God I hate ........ slap bass

[TomKent]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1162400' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:19 PM']Im 100% certain if you find Rots last a long time then trying some Elites (2 sets for £30 Bass direct inc P&P I think) would last 20 times longer [/quote]

I'll get a set after I've used the free ones from the bass show.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='TomKent' post='1162417' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:31 PM']I'll get a set after I've used the free ones from the bass show. [/quote]
Free Elites or Roto's? If they are Roto's I would order the Elites tonight as they might take a few days to come

[TomKent]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1162451' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:50 PM']Free Elites or Roto's? If they are Roto's I would order the Elites tonight as they might take a few days to come [/quote]

Oh you.

Rotos, 45 - 105 (I think?) asked for 40 - 100's and got a stern look!

[stingrayPete1977]

Anything free is good even Roto's , I'm a 40-100 guy too but played the standard fitted 45-130 EBs on the Ray Santa bought me before swapping and setting it up for proper ones.

Sorry we are a bit OT , Bass bash=slap=clutterbuck=Roto's=don't use Roto's

[TomKent]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1162571' date='Mar 14 2011, 11:16 PM']Sorry we are a bit OT , Bass bash=slap=clutterbuck=Roto's=don't use Roto's [/quote]

Well I hear Overwater's own brand of nickel 40-100's are pretty zingy too.

[crez5150]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1162376' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:04 PM']Have the people that hate slap bass actually listened to the brilliant exponents of the style, or have you gauged your opinions on music shop/trade show show-offs?

Just a thought.[/quote]

Obviously not... reading though this thread.

[ezbass]

I was at The Gallery yesterday trying out some small rigs. I was going through my normal repetoire of 'test' grooves which includes Peg. When I got to the slap part I actually stopped for a second or two to consider if it was necessary. It was and I did, but that was all I did. If this thread makes anyone think twice about arbitarily adding thumb to string then it's been worthwhile.

[lowdown]

[quote name='ezbass' post='1162845' date='Mar 15 2011, 10:37 AM']When I got to the slap part I actually stopped for a second or two to consider if it was necessary.[/quote]


I hope you are a bit more decisive on the gig....


Garry

[cetera]

[quote name='Johnston' post='1162334' date='Mar 14 2011, 08:36 PM']His day job is as a Rotosound Rep isn't it??[/quote]

Yes, maybe it's worth letting Rotosound know that their 'demonstrator/rep' is actually turning people off of not only their product, but music shows in general...?

[dbass]

The only people it seemed to attract was the younger players who were stood in awe of this un-godly technique ;-)

I was across from their stand and after two days worth it was really grating on me. Slap is good in the right place and tastefully done but the whole "play as fast as I can whilst slapping/tapping" doesn't show off the quality or variation of a string?!

It did work in getting people to look at Rotosound store though!

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='dbass' post='1163177' date='Mar 15 2011, 02:57 PM']I was across from their stand and after two days worth it was really grating on me. Slap is good in the right place and tastefully done but the whole "play as fast as I can whilst slapping/tapping" doesn't show off the quality or variation of a string?![/quote]

Every time it started and we looked at each other, I think we were thinking the same thing.

It had people stopping at the roto stand for sure, but I doubt many people were looking at the products. It was more "wow, look at how fast that is", then they moved on. Most of the people looking at the other stands around them were actually looking at the products (god knows they weren't listening, it was impossible).

[ezbass]

[quote name='lowdown' post='1162854' date='Mar 15 2011, 10:47 AM']I hope you are a bit more decisive on the gig....


Garry[/quote]
Yes, er no, er, er, er

[uke]

Ever heard a nail gun on gyproc ?

[Hot Tub]

I've been watching this thread with a mixture of incredulity and amazement, and a touch of bewilderment too. Twelve pages so far, mostly (not all) denegrating slap bass. Thing is, I'm guessing most, some, less, or more, people who have posted on this thread have been to a BassBash. The one I attended was a complete slapfest, and totally put me off going to another one. So, I wonder if the thread title should more accurately be, "God I hate..... slap bass. Unless it's me who's doing it." ???

Just an observation.

[barneyg42]

The last SE bash was (thankfully) very slap free!
It would be funny to see Mr Clutterbuck installed to the dictionary to be honest, ie waiter drops a tray of cutlery and crockery and everyone remarks "that was a bit of a Clutterbuck!" When being shown around a sheet metal molding factory I remarked "it's a bit Clutterbuck in here!"
All in good humour, but seriously it leaves me cold. It also gives the impression that Rotos can only be good for one thing. Surely a demo should cover all genres to give a good impression of the product!
IMHO of course!

[lowdown]

[quote name='barneyg42' post='1164213' date='Mar 16 2011, 11:17 AM']Surely a demo should cover all genres to give a good impression of the product!
IMHO of course![/quote]

Ah.....But a demo of Various genres might include something from the great Jaco .....
Then...well... we know how the rest goes.



Garry

Edited March 16, 2011 by lowdown

[urb]

It's like anything in life - say food for example, a fine piece of fillet steak is a real treat - but just eating fillet steak morning, noon and night you'd soon be sick to your stomach... I love really well played slap bass in the right musical context - listening to a wall of Mark King wannabes with no musical feel, timing and excessive volume is just unpleasant. I think we need to stay away from confusing a perfectly acceptable playing technique with certain 'playing' situations that basically end up as a battle of volume (and occasionally ego) rather than actual MUSIC making...

One point I'll make about the use of slap bass is that I don't do it very often in a live context but when I do I use it to cut through the mix, as sometimes it's the only way you'll get heard on a solo! I think sadly the same principle can apply at guitar shows, when the volume gets that loud the only thing that cuts through is some clickety-clackety-pop... such is life.

[Hot Tub]

[quote name='urb' post='1164247' date='Mar 16 2011, 11:38 AM']I think we need to stay away from confusing a perfectly acceptable playing technique with certain 'playing' situations that basically end up as a battle of volume (and occasionally ego) rather than actual MUSIC making...[/quote]


That's actually what I was trying (not very well) to say!

[xilddx]

I think there are two elements to this.

Once you have the basic slap techniques down, it's easy to play very FAST. Unmusical instrument operators find FAST impressive and they enjoy doing it, and they think others do too. But it becomes a FAST competition, much like competitive athletics.

Really musical people know other really musical people will find a single note played with extreme taste much more impressive, and that one note will say more about the player and his personality than thirty two in the same measure ever can.

Unfortunately really musical people have always been in the minority.

[Golchen]

We are proud to announce that the blinkered bass player is not only alive and kicking, but in proud abundance. I'm so glad I signed up here, otherwise I might have tried, well, anything on a musical instrument. I hadn't reckoned on 'the law', how naive of me.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Golchen' post='1164328' date='Mar 16 2011, 12:48 PM']We are proud to announce that the blinkered bass player is not only alive and kicking, but in proud abundance. I'm so glad I signed up here, otherwise I might have tried, well, anything on a musical instrument. I hadn't reckoned on 'the law', how naive of me.[/quote]
One could argue that those with slap diahorrea are just as blinkered...

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='silddx' post='1164314' date='Mar 16 2011, 12:36 PM']....Really musical people know other really musical people will find a single note played with extreme taste much more impressive, and that one note will say more about the player and his personality than thirty two in the same measure ever can.

Unfortunately really musical people have always been in the minority.[/quote]
One of my most favourite bass players that I've met on here and listened to playing, actually has me blown away by the notes he [b]doesn't[/b] play. Sometimes the music is between the notes.

[Spoombung]

I've never liked it. I don't even like the 'slick-slappers' - the ones that supposedly do it well - the Alan Caron's, Vic Wootens and Mark Kings of this world.

Anyway, it seems to be reserved for trade shows and equipment showcases... which is why I never attend them. Thankfully it does not exist in the real world (apart from the odd, naff gig, of course).

[cetera]

[quote name='silddx' post='1164314' date='Mar 16 2011, 12:36 PM']I think there are two elements to this.

Once you have the basic slap techniques down, it's easy to play very FAST. Unmusical instrument operators find FAST impressive and they enjoy doing it, and they think others do too. But it becomes a FAST competition, much like competitive athletics.

Really musical people know other really musical people will find a single note played with extreme taste much more impressive, and that one note will say more about the player and his personality than thirty two in the same measure ever can.

Unfortunately really musical people have always been in the minority.[/quote]

Nice post Nige....
I take heart in the fact that there seem to be quite a few of the latter on this thread

[Doddy]

The thing with slap,which a lot of people seem to forget,is that it is a technique for getting notes to sound,just like playing with your fingers or a pick.
The problem comes when people seem to forget how to use their left hand and how to play in different keys.How many slap lines are in E minor and/or octave patterns? The majority. The fast rhythmic stuff has it's place,but it's just a small part of what the technique is.
Unfortunately,'slap bass' is often viewed as a style of it's own,and usually synonymous with funk-It is neither though.No technique is a style of it's own.The technique is usable in any style of music,it's more to do with the way you apply it.