Clarky Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 (edited) Check out this guy Nicolas Dubouchet, there's loads of Youtube vids with him playing in a French gypsy jazz group and he mixes jazz and slap. This is just him playing solo. Wow! Wish I could learn to slap even a hundredth as well as this Edited June 9, 2011 by Clarky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 (edited) Here's him playing gypsy jazz: Edited June 9, 2011 by Clarky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I've seen a great clip of him with a very scary and red faced guitarist/vocalist, kind of a cross between Van Morrison and the old drunk from Father Ted (the singer, not the bassist). I'll dig it out and post here later. Great player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 [quote name='Beedster' post='1263533' date='Jun 10 2011, 07:02 AM']I've seen a great clip of him with a very scary and red faced guitarist/vocalist, kind of a cross between Van Morrison and the old drunk from Father Ted (the singer, not the bassist). I'll dig it out and post here later. Great player[/quote] Here we go [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jktmj5W5FIw&feature=player_embedded"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jktmj5W5FIw...player_embedded[/url] C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 [quote name='Beedster' post='1263586' date='Jun 10 2011, 08:40 AM']Here we go [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jktmj5W5FIw&feature=player_embedded"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jktmj5W5FIw...player_embedded[/url] C[/quote] And yes, I know that's not a guitar! I was working from memory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Can I just ask.... Is Slap bass in the upright world frowned upon as much as it is in the Electric world? Genuine question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 (edited) He is awesome. Proper jazz, too! Edited June 10, 2011 by wateroftyne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 [quote name='crez5150' post='1263589' date='Jun 10 2011, 08:43 AM']Can I just ask.... Is Slap bass in the upright world frowned upon as much as it is in the Electric world? Genuine question[/quote] I imagine among jazzers, slap upright bass is frowned upon. I like tasteful slapping on the upright bass but some rockabilly guys turn it into horrible thwak-a-tak, pyrotechnics - the equivalent of our friend on the Rotosound stand at the Olympia bass show and equally unlistenable to me. This guy (Nicolas Dubouchet) never forgets that there is a melody when he plays and thats why I like his stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 [quote name='Clarky' post='1263593' date='Jun 10 2011, 08:47 AM']I imagine among jazzers, slap upright bass is frowned upon. I like tasteful slapping on the upright bass but some rockabilly guys turn it into horrible thwak-a-tak, pyrotechnics - the equivalent of our friend on the Rotosound stand at the Olympia bass show and equally unlistenable to me. This guy (Nicolas Dubouchet) never forgets that there is a melody when he plays and thats why I like his stuff[/quote] Yep, rockabilly slap is to me the equivalent of Mark King at his worst. I went to see an otherwise good band a few weeks back ruined by the fact that the DB player seemed to think it was all about him and subjected the audience to what most of them heard as noise and which most of them assumed was the result of a lack of musical ability! So yes, very similar to slap on the electric bass And I love this guy's DB playing, he is one of the few players I've seen who is both sufficiently skilled and sufficiently musical to use slap appropriately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 [quote name='crez5150' post='1263589' date='Jun 10 2011, 08:43 AM']Can I just ask.... Is Slap bass in the upright world frowned upon as much as it is in the Electric world? Genuine question[/quote] Nah. Sometimes you need to do it to get more volume (playing in noisy places unamplified (bar with chatty people, the high street, etc.), or with a loud guitarist), or to provide a backbeat if there's no drummer. It's not often done in a 'look-at-me' way, except by the psychobilly guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 He's a lefty! Get him! But seriously though, that is wonderful! Amazing technique and very musical. Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Because I can't slap very well I tend to look down on those who can - but seriously it's a worthwhile technique. Trouble is while you're slapping you are tending to stifle the actual note sound and your notes are limited, so there is danger of becoming a percussionist rather than a bassist if you overdo it. There is a guy on the scene who is hailed as 'the top trad bass player' who just slaps all the time. Personally, I think he's just bollocks. But that's my opinion. I was doing a festival abroad and I heard the band Hullabaloo and their bass player was just amazing. Limehouse Blues very up tempo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 If done tastefully and in support of the song then a bit of DB slappage is a wonderful thing - much like EB slapping a la Larry Graham and, dare I say it, bass solos. I've just joined 'scrumpy & Western' band (think Jhonny Cash meets the Wurzles) and my first gig with them is in a month's time, so i need to get to work on my (nonexistent) slap technique. Cheers for the video - good to have something to aim for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKing Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Yeah I'm guilty of slapping about 75% of the time, though I know the limitations and potential for ear ache. And most players frown on it... But it does have a real role when done tastefully, in jazz or roots style. I play jump / west coast blues in the style of Hollywood Fats / Junior Watson - slap bass played like Larry Taylor, Willie Dixon, Ernest Crawford. I love it. It's mostly single slap, which defines and adds punch to every pizz note, it adds the jump to jump blues... Most jazzers don't take it seriously ... but check out Milt Hinton. He's no Ray Brown, but he's got rhythm and melody. Also the strings you use make a whole lot of difference. Most players on steel strings sound like an accident in a sheet metal factory when slapping. Gut or Nylon (like the Lamberts Nic Dubouchet uses, me too...) have a beautiful rhythmic thumpy click to them. And some rockabilly players have a dedicated click pick up which can, if over-used, dominate the amplified sound. Nasty. Mark King did us no favours. Nether does manic psychobilly clickattaclickatta. But I'm still a fan of the sound. If ever I can hear myself dissapearing in the mix I get jiggy with the slap and there I am again, punch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I just listened to the clip in Clarky's post and his timing is a bit rough. Quite often when slappers try to fit in triplets or other adornments they end up late into the next bar and this guy does the same thing. In the middle of the clip he seems to lose the beat completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrenleepoole Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Great player, thanks for sharing. Have any of you checked out Joe Fick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='1263590' date='Jun 10 2011, 08:43 AM']He is awesome. Proper jazz, too![/quote] Can't be - he's not playing Moondance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKing Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1265900' date='Jun 12 2011, 11:55 AM']I just listened to the clip in Clarky's post and his timing is a bit rough. Quite often when slappers try to fit in triplets or other adornments they end up late into the next bar and this guy does the same thing. In the middle of the clip he seems to lose the beat completely.[/quote] Yeah in Nics solo clips he does seem to wander off the beat a bit. But when he's locked in with a drummer he absolutely nails it. Joe Frick is spot on the whole damn time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikodriko Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 ok ... 'Slappers' !! Burning question, i havenever bothered to learn slap technique, but these videos are really really good, and i agree with fact that it must be musical and not showy offy... I want to know if slapping the bass like these guys do will eventually destroy the fingerboard? I have a really nice bass with an ebony fingerboard and i really dont want to cause any cosmetic damage. Im precious about my bass and hate myself for being so... If i was going to learn the technique then is it worth buying a cheap ply bass and using that for slappage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Buy a cheap slapper... you know you want to. You'll need lower tension strings and a lower action than you probably have on your decent bass in order to get the right sound and avoid ripping up your fingers. So unless you fancy changing strings and setup every time you fancy a slap, a different bass properly set up for slap is the way forward. Having said that, if you're just planning to try slapping at home, then your current bass & setup may be OK, albeit harder work. And yes, the strings bashing against the board will eventually cause some wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKing Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) It doesn't mark the board if you're playing guts or plain nylon. But round wound, or steel strings will damage the fingerboard, esp if it is a softer wood. Lower tension strings make it a whole lot easier to do, though it's not impossible with higher tension. But they certainly do make a lot of the more intricate multiple slap techniques impossible. With lower tension strings most people actually end up playing a HIGHER action, as you need to play them harder to make up for loss of volume. Plus you need space to get good purchase under the strings, and the ideal arm movement is relaxed and bouncy, which is easier with higher action. A bit of me... slapping for first half then pizz [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P4Swu7Y_SY"]Slapping on a 1938 King Mortone with whackers...[/url] Edited June 16, 2011 by PaulKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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