Pedals for slap

[giblett123]

Morning all!

A quick question about using pedals for slap....... First up, I don't slap, I wish i could and I am working on it (it's like pulling teeth)! As a result of my appalling technique I'll often get the lower string ringing away when I don't want them. I know that good technique will sort this and I am on it! A friend suggested using a gate pedal to help "lose" the noise? Any suggestions? Recommendations? Or is the just insane?

Obviously i'll keep woodshedding until I get there but as curious and hoped some folks knew about this stuff!

Cheers
Chris.

[dannybuoy]

You shouldn't need a noise gate, if you have excess noise issues it's best to try and work out where they are coming from and fix the problem there.

Pedals often used for slap are EQ to scoop the mids, compressor/limiter to tame the peaks, and a filter to add funk. The best filter I've ever played for slap is the MXR Bass Envelope Filter.

[giblett123]

Ahhh.... my noise will be an e string flapping in the breeze because I don't alway get there quick enough to mute it, it a hinky technique thing, work in progress!

[cheddatom]

A gate will mute the whole signal when it drops below a threshold, so if your low E is ringing while you slap other notes, it won't help, as it either cuts out everything or nothing. There's no pedal which could mute a single note for you.

[giblett123]

Ahhh... woodshedding it is then!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

TBH , it's probably best to either practice a lot more on your technique , or forget about it .

When slap is good , it's good . Having said that , even then a lot of bassists hate it .

When slap is not so good , it's a bit like a slinky failing down the stairs. Not right .

[Rik (ESA)]

This might help? http://www.gruvgear.com/fretwraps

Pricey for what it is, but you could probably make a DIY job!

[paul_5]

A compressor will help to even the notes out (if you're changing between fingerstyle and slapping), but other than that a lot of it is down to left hand muting.
Practice, practice, practice

[xgsjx]

Practice your technique first. Then the best pedal for slap is a tuner with a mute function.

Only messing. The best pedals for slap are filter & delay (once you've got your technique down) & maybe an EQ if you need to boost the lows & scoop some mids.

[elephantgrey]

If you are using a compressor with slap, increase the attack a bit more than you would for normal playing, and reduce the release as much as posible, this will add a bit more thump.



Also, bitcrusher. Not for any slap specific reason, just because i love bitcrushers.

[giblett123]

I think the technique advice is on point, my fingerstyle is pretty solid, I've dodged slap for years but thought I'd grasp that nettle.... It sounds crap, sucks donkeys in every way! Still, not quite as crap as last week! I guess all you "slappers" have been through that one!

[Japhet]

As said before, no pedal will compensate for dodgy technique. Slap is as much about muting as it is about thumping and popping the strings. Also try practicing some rudimentary drum patterns like paradiddles (use your hands to tap on your legs) to get the left and right hands working alternately.

[AustinArto]

Good slap bass is about clean technique with the slapping hand and very nuanced technique with the fretting hand. I think the fretting hand is much more responsible for making it sound tasteful and funky to be honest. Getting it pumping right is all about getting the notes the right length, mute notes, voicing with hammering/pulling/glissing and so on.

And you just have to be rhythmically creative, like an MC or a DJ. It's like developing a whole new vocabulary on the bass really, and bear in mind you'll be spending all that time developing a skill you'll very rarely use, so it had better be something you're happy to do just as a personal passion.

I guess it's a bit like learning Japanese.