BassPimp66 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 OK, I love the sound of slap bass. I will take my wife without hesitation to a Marcus Miler gig (last one was for the Renaissance tour, yeah!). It turns out my wife is also quite found of Marcus Miller. This is a good sign because she couldn't care less about bass-pyrotechnics. I consider myself as a slap aficionado. I am totally hooked on the old Luther Vandros and David Sanborn stuff. Level 42 of course, Larry Graham, etc... Then, I came across the video below with Wooten "battling". And, I thought "Oh my God, this is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring". This reminded me how disappointed I was when I saw Wooten and Stanley Clarke a few years back at the Barbican. Wooten pulled exactly the same stuff on Stanley, the former slapping erratically while the latter was on double bass. I also thought back then "Oh my God, this is sooooo boring". From various threads, I sense there's the "I love slap" and the "I hate slap" crowd. So, this goes to the "I love slap" crowd, which I belong to : [b]Is the Wooten slap thing really boring? Or, is it me being grumpy?[/b] [media]http://youtu.be/Na2vXJXmGwQ[/media] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I think slap bass is really cool sounding, but sometimes used in a totally unmusical fashion. While playing at blistering speeds can be used to great effect, if you do it for too long it does just get boring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 You're right, slap [i]is[/i] boring, but, Larry Graham's [i]thumping[/i] is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooks79 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I literally only enjoyed between 1:03 and 1:05.. basically just that tapped bit. They are both far more talented than me, but I don't find it musical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Stuff taken out of context is boring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScreencastTutor Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I tend to agree. I love slap bass but sometimes its just fast for the sake of being fast. When its like that it loses the rhythm that makes it fun for me. Something like Prince's Lets Work sounds great to me. PS. A video I do really like of Victor Wooten is: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmwui2R954w"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmwui2R954w[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 The nose wipe is slick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Any thing that approaches the w*nkfest of hair metal guitaristas a la Yngwie on any instrument, using any style is an embarrising pile of horse sh17. Wooten was always at his best for me as a Flecktone, because I think Bela is a great composer, I think in general WOoten isnt half the composer Bela is, and on top of that he is forced to keep recycling his most impressive trick constantly rather than concentrating onm being a musician in a more general sense, which is a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) Flea is my favourite bassist for slap. Like he puts it, the energy of punk rock with the funk feel. Edited October 9, 2012 by Musicman20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 But surely boundarys need to be pushed to the limit or there would be no progression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnozzalee Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I find Wooten's double thump technique massively boring on its own but in Sinister Minister it's great. Someone like Billy Sheehan on his own is pretty pants though with Mr Big, fantastic. There's very few bass players that can hold a crowd solo IMO despite skill and technical ability (not even Jack Bruce I hate to say ) - However!! I'll happily listen to Jeff Schmidt all day long, very musical indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I love how the 'slap is boring' is always backed up by a 2 minute clip of a concert that lasted for,what?.....2 hours? That section was just a bit of fun/entertainment that the players enjoyed...and so did the audience on the night,judging by the reaction. Yeah,slap bass is boring and unmusical....but no more so than fingerstyle playing or pick playing.The technique in itself is not unmusical-that would be down to the player. As for boring-that is down to the listeners own taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassPimp66 Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 [quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1349821453' post='1831119'] I love how the 'slap is boring' is always backed up by a 2 minute clip of a concert that lasted for,what?.....2 hours? [/quote] [b] [size=3] [/size][size=3]You're only as good as your last haircut [/size][/b] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameronj279 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 [quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1349819287' post='1831081'] I think slap bass is really cool sounding, but sometimes used in a totally unmusical fashion. While playing at blistering speeds can be used to great effect, if you do it for too long it does just get boring! [/quote] This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1349819572' post='1831084'] Stuff taken out of context is boring. [/quote] This is the best single sentence response to this thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassPimp66 Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1349819950' post='1831090'] The nose wipe is slick. [/quote] Jaco used chicken wings to lubricate this fingers. Wooten uses snot .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I think Wooten can do some very nice things but his career path is focused..for better or worse, on this double thumb thing and he has to make whole features and shows out of it. He can have a really nice feel to some stuff and a couple of bars of a fast double thumb thing would be great.. but we assume people pay to see more...and that is what you get,. Maybe it has made him quite a career, Personally, I think he is better than that as a player...but those $'s count. I can watch a few minutes of him but then most of his musicality goes..for me.. and I switch off. Guys like Caron, Wooten and Dickens now have careers on their style/technique..whereas someone MM backed and produced a whole range or artists before going down that route. Presumably it pays the mortgage..but yes, in short, can get too much. But, apply that to as many shredders and other musos as you like, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 [quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1349819152' post='1831080'] [b]Is the Wooten slap thing really boring? Or, is it me being grumpy?[/b] [/quote] Like watching paint dry, only more disappointing, same goes for Jaco. Both fantastic players, no doubt about it, but they send me top sleep when i hear them "noodling" out of a band/song context. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sté Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 [quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1349821453' post='1831119'] I love how the 'slap is boring' is always backed up by a 2 minute clip of a concert that lasted for,what?.....2 hours? That section was just a bit of fun/entertainment that the players enjoyed...and so did the audience on the night,judging by the reaction. Yeah,slap bass is boring and unmusical....but no more so than fingerstyle playing or pick playing.The technique in itself is not unmusical-that would be down to the player. As for boring-that is down to the listeners own taste. [/quote] agree To the op: you can ckeck "palmystery" album from Wooten, if you didn't; of which this tune is from. Great album with a very musical use of slapping, especially on this tune. Then it's also a matter of taste. I saw Marcus on his last tour. That was a blast, but i found Marcus repeat himself in slap thing, the same impression than others in this thread. Perhaps it's me and start to be boring by Marcus... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I'm not in the 'love' or 'hate' camp. Most of the music I usually listen to is slap free, but as many have pointed out above in the right context it can sound really brilliant. However, I never thought I would ever need to learn the slappin and poppin techniques. Being new to bass I thought this would just be something else in the huge range of things I can't do, and I'd be best off avoiding it. [b]But[/b] now the band are thinking of doing a cover of Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz. Which contains a bit of slappery-poppery in the middle. So I thought I'd better give it a bash and asked my tutor for a lesson on it. Came away having had tremendous fun and can't wait to show the rest of the band what I can now (just about) do!! Fly Away is a great one to start with as it's not too extreme so I'm managing to get to grips with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 While Wooten's slap style (and everyone else's) bores me stiff, I went to see him at a clinic a couple of years ago and it was 2 hours of the most entertaining and varied playing and speaking that I've seen. He's definitely not a one trick pony so it's sad that the excessive slap thing is what he's mainly known for. I guess pirated YouTube video isn’t going to be representative anyway. He spoke about playing with Chick Corea and Bela Fleck and bemoaned the fact that he doesn’t get asked to do “normal” gigs. But the clinics pay the bills and that’s generally what these audiences want to hear so he gives it to them. I’ve just noticed he’s playing bass on a track on a Keb Mo’s album and, as you would expect, it's very good "normal" bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Sounds like a music shop on a Saturday afternoon. [quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1349820432' post='1831097'] I think in general WOoten isnt half the composer Bela is,[/quote] You crazy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_h9eQ15CIs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I love chicken sandwiches. If I had them for starter, main course and dessert every day for a month, I would soon hate them. All things in moderation. I can take a few minutes of these jugglers but, after the 'wow' has worn off, I quickly switch off. I think someone is right in that we need guys to push the boundaries but we also need guys who consolidate, who use the ideas of the trailbalzers in a more musical and less grandstanding way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 [quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1349849940' post='1831199'] Jaco used chicken wings to lubricate this fingers. Wooten uses snot .... [/quote] Was thinking more a Bruce Lee thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender73 Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Everything in moderation is my view - if it fits the tune, then so be it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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