What is this technique?

[simisker]

Here is just one of the many brilliant tracks from the greatest computer game soundtrack of all time.

 

Yes: in retrospect, I found out it's a Thunderthumbs Johnson homage. But my question is:

 

How is he doing that triplet/rapid-fire staccato percussive thing from approx 2:50 ?

 

['he' being Arion Salazar from Third Eye Blind, it turns out!]

 

 

Edited 20 hours ago by simisker

[chyc]

Can't remember the name of it, but it's where you pop G, slap E, pop G, slap E using index, thumb, index, thumb respectively. Mute all the strings with your left hand and you should get the sound in the recording. Strings can be different depending on the exact tone you're after, but hopefully you get the idea.

 

Hope that helps.

[Russ]

Envelope filter. Lots of two-handed slap (ie, using the fretting hand to make percussive ghost notes in between the thumb slaps, a la Mark King). 

 

Mark (TalkingBass) tells you all about it here: 

 

[Cato]

4 hours ago, Russ said:

Envelope filter. Lots of two-handed slap (ie, using the fretting hand to make percussive ghost notes in between the thumb slaps, a la Mark King). 

 

Mark (TalkingBass) tells you all about it here: 

 

 

That brings back memories.

 

Took me ages to nail that left hand slap thing when when I was working through the Talking Bass slap tuition vids some years ago, just to get a percussive sound rather than the strings crashing horribly into the fretboard or just being completely inaudible.

 

Like an almost embarassing amount of time for such a simple looking movement 

 

Now, even though I rarely slap I find that I do it more or less subconciously sometimes when I'm playing normally just to add the odd percussive ghost note on lines.

 

It's a useful little thing, works well on skinny string guitar too.

Edited 10 hours ago by Cato

[simisker]

That's the fella! Right, time for this old dog to learn a new trick. Thank you

[Dood]

For 32nd note percussive phrases, I like to incorporate second and third fingers on my right hand too. 

 

For example, Thumb, LH, Pop Index, Pop Middle. Played slowly, to practice, each can be played on the beats 1, E & A in a sixteenth note phrase. Up to tempo its sounds really cool.

 

Aside from the Left Hand percussive slap, Dirk Lance (ex-Incubus) replaced it with a palm slap from his right hand. Coincidentally, this was covered in a Scott's Bass Lessons Instagram post recently, though I remember getting exicted about that sound when the album SCIENCE came out in, I guess, the late 90's. 

 

Turning triplets in to straight 16ths and incorporating the 4 note groupings above, it's possible to create some really crazy 'odd timings' without even thinking about it.

 

(Thumb, LH, Pop) + (Thumb LH Pop1 Pop2) would give me a fun 7 beat phrase for example. Very tech metal / prog! 

[Count Bassy]

15 hours ago, Russ said:

Envelope filter. Lots of two-handed slap (ie, using the fretting hand to make percussive ghost notes in between the thumb slaps, a la Mark King). 

 

Mark (TalkingBass) tells you all about it here: 

 

I am not a slapper, but that video must be one of the clearest lessons on bass (in any style) that I have ever seen. If only they were all that clear.