Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I am trying to learn 'Brickhouse' by The Commodores. I had no idea they did such funky stuff! I am finding slapping very diificult. I just seem to get a dull thud. Anyone give me any tips?...amp settings or anything that might help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassfunk Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I tend to dial in a little more treble on my bass. Just enough to give me that growl needed for the slap and to make the pop stand out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I'm in the "I don't get slap" club also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I'm not much of a slapper either but I find a bit of compression helps to smooth the sound out. If you have a compressor/limiter pedal, then even better. Spank on..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 You're probably just getting a dull thud 'cos of your technique, not amp settings. Just experiment with how and where your thumb strikes the string (and how long it stays on there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilmour Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Few quickees I find helpfull when I'm teaching slap: - New strings, brighter and beter response (or try boling some old ones) - With your EQ the classic is to scoop the middle, the smilry face on the Garphic EQ - It should be a very fast motion, with thumb in contact with the string for the minimum amount of time. You want to either bounce or go straight through the string, don't leave your thumb there once you've struck the string as that will effectivley mut the note - Contact point - you want to try and have your thumb striking the string right over the bottom fret (not over the pickup) and bouncing the string off of that fret Hope these help. PS a really good slap song for beginners is Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz - PM me if you want and I'll knock up some TAB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I don't really get slap either. I know what "good" sounds like; Miller, Levin, Johnson, Edwards, etc. But I can't replicate it, nor find any accessible tunes to use as a starting point. All I have learned (from experimenting) is to strike the string lightly and swiftly, and from not too great a distance away from the string. As with all things bass, economy of movement is key. The guys who are good make it look like no effort at all. Not because it is "easy" [i]per se[/i] but because the actual effort involved is quite small. It's how the small amounts of energy are precisely directed that governs the sound. (Which is true of all styles, in fact!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I agree with the two posts on technique above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 im quite a fan of the old slapping business now (although thats not to say i'm any good!) I find different basses react differently to various amounts of aggression, For example my EDA905 takes some real heavy hitting before i get i real nice tone from it, but my Cort requires the lightest touch. so thats something else to consider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted October 2, 2007 Author Share Posted October 2, 2007 [quote name='gilmour' post='68563' date='Oct 2 2007, 11:12 AM']Few quickees I find helpfull when I'm teaching slap: - New strings, brighter and beter response (or try boling some old ones) - With your EQ the classic is to scoop the middle, the smilry face on the Garphic EQ - It should be a very fast motion, with thumb in contact with the string for the minimum amount of time. You want to either bounce or go straight through the string, don't leave your thumb there once you've struck the string as that will effectivley mut the note - Contact point - you want to try and have your thumb striking the string right over the bottom fret (not over the pickup) and bouncing the string off of that fret Hope these help. PS a really good slap song for beginners is Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz - PM me if you want and I'll knock up some TAB[/quote] stunning, thanks for that i'll try that later on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaphappygarry Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 dont hit the bass hard. Thats where most people go wrong. You just make contact and no more. check out wooten and miller. They are so elegant at what they do. makes flea look like an axe murderer G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I think light guage (35-95) strings will help as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Just work on technique for now. Things like EQ, compression and string gauges come in when it comes to finding your own particular slap sound. I don't think Flea slaps particularly hard. He just makes it look like he's exerting more effort than it's taking - you know, the whole punk thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaphappygarry Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Yeah man Technique is the main thing to get. A superb slap bass with uber zingy strings and the sweetest compression with the nicest EQ will all not be worth it if you don't get the basics down. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grosa Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 have your thumb teased thrice weekly by a weeping widow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bald Eagle Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 yep it's all in the 'bounce' and a nice smooth wrist action ooerr...not from the whole arm though and bass height is pretty important to get the right angle your arm wants to be more or less parallel with the neck/strings and contact right at the heel with a quick rotation of the wrist, then pull straight off with the thumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Has anyone else said full tone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I've just started to have a few lessons on this and it's been invaluable - you can't slow down a tutorial book CD or video and say "... no, no, no, hold it ... THAT bit right there!. How do you do THAT exactly?" like you can with a human. I've made huge leaps in two weeks. Tunes I've got on my pile to learn include "We supply" by Stanley Clarke but I'd have never got the subtle nuances without watching my tutor do it at about 1/3 speed for a few times through. It does have several of the technique components in it though. So I suggest you find a tutor for a few sessions, just to get going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Just don't get a tutor like the one I had (definitely past tense!) who only wanted to teach me what he wanted to teach me, and not what I might have wanted to learn... I was willing to compromise- 50/50 of what he thought was good, allied to what I actually wanted to learn. (Slap technique was a request) Y'know... bit of stick, bit of carrot. I told him to shove it. Sure he was good in some ways, but couldn't play by ear as well as I could OR play straight "rock" tunes either (Jazz was his forte) A decade later, still no slap and a REAL aversion to teachers. Damn I need some love! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theosd Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Higher Ground, RHCP is the first I learnt. Helps build up muscle memory for sure and speed also. Practise this solidly (til you're incredibly bored/sore) then apply the technique you've acquired to anything else and it will seem a lot easier. Rinse, repeat. Remember, economy of movement is vital for playing fast and complex slap rudiments and lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 (edited) I agree with OldGit's advice advice on getting a lesson or two. Also if you are really serious about getting into slapping I can't recommend highly enough Ultimate Slap Bass by Stuart Clayton from www.basslinepublishing.co.uk - it'll cost you the same as a lesson and keep you going for years. I think there's some samples of the lessons there too. Edited October 2, 2007 by Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZPQ Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 The are some nice little video lesons on the warwick website - worth checking out... [url="http://www.warwickbass.com/basssurvival101/index.htm"]http://www.warwickbass.com/basssurvival101/index.htm[/url] Cheers John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilmour Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 +1 on lessons also +1 on a good teacher, it's vital to stop you falling into sloppy habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 As a 30+ year player I did have to reign my tutor in a bit at first as he started from his normal "born again bassplayer's first steps" position and didn't do anything to asses my prior knowledge (which is eclectic and very wide) but once I'd said we'd address my bad habits once I'd learned "a bit of fireworks for my gig next week" he focused and we made a lot of progress. I'll come back to right hand alternating plucking fingers and Jaco left hand finger stretching exercises at a later date once I've got the slapping tool in my kit box. I really do not have any major desire to learn Jaco solos note for note and can see no audience pleasing potential in the gigs I play for that sort of thing (unless the BC community all start attending my gigs ) Slapping and reading, though, I have an immediate use for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted October 6, 2007 Share Posted October 6, 2007 [quote name='theosd' post='68763' date='Oct 2 2007, 06:35 PM']Higher Ground, RHCP is the first I learnt. Helps build up muscle memory for sure and speed also. Practise this solidly (til you're incredibly bored/sore) then apply the technique you've acquired to anything else and it will seem a lot easier. Rinse, repeat. Remember, economy of movement is vital for playing fast and complex slap rudiments and lines.[/quote] its the first slap song i learnt, too. then can't stop by the red hot chilis. has anyone say make sure your thumb is tensed, you can't slap with a floppy thumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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