What have you got against slap bass?

[chris_b]

I don't associate slap as being solely a Funk style. I see slap being used in many other genres and most of the Funk I listen to is finger style.

[ead]

18 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

I think you have successfully defined middle aged rock n roll. 

😁

 

So pleased to be thought of as middle-aged  

[Barking Spiders]

1 hour ago, mcnach said:

 

Nice! What a band!

They sure are. Definitely my fave funk band ever. If there's any one player who I'd point to and say that's how to play slap bass in a funk band it's Big Tony Fisher.

[Frank Blank]

7 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

They sure are. Definitely my fave funk band ever. If there's any one player who I'd point to and say that's how to play slap bass in a funk band it's Big Tony Fisher.

Right on!

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, Frank Blank said:

 

Well, I gave it eight minutes, that'll I'll never get back. Not for me, slap or no slap. Definitely not a fan.

[mcnach]

2 hours ago, inthedoghouse said:

Nice post.  Now that's what I like and appreciate - modesty and playing to fit the song rather than showing off.

 

Trust me, I'm no Thunderthumbs, I could not show off if I tried!

I just know enough to get away with it when required  I was in a RHCP tribute band a while ago. I could play everything we wanted to. Some of the older stuff required more practice but most patterns are pretty simple, just played fast. It is far more difficult for me to come up with my own parts/patterns and not sound like a cliche.

[EBS_freak]

I don't really find myself playing much slap - but recently did a cover where I was apeing the Level 42 collab performance with Swing Out Sister. As a rule, I don't "get" Level 42. Never have done. Now, the question is, is the song better or worse for having a slapped bass line? I would have said, ugh slap... but after hearing how it came out, I'm actually indifferent and either version floats my boat.

 

[ClassicVibes]

To be fair, I've always thought this was one of Mr King's best solo spots... though my favourite bit is when the band misses their cue to come in for the next song!

 

[Al Krow]

'Fess up: which of us weren't impressed by our fellow BC'er playing AND singing on this video a couple of months back?

 

In fact that YT clip is one of the most liked posts on BC we've had in ages and was only marginally beaten by the picture of a bass lying in its case...

[Ricky 4000]

10 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

I don't really find myself playing much slap - but recently did a cover where I was apeing the Level 42 collab performance with Swing Out Sister. As a rule, I don't "get" Level 42. Never have done. Now, the question is, is the song better or worse for having a slapped bass line? I would have said, ugh slap... but after hearing how it came out, I'm actually indifferent and either version floats my boat.

 

That's great In my view, there's nothing great, good or bad about slapping. There's just great, good and bad bass players 👍

[Vinny]

Definitely in the 'no' camp over here (classless, unmusical, etc...) but I bloody love it when it's played on what it should be played on - trebley skinny guitars. 

[jacko]

3 hours ago, gjones said:

I one bought a slap bass instructional DVD, by Ed Friedland.

He's very good at it.

But he admitted that he has never ever been asked to play slap bass with a band.

And neither have I.

The DVD is still in it's plastic wrapping. 

I bought the first edition of 'Slap it' by Tony Oppenheim in the early 80's. Standard notation only and it came with two floppy plastic 7" singles with examples - The first thing I did was copy these to Cassette cos they wouldn't have stood up to too much needle lifting.  Turned out to be the only book I ever needed to learn to slap. I worked through all the examples, became reasonably proficient and have never slapped in a band situation since.   

[EBS_freak]

I was a "Hi, I'm Jon Liebman., Welcome to funk bass", scholar.

[EBS_freak]

14 minutes ago, jacko said:

 became reasonably proficient and have never slapped in a band situation since.   

That's the thing isn't it? In most situations, it's completely inappropriate!

[Skybone]

Slap is the Bass version of "Shred" guitar.

Great when done well, and when it fits in with the song, tedious when overdone.

[Frank Blank]

I always rather liked John Wilson’s playing on the ‘pavement’ side of Penthouse and Pavement by Heaven 17, I wonder what happened to him?

 

[Happy Jack]

1 minute ago, EBS_freak said:

In most situations, it's completely inappropriate!

All My Loving? Nope. Brown Sugar? Don't think so. Get It On? No chance. Addicted To Love? You're 'avin' a giraffe. Paradise City? Nah. Wonderwall? Forget it.

 

[EBS_freak]

1 minute ago, Happy Jack said:

All My Loving? Nope. Brown Sugar? Don't think so. Get It On? No chance. Addicted To Love? You're 'avin' a giraffe. Paradise City? Nah. Wonderwall? Forget it.

 

You've just quoted my complete slap repertoire. Banging slap tracks aren't they?

[Bassybert]

7 minutes ago, Skybone said:

Slap is the Bass version of "Shred" guitar.

Great when done well, and when it fits in with the song, tedious when overdone.

This pretty much sums it up totally for me 🙂

[EBS_freak]

3 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

I always rather liked John Wilson’s playing on the ‘pavement’ side of Penthouse and Pavement by Heaven 17, I wonder what happened to him?

 

Does nothing for me!

 

[Ricky 4000]

  

9 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

I always rather liked John Wilson’s playing on the ‘pavement’ side of Penthouse and Pavement by Heaven 17, I wonder what happened to him?

 

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Ricky 4000

[ClassicVibes]

How about this banger? 

 

[EBS_freak]

1 minute ago, ClassicVibes said:

How about this banger? 

 

The funny thing about this track, is that whenever I hear it, I don't think about slap bass, I think about the General Midi slap bass patch. It's like a demo you got on Window 3.11 media player.

[Japhet]

Slapping has gone a bit too far in recent years in my opinion. All the Victor Wooten type machine gun fills don't do it for me, but, a small amount in the right context is fine. Playing wise, I've always used the addage that you're better off leaving the audience wishing they'd heard a bit more rather than wishing they'd heard a bit less. I doubt I ever played more than 10 seconds of slap in any gig but it always seemed to get a good response.

[chris_b]

I'm afraid the Sinefeld stuff is played on a DX7.