Slap

[Pete Academy]

The recent thread on how to learn slap bass made me think about how I managed it. Without the requisite tutor DVD/books etc it was really hit-and-miss in those days.

How did you manage to master it? Was it hard work?

[iconic]

what recent thread...what did I miss

[Pete Academy]

This seems to be a popular request.

'Building up slap technique' by Musicman20.

Edited May 2, 2010 by Pete Academy

[OldGit]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='825769' date='May 2 2010, 07:00 PM']The recent thread on how to learn slap bass made me think about how I managed it. Without the requisite tutor DVD/books etc it was really [b][size=4]hit-and-miss [/size][/b]in those days.

How did you manage to master it? Was it hard work?[/quote]


Hit and miss? Yup that sums up my slappin', mostly.

Edited May 2, 2010 by OldGit

[Pete Academy]

I think it's one of those styles that you start to play in a haphazard fashion and then it suddenly evolves. One day you're crap, the other it seems to have happened.

Regardless of what the majority of players think about the style, for a bass player it becomes somewhat addictive.

[purpleblob]

You know what. I started to reply to this a few minutes ago but I couldn't for the life of me remember how I learned to slap. I think you probably sum it up quite eloquently as "hit and miss".

I remember seeing the likes of Larry Graham and the brilliant Mark King live on "The Tube" doing a solo piece. I sort of remember bits of (was it called) "Rock School" but I seem to recall I could slap before seeing that. So I think yeah, hit and miss sums up the way I learned. Playing along to Stanley Clarke's School days, day after day probably helped as it's not the most complex slap piece (not like Mr Pink from Level 42).

Edited May 2, 2010 by purpleblob

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='purpleblob' post='825794' date='May 2 2010, 07:17 PM']You know what. I started to reply to this a few minutes ago but I couldn't for the life of me remember how I learned to slap. I think you probably sum it up quite eloquently as "hit and miss".

I remember seeing the likes of Larry Graham and the brilliant Mark King live on "The Tube" doing a solo piece. I sort of remember bits of (was it called) "Rock School" but I seem to recall I could slap before seeing that. So I think yeah, hit and miss sums up the way I learned. Playing along to Stanley Clarke's School days, day after day probably helped as it's not the most complex slap piece (not like Mr Pink from Level 42).[/quote]

Nice reply. I think that when you're passionate about learning something, you don't really notice how long it takes - you just do it.

[urb]

I learnt how to slap by watching lots of Wooten and Stu Hamm vids (on VHS) when I was younger - I just got better over time but did get slightly obsessed with the Wooten thing which I can now do so I suppose it was worth it but I still think there are no short cuts - ie watching lots of Youtube vids - to learning any technique or any aspect of music you just gotta shed man!

M

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='urb' post='825801' date='May 2 2010, 07:22 PM']I learnt how to slap by watching lots of Wooten and Stu Hamm vids (on VHS) when I was younger - I just got better over time but did get slightly obsessed with the Wooten thing which I can now do so I suppose it was worth it but I still think there are no short cuts - ie watching lots of Youtube vids - to learning any technique or any aspect of music you just gotta shed man!

M[/quote]

Yep.

[Pete Academy]

I know there are forum members that hate slap, but it's still a great style to learn, and it sets us apart from the rest of the band.

[Higgie]

I know it sounds strange, but I could instantly do it from day 1. My dad is a bass player and I grew up watching him practice. He's not a slap player at all though, he just used to try and do the odd bit, but as soon as I picked up the bass I had the right motion, and was pretty accurate. The only thing I've had to work on was speed and groove. The actual technique just always came naturally! It took me longer to learn pick and fingers than it did slapping!

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Higgie' post='825813' date='May 2 2010, 07:33 PM']I know it sounds strange, but I could instantly do it from day 1. My dad is a bass player and I grew up watching him practice. He's not a slap player at all though, he just used to try and do the odd bit, but as soon as I picked up the bass I had the right motion, and was pretty accurate. The only thing I've had to work on was speed and groove. The actual technique just always came naturally! It took me longer to learn pick and fingers than it did slapping![/quote]

Lucky bastard!

[JTUK]

Me and a mate started on this at the same time... we taught each other in the very early stages..

Did it all by ear from albums and stole from Pops Popwell mostly. Any album that came out of NYC probably had Miller, Lee, Stubenhaus, Washington, Randy Jackson and people like that on it. I stole from them all... so I have always had a more old skool type action.
I missed Mark King's take on it completely even though it was easier to see him do it on film
I started with with thumb pointing down and then changed to a more level thumb and din't modify much until relatively recently.
Now, I have a real mix-up of styles and go between too much thumb..which is what I started with... to pops with the middle finger which just gives it more funk..IMO.


Practice it quite a lot..use it in the track not much at all...2 bar fills the max, so it is a trick to break up the flow..rather than a playing style for the song.
If someone suggested the latter, I'd be thinking, NO...!!
Too easily the over-blown clique, IMV. Some people can slap quite a storm but can't play very well outside of that.
You need balance for where you are going to use it.

Less is more, I think.

Edited May 2, 2010 by JTUK

[OldGit]

[quote name='Higgie' post='825813' date='May 2 2010, 07:33 PM']I know it sounds strange, but I could instantly do it from day 1. My dad is a bass player and I grew up watching him practice. He's not a slap player at all though, he just used to try and do the odd bit, but as soon as I picked up the bass I had the right motion, and was pretty accurate. The only thing I've had to work on was speed and groove. The actual technique just always came naturally! It took me longer to learn pick and fingers than it did slapping![/quote]


I think that may be true for a lot of young players. I see them quite often where they can do a mighty fine bit of slap (in E, usually) but can't play a fairly simple blues bass line using fingers or pick...

I always thought it was because slap is very spectacular for audiences and thus they are encouraged by the response and concentrate on that first.
Not many standing ovations for nice solid 8's over changes...

Edited May 2, 2010 by OldGit

[Pete Academy]

Apologies for stating this again, but I first saw Pops Popwell slapping on the OGWT and thought he was pinging the strings with his finger ends, Cue a few weeks worth of finger-end pain.

[Pete Academy]

I hate to say this, but I think many a young player would have given up playing if slap hadn't been invented.

[urb]

The first two things I learnt slap-wise was a half arsed attempt at some Mark King stuff from the Physical Presence live album but also I remembered this cool clip from an early Luc Besson film called Subway which had a bit of slap played by the films soundtrack guy Eric something, he's in the band in the film and it was one of the first bits of slap I learnt.

[JTUK]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='825824' date='May 2 2010, 07:41 PM']Apologies for stating this again, but I first saw Pops Popwell slapping on the OGWT and thought he was pinging the strings with his finger ends, Cue a few weeks worth of finger-end pain.[/quote]


ha ha

I saw Popwell with The Crusaders at Hammersmith and Abe L with Lee Ritenour at the Venue and it was hard enough to see what the former was doing although I know about slapping at that time......I hadn't a clue what Abe L was doing though.
You need to watch his videos..which is what Wooten had been doing, IMO... to even get a clue..
Amazing live ....but not a conventional slap player....tho' he has his own set of rules to work from

[daz]

I couldnt do it at all till i got my new Squier CV jazz, now i can do it on all my basses. Go figure? Think i wasn't bouncing back off quick enough. Im ok on the E string but if i try to slap the A string i end up hitting 3 strings together.

Edited May 2, 2010 by daz

[Protium]

The guys in the band love it for some reason, apparently anything that is slapped is "funk"... I can't stand it and wish I could unlearn it

[daz]

The right hand slap is the ones got me beat, it just sounds like someone has [b]thunked [/b]a hand down on four piano notes together. Any help anyone? Am i sposed to hit all the strings or just the E string ?

[witterth]

Mark King and Nigel Clutterbuck (REALLY! youtube him!) in the 80s ....good fun..I could NEVER do!!

[OldGit]

[quote name='Protium' post='825859' date='May 2 2010, 08:28 PM']The guys in the band love it for some reason, apparently anything that is slapped is "funk"... I can't stand it and wish I could unlearn it [/quote]


I can do a little bit and I pop pops in when apropriate. I'll get a lesson or two sometime. (

However, I depped for a band a couple of times a few months ago. They sent me the set list - all Free, Bad co, Santana, 2 sets full of dad rock. No problem.
Then they sent me a CD of the band playing it. The bass player was slapping on everything; Yup, everything.
Samba pa ti with slap, Cocaine with slap, Sex on fire with slap, All Right Now with slap ...
I had to listen through again to check but, yup, he slapped something of every single track.

The lad who runs the band (18) thought he was the best bass player in the whole wide world and didn't understand why I didn't also slap all the way through everything as well ....
Says a lot I think.

Edited May 2, 2010 by OldGit

[purpleblob]

[quote name='OldGit' post='825886' date='May 2 2010, 09:09 PM']All Right Now with slap ...[/quote]

Oh no - say it ain't so !

[tonybassplayer]

I seem to remember something on here a while ago about an audition not going too well when they slapped all the way through House of the Rising Sun

Edited May 2, 2010 by tonybassplayer