Bass players slapping

[4000]

[quote name='agoulding' post='341260' date='Nov 30 2008, 05:35 PM']my favourite artist thast does it is marcus miller, he has the right idea. Sure he slaps an awful lot but it never gets boring. On the other hand, flea slaps and plays other styles. When he plays slap, i want to slap him in the mouth. it gets on my dairy pillows.[/quote]

Weird, I'm the other way round. Just goes to show.....what, I have no idea!

[blamelouis]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='343418' date='Dec 2 2008, 07:55 PM']Good for you! As long as you played it tastefully, I'm sure there'll be no problem, my son [/quote]
Thank you father !

But my excuse is the era i grew up in , born in the 60's and then as a kid listening to the theme tune to "starsky and hutch" and "minder" , Stanley clarke hearing Marcus for the first time on "Run for cover" and "Riofunk" checking out "Thunderthumbs" hearing about some swedish guy called "Jonas" and of course Jaco on stuff like "cleaner from des moines" and "come on come over" WHO wouldnt have the funk in their veins ?

Bootsy anyone?

[agoulding]

you cant ignore good ol' Larry Graham

[DamonUK]

[quote name='blamelouis' post='343357' date='Dec 2 2008, 06:51 PM']As the original starter of this thread i have a confession to make !

Last week on a gig we played "come together" and i copped Marcus's licks and "SLAPPED" the whole song !!!

I know ,i know at LEAST twelve Hail Marys and four Our Fathers and promise not to sin again/
I did feel dirty but it felt great! [/quote]


Ha haaaaa! We all knew you loved slap! Mark King for Prime Minister!

[wizbat]

[quote name='crez5150' post='341685' date='Dec 1 2008, 10:20 AM']+100 Couldn't agree more..... what about those twats that play bass with a pick???? Let's have a go at them!!! [/quote]


Cripes!!!

Runs for cover!!!!

[lowdown]

[quote name='wizbat' post='399132' date='Feb 3 2009, 04:50 PM']Runs for cover!!!![/quote]

David Sanborn and Marcus Miller felt that way as well..
They even wrote a tune together based on there feelings..


Garry

[Bay Splayer]

[quote name='crez5150' post='341685' date='Dec 1 2008, 10:20 AM']+100 Couldn't agree more..... what about those twats that [b]play bass with a pick[/b]???? Let's have a go at them!!! [/quote]

whats one of them

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='blamelouis' post='238942' date='Jul 14 2008, 08:52 AM']in the middle of songs !!
Went to see a local band last night , very good apart from the bass player kept playing slap riffs and then back to fingerstyle in EVERYTHING from "i shot the sheriff" to "you need a friend " !
WTF is all that about its like bass tourettes !!!
I saw another well known local basist doing this six months ago and couldnt believe it then either, it has made up my mind im going 100% fretless from now on i dont want to risk sliding on the slippery slope !! [/quote]

The Bitch on bass, from Rock Bitch slaps quite awesomely on a fretless.

[fingerz]

[quote name='agoulding' post='343624' date='Dec 2 2008, 10:41 PM']you cant ignore good ol' Larry Graham[/quote]


+1. And Barry Johnson etc.

Some people are just good enough (time feel + technique) to make it sound wicked. U should not slate the concept just cos you heard some guy down the pub you didnt really like. Its not really that debatable for me. And, no one's ever made me listen to anything I didn't like. I know where the stop button or the door is. We should support stuff that we like more, aspire to it, and put less energy into slagging off the stuff we don't. The stuff you hate, the next guy might love and have their own reasons for doing so. (I hate those people!!) Lol

[Hot Tub]

tbh, I sorta see slapping & popping on bass as pretty much equivalent to bikers doing wheelies. I can't do it, but I'm slightly envious of those who can. I'd like to be able to do it, and although there's no place for it in the music I enjoy listening to and/or playing, I imagine it could be quite refreshing to change to a completely different technique when noodling.

I also get a sense of percieved inadequacy. By that I mean that those of us who can't do it are somehow percieved as in some way inadequate by those who can. When I go into a music store and hear someone slap & pop on a bass, I'll leave. It's intimidating and I know I can't compete. But it does sound good and as I said, I'd like to be able to do it. Just for fun.

Edited February 5, 2009 by Hot Tub

[Hot Tub]

[quote name='Golchen' post='341682' date='Dec 1 2008, 10:18 AM']Personally I'm amazed at the amount of slap hate shown here....[/quote]

I'm not amazed, but I do find it rather ironic. I went to a BassBash last year (Nottingham, I think?), and a damn fine day out it was too! I had a brilliant time! But pretty much all I heard was slappin' & poppin'. There's two ways of looking at this:

1. Everyone who was trying out gear was slapping, or
2. Only those who can slap were trying out gear.

I suspect I'm not alone when I say that although I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it all, and chatting with new folks and admiring and talking about all the amazing instruments and gear on show, there's no way I was gonna pick up a bass and have a quick noodle in that company!

[Jase]

Too many Bass Nazi's around! Play how [b]you[/b] want to play, if someone hates it....tough!, play it all the more.

[blamelouis]

[quote name='Hot Tub' post='400889' date='Feb 5 2009, 12:14 PM']tbh, I sorta see slapping & popping on bass as pretty much equivalent to bikers doing wheelies. I can't do it, but I'm slightly envious of those who can. I'd like to be able to do it, and although there's no place for it in the music I enjoy listening to and/or playing, I imagine it could be quite refreshing to change to a completely different technique when noodling.

I also get a sense of percieved inadequacy. By that I mean that those of us who can't do it are somehow percieved as in some way inadequate by those who can. When I go into a music store and hear someone slap & pop on a bass, I'll leave. It's intimidating and I know I can't compete. But it does sound good and as I said, I'd like to be able to do it. Just for fun.

[/quote]
Oh i can slap like a monster (vail johnson,,ish) its just switching into slap in a ballad for five notes (usually three by the way ) doesnt come across as very musical.
Think of "My girl" riddled with triplets and popped harmonics !!!

[skankdelvar]

That's the inherent limitation with electric bass guitar. Once you've got past the convention of plucking the notes with your fingers or a plectrum, then slapping/popping's about all that's left.

So people are bound to try it and some will perform with greater proficiency and / or musicality than others. There is no point in assigning a greater or lesser cultural value to a playing technique, in the same way that there's no point in stating that a hammer's 'better' than a nail-gun. It depends on who's using it, their intended objective and whether they achieve it.

If their objective is to satisfy their audience, that's one thing. If it's to satisfy themselves that's another.

If it's to satisfy themselves at the expense of the paying audience, that's Jazz

Edited February 5, 2009 by skankdelvar

[bluesparky]

I personally enjoy playing slap.
I always wanted to be able to play it when i first picked up the bass, Flea was and is my favourite player so naturally loved slapping.
I did go through a mid-teen phase of slapping ALL the time, every soundcheck and whenever i picked up someone's bass after saying "gis a go mate!".
I grew out of that phase after a year or so and now only really play slap when the song needs it / has it in the original - or if the set includes a cheesy solo from everyone, mine would consist of all-slap-no-smash nooddling.
Personally i don't mind it now, people do go and see Level 42 or marcus miller to see them slap and they know what they expect.
What does annoy me is if it's out of context and needless, such as, i dunno, for example the Kaiser chiefs having a 2 minute slap solo in the middle of it - it doesn't really go and that would annoy me.
Also people may actually be slapping a bass in a shop on a saturday morning because that's the type of music they play so they need to hear what it sounds like and feels like - i doubt it though!

I know i'm probably just writing what everyone has said before but i thought i'd mention that i'm watching Blackadder III on DVD, and the closing titles for each episode has a blatantly comical out of place slap fill in the middle - definitely tongue in cheek!

[OldGit]

Just learning Josie by Steely Dan and there's a tiddly bit of slap and pop in that .. It's about all I can manage but at least I've found an approriate place to try it

[basswesty]

I used to be in a Level 42 tribute... I got it all out of my system. So much so I now play in a Police tribute. With my original band all the old tracks that were slapped to death are now finger played, with the odd pop here and there.
My tastes in basses and backline are all changing too in the quest for warmth and beautiful tone, my amp now sits with the graphic EQ flat instead of smiling at me from the back of the stage.

I think its called growing up although I still indulge in a bit of Mr Pink in the house...

[Myo]

A GOOD bass player realises that the hand in an amazingly adaptable and dynamic tool and fully utilizes every way of attacking the strings. End of.

[bigjohn]

[quote name='Myo' post='402018' date='Feb 6 2009, 02:08 PM']A GOOD bass player realises that the hand in an amazingly adaptable and dynamic tool and fully utilizes every way of attacking the strings. End of.[/quote]


What if it sounds sh*te?

[agoulding]

[quote name='bigjohn' post='402120' date='Feb 6 2009, 04:10 PM']What if it sounds sh*te?[/quote]


LMFAO


verdine white comes to mind...if seen him slap. wasn't amused.

[Adrenochrome]

I think the argument about 'not liking slap because you can't do it very well' is invalid. I can't play very fast fingerstyle nearly as well as Rocco or Norman W-R but I think their playing is great and musical. I think the vast majority of slap doesn't [i]improve[/i] a song. It's a very impressive trick but often sounds like arse. I think we should be entitled to our own opinions on this matter; not thinking a style usually works is [b]not[/b] the same as hating all players who use it.

[Rich]

What we need now is an 8 page thread on the inappropriate use of a pick.

[M4L666]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='401032' date='Feb 5 2009, 02:02 PM']That's the inherent limitation with electric bass guitar. Once you've got past the convention of plucking the notes with your fingers or a plectrum, then slapping/popping's about all that's left.

So people are bound to try it and some will perform with greater proficiency and / or musicality than others. There is no point in assigning a greater or lesser cultural value to a playing technique, in the same way that there's no point in stating that a hammer's 'better' than a nail-gun. It depends on who's using it, their intended objective and whether they achieve it.

If their objective is to satisfy their audience, that's one thing. If it's to satisfy themselves that's another.

If it's to satisfy themselves at the expense of the paying audience, that's Jazz [/quote]

You forgot tapping!

[M4L666]

I think like all things, slap/popping in moderation appropriately is good. I am learning Take The Power Back by RATM, so obviously I use slapping in that. But for my standard melodeath songs, it's fingerstyle all the way.

[lowdown]

[quote name='Rich' post='402696' date='Feb 7 2009, 11:19 AM']What we need now is an 8 page thread on the inappropriate use of a pick. [/quote]

I think it would get locked before it even started...


Garry