap in 1 out of 4 songs i play... i pretty much slap when im alone... and never do it in public just because there are too many bassists out there who owns me with that technique Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 (edited) I do enjoy it, but have found I let myself get sorta labelled as the really fast slap guy, and now I'm getting older I'm really enjoying more groove, but have found the label can be hard to shift. That said I do some pretty average and predictable octave slapping on a song in my funk band 'useless wooden toys' so maybe not as cured as I think I am.. Edited November 30, 2008 by gafbass02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah5string Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Slapping is great in the right song and placement, overwise it just comes across at showboating. IMHO anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golchen Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I generally like the whole slapping thing a lot. As far as I am concerned bassists can do what they like. It's my choice as to whether to listen to it or not. I don't have a problem with someone slapping in the middle of a song. Who are we to tell anyone what they can or can't do with music??? - but that's not to say that I'll actually like that song of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I have no problem with slapping in the appropriate place but.. <rant> Why do so many people just slap when trying basses???? Walking round BassDay this year, you'd think that everyone there slapped on every single song and did nothing else. </rant> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigthumb Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I'm so horrendously bad at slapping is funny. But I could watch a decent slapper all day! To be honest I'm just too lazy to learn but you have to ask yourself do you have to? Probably not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah5string Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Hey.. I'm no slap hater. I love a good slapper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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