scruffynerfherder Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Played bass for 6 years then had to sell my guitars due to some stuff coming up. I was asked to take it back up again so I jumped back on it and brought another bass, the bands been goin for 7 months now n its goin well. I seem to have picked it back up easy enough after 2 years out.. One thing I cant and have never been able to get my head round is slap bass? Ive been practicing techniques on the net but I cant get my head round it. Any tips or hints? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Speed is [b]not[/b] of the essence! Slap is about what you are [b]not[/b] playing! Keep it [b]light[/b]! There is no spoon! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeg Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Ultimate slap bass by stuart clayton. Brilliant book, you'l be slapping like a pro in no time [url="http://www.basslinepublishing.com/ultimate-slap-bass.html"]http://www.basslinepublishing.com/ultimate-slap-bass.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Slap bass DVD by Alex somebody. It's difficult to master. Lessons would be advisable. Don't rush, start with octaves and take it from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1178765' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:07 PM']Slap bass DVD by Alex somebody.[/quote] The Slap Bass Program by Alexis Sklarevski. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1178801' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:26 PM']The Slap Bass Program by Alexis Sklarevski.[/quote] Cheers, mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1178816' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:34 PM']Cheers, mate.[/quote] It's alright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1178824' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:37 PM']It's alright.[/quote] Wow, you suddenly look very desirable, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1178832' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:41 PM']Wow, you suddenly look very desirable, Paul.[/quote] More so than usual? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffynerfherder Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 Ive cracked on with a video i found on youtube of flea sowing his technique. ive been practising the octaves constantly and slowly..but surely its coming along. strength seems to be an issue as prolonged playing is difficult but im gettin there now, thanks guys. good stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 [quote name='scruffynerfherder' post='1179114' date='Mar 28 2011, 08:29 AM']Ive cracked on with a video i found on youtube of flea sowing his technique. ive been practising the octaves constantly and slowly..but surely its coming along. strength seems to be an issue as prolonged playing is difficult but im gettin there now, thanks guys. good stuff[/quote] I'll be honest,I wouldn't recommend watching Flea to pick up slap technique. He uses the thump down approach,which I find to be a rather inaccurate way of slapping. It makes it difficult to thumb the higher strings as you will be hitting the strings below it,and you are pretty limited to alternating octaves. I would suggest looking at some of the great thumb players-Marcus,Victor,Stanley,Larry Graham etc. and look how their hand positions. They use the thumb either pointing up or across the string,which allows for more accuracy on all the strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obi 2 kenobi Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 [quote name='scruffynerfherder' post='1177198' date='Mar 26 2011, 02:39 PM']Played bass for 6 years then had to sell my guitars due to some stuff coming up. I was asked to take it back up again so I jumped back on it and brought another bass, the bands been goin for 7 months now n its goin well. I seem to have picked it back up easy enough after 2 years out.. One thing I cant and have never been able to get my head round is slap bass? Ive been practicing techniques on the net but I cant get my head round it. Any tips or hints?[/quote] Get yourself a copy of Slap It. Great book !! By the end, you will be a master. [url="http://www.slapit.com/"]http://www.slapit.com/[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyBob09 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 [quote name='obi 2 kenobi' post='1179370' date='Mar 28 2011, 12:30 PM']Get yourself a copy of Slap It. Great book !! By the end, you will be a master. [url="http://www.slapit.com/"]http://www.slapit.com/[/url][/quote] +1 for 'Slap It'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffynerfherder Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Thanks for all advice, great help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1178801' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:26 PM']The Slap Bass Program by Alexis Sklarevski.[/quote] hmmm... this was ok when it came out and as an instructional video he puts things across well but I think this approach or style is very dated now. If you can see through this and use the basics and then find another influence that would be the way to go IMV. You need blocks and stepping stones. Slap has many styles within the style now... IMV...for starters and very generally Flea is all fast octaves, for example. MK is LH pat triplets Louis J is all thumb hammer-ons MM has probably consolidated most things and brought it all together And there are loads of others who put their spin on it and sound AND feel great. You should be looking at more than one guy and if you want to play slap, Flea isn't the only place you should you should rip from, IMO. If you want to see who is out there doing what... google 'youtube dkmarlow' and go with as many examples of OTHER slap players online and see which sound/style grabs you. To look at just one guy is pretty limiting and more so if that guy is Flea. here we go again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 but...... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb-wk7dhnrc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb-wk7dhnrc[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffynerfherder Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 it took me 3 tries to read your posts as i had trouble not looking at your avatar lol... got there now. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 [quote name='JTUK' post='1180440' date='Mar 29 2011, 09:05 AM']hmmm... this was ok when it came out and as an instructional video he puts things across well but I think this approach or style is very dated now. If you can see through this and use the basics and then find another influence that would be the way to go IMV. You need blocks and stepping stones. Slap has many styles within the style now... IMV...for starters and very generally Flea is all fast octaves, for example. MK is LH pat triplets Louis J is all thumb hammer-ons MM has probably consolidated most things and brought it all together And there are loads of others who put their spin on it and sound AND feel great. You should be looking at more than one guy and if you want to play slap, Flea isn't the only place you should you should rip from, IMO. If you want to see who is out there doing what... google 'youtube dkmarlow' and go with as many examples of OTHER slap players online and see which sound/style grabs you. To look at just one guy is pretty limiting and more so if that guy is Flea. here we go again [/quote] I think you might be right, John. Check out that 80s hairdo. How time flies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffynerfherder Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 im not new to bass, but new to attempting and studying slap as a technique so my knowledge of good and great slap players is limited to the bands i listen/ed to. there are a few that spring to mind but the only players who introduced me to the technique was probablyflea or even fieldy at a push from back in the day when i was really into all the heavier stuff so havent had much to go on. thats partly why im on the forums, to expand my knowledge past my taste. so all input is welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 [quote name='scruffynerfherder' post='1180825' date='Mar 29 2011, 02:34 PM']im not new to bass, but new to attempting and studying slap as a technique so my knowledge of good and great slap players is limited to the bands i listen/ed to. there are a few that spring to mind but the only players who introduced me to the technique was probablyflea or even fieldy at a push from back in the day when i was really into all the heavier stuff so havent had much to go on. thats partly why im on the forums, to expand my knowledge past my taste. so all input is welcome[/quote] Check out guys like....Marcus Miller,Stanley Clarke,Larry Graham,Louis Johnson,Victor Wooten,Alain Caron, Dave LaRue,Vail Johnson,Ray Riendeau,Stuart Hamm. They might not play the kind of music that you would normally listen to,but they have all got the slap thing down,and are technically miles ahead of Flea and Fieldy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffynerfherder Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 yeah i wouldnt doubt it either. nice one, im very open minded to be fair so ill give everything a listen if it will help me move forward a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 You could, of course, go and do something useful instead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffynerfherder Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) Each to their own. Edited March 30, 2011 by scruffynerfherder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 In reply to this thread I went looking for various styles.... and it took a basics lesson to realise that I don't hammer off that much.. and if you look at Louis Johnson..he never seems to Anyway... slap has evolved...upto to you which way you are influenced but a few tasters. Not getting into an argument about who is the man..just directions that the style might be going [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkOYGlI-zoo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkOYGlI-zoo[/url] Mark King clone [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOTy3yhCylw&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOTy3yhCylw...feature=related[/url] Check out a range of style and licks from this guy [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfC-PMN6DK0&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfC-PMN6DK0...feature=related[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsKdhUoP01E"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsKdhUoP01E[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgZsiHESwhc&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgZsiHESwhc...feature=related[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK5IFyo0k0Q&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK5IFyo0k0Q...feature=related[/url] Not exhaustive by any means ...but when people start talking about slap..these names pop up pretty quickly. Forget the music genre.. and mostly, pretty dated styles bar Caron, but anything of interest..?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Maybe a more modern take on it [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrRVLZ-imSA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrRVLZ-imSA[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LAFdptmhJg&playnext=1&list=PLCD990AE4E0E939EE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LAFdptmhJg...D990AE4E0E939EE[/url] Hopefully some others will post things with a different slant on it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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