Who's The Daddy?

[Pete Academy]

Larry Graham has always been credited for having invented the slap style for electric bass, due to him trying to fill in for the absence of a drummer while playing with his organist mother in church.

However, I've read a couple of interviews with Louis Johnson, whereby he claims that he learned the style himself without ever hearing Graham play.

Any thoughts?

[Cato]

My guess is that people have probably been using similar techiques for as long as there have been stringed instruments.

As to who was first out of Larry & Louis, I can believe that they both developed it separately, they both have very different styles, I'd say Larry is more melodic whilst Louis really took the rhythmic ghost notes thing to the next level.

Edited May 16, 2016 by Cato

[bubinga5]

Guys on upright were using the technique to a lesser extent, for a percussive feel way before Louis J or Larry.

[pete.young]

I dunno. My memory is that all of a sudden around 1975 every one was trying to do it, and nobody knew where it came from it was just out there!

My memory is not what it was but I do remember you Pete Academy and it's good to see you back and posting again.

[bubinga5]

Good to see Pete back again also.

[chris_b]

Sly released Thank You in 1969 and it was at #1 in the US charts by the beginning of 1970. I believe that was the first slap bass line on an electric bass.

I don't believe Louis Johnson didn't hear it.

[cheddatom]

I used to slap on the guitar before I knew what slapping was. My teacher saw me do it and told me to buy a bass. So, yeh, I doubt it's possible to know who the first one to slap was

[lowdown]

Wasn't Colin Hodgkinson doing it back then as well ?
He was also doing chordal work along with soloing.

[Owen]

Bartokian Pizzicato - a term which instructs string performers to play a pizzicato note to pull the string away from the fingerboard so that it snaps back percussively on the fingerboard.

http://www.imusicdictionary.com/definition.php?term=bartok%20pizzicato

[yorks5stringer]

I saw Back Door in1973 and Colin Hodgkinson was doing chordal stuff then.....they all signed me a copy of their album too.