FreddieB Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Even though I would consider myself an intermediate bassist, the one thing that is keeping me back from really getting to the top is the Slap&Pop technique. I've read all the books i can find on the technique, but i can't get a real good feel for it, it's either i pop or i slap, and i can never get the 2 to work unless it's octaves. So what i'm asking for is some help on ways to make it better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick_dont_fret Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Well, since you've read so many books already, I won't get into technical issues. The other issues is having what is called groove. You can't hold no groove, if you ain't got no pocket. You've got to have that pocket. Basically, you've just got to have the feel. Practice makes perfect, but if you don't have the soul, then you won't be very good at it. How black are you? That has a lot to do with it ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Why do you think the inability to slap/pop will keep you from "really getting to the top"? I'm a terrible slap/pop player, as I just don't have any desire to work on the technique enough to get really good at it. There are a million other things that I need to work on that are a bit more universally usable than developing the ability to slap/pop 9,000,000 notes per second. -B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreddieB Posted January 3, 2003 Author Share Posted January 3, 2003 Nice little Victor Wooten line there, i'm 1/2 black, and i how to get in the groove, but my right hand feels uncomfortable trying to slap&pop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny, Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Keep slapping it. It's bound to come out sooner or later. SILLY WABBIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick_dont_fret Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Originally posted by FreddieB: Nice little Victor Wooten line there, i'm 1/2 black, and i how to get in the groove, but my right hand feels uncomfortable trying to slap&popThanks. I wasn't asking how racially black you were, but how musically black you were. I'm fairly musically black, but racially, I'm Euro-trash. It's just a measurement of your soul, basically. But thanks for the props. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Learn a bunch of parts off of records. Work on it for a few more years. Let us know how it goes. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDL Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Originally posted by patrick_dont_fret: Originally posted by FreddieB: Nice little Victor Wooten line there, i'm 1/2 black, and i how to get in the groove, but my right hand feels uncomfortable trying to slap&popThanks. I wasn't asking how racially black you were, but how musically black you were. I'm fairly musically black, but racially, I'm Euro-trash. It's just a measurement of your soul, basically. But thanks for the props.Oh, according to your scale on "blackness," then I'm also, fairly musically black. I gots the soul, and passion baby. dont give it up, I love to slap and pop, you'll find the right soul sour sooner or later. JDL on Purevolume Bird\'s Eye View on Purevolume Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartolini Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Get Louis Johnson Video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 I was once called, "the blackest white guy I've ever met" by one of the jazz cats in town... does that make me cool too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 I'll second Bartolini's Louis Johnson video. The man plays as I like to call it "the street funk". I had a hard time when I first started slapping. I'm left handed but play right handed and had trouble loosening up my right wrist. Get the book "Stick Control for the snare drummer" by George Lawrence Stone. The first couple of pages have two bar phrases of eighth notes that cover every possible combination of left and right. Assign one of those to the thumb and the other to your popping finger. After that there's a couple pages of triplets. Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 My first thought was to take a few lessons. It may be easier for a teacher to see what you are doing than for you to figure it out in the mirror and comparing it to a video. My second thought is the same as Bump's. So what? If you want to do it, that's fine. Your "rating" as a bassplayer isn't bassed on Victor Wooten, Victor Bailey, Flea, or anybody else. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 IMO, about 85% of the bassists who slap, do so far too often, and they seem to be doing it merely on principle (to show off) or because they think they're being "funky." Just because you can bonk the strings with your thumb doesn't mean you're funky. It just means you're using/abusing a technique. It seems to me that really smart players mix and match techniques to properly fit the song they're playing. Plenty of great, funky players never, ever slap or even play with their fingers. Bootsy, for example, doesn't slap often at all, but is he funky? If you even have to ponder that question for more than 5 seconds, you don't know what "funky" is. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go buy a P. Funk CD and get educated. I can slap... I'm actually pretty decent at it, but it has no place in the music I play, so there's a really good chance nobody has ever heard me do it outside of rehearsal or at a music store. If you wanna learn it, learn it. Listen. Practice. Listen some more. Practice some more. It's really not all that difficult. But, please, please, don't just stick it into a song because you can do it. That's horrible. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Listen to Larry Graham. At the very least, learn "Hair". Listen to Louis Johnson. Learn "Ain't we Funkin' Now" and "Stomp". Listen to the Commodores. Learn "Brick House". Listen to the Chili Peppers. Learn "Aeroplane". Listen to Marcus Miller. Learn "Panther". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george costanza Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 I never could do it the "authentic" way myself---but every technique is adapted by players. That's how styles are personalized. I use a sort of classical guitar technique (or as one bandmate termed it, "the Claw"). I suspend right hand over the strings & pluck with thumb & fingers; when I want a "snappy" sound I just pull the string upward rather than laterally. BTW, love those funky cats already mentioned (who can top Bootzilla?! ) but didn't this thing get started by (tip o'the hat to Ben Loy) Larry Graham & also get a big jazzy boost from Stanley Clarke? Oh,& I'm really glad to see that "Salma/Charlize/Ashley" has returned (under the guise "Baby") to deliver that ribaldry we've so sorely lacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Don't pour gasoline on the fire!!! You fool! Don't feed the trolls! Stanley is indeed another great slapper, but I purposely left out the virtuoso so-fast-you-can't-hear-what-they're-doing guys, because, well, he's just starting out. If FreddieB wants to tackle a Stanley slap line, "Lopsy Lu" is the only thing I can suggest that will intimidate instead of terrify him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDL Posted January 4, 2003 Share Posted January 4, 2003 Originally posted by CMDN: If you wanna learn it, learn it. Listen. Practice. Listen some more. Practice some more. It's really not all that difficult. But, please, please, don't just stick it into a song because you can do it. That's horrible.Yeah, with that statement I agree, for the most part. But, you should do it if you can, and it will make the song sound better. I can slap, I'm not the best, I'm still learning, but I learned mostly from guys at Guitar Center telling me what is right and what is wrong. And yesterday, this guy asked me what the technique of slap was, so I showed him. JDL, peace JDL on Purevolume Bird\'s Eye View on Purevolume Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Bassist Posted January 4, 2003 Share Posted January 4, 2003 I couldn't slap to save my life. I started trying in the normal 'thumb pointing up' rt. hand position and it just didn't work. I sucked. One day, SRV was walking by the practice room I was renting, and he stuck his head in, and asked if I was having trouble figuring slap & pluck out. I said something like "this shit's f*in' impossible," and he said "Here. I've seen some cats hold their hand like *this* instead," and he took my right hand and rotated it clockwise, about 90 degrees, until my thumb was pointing down, and my wrist was above, instead of below, my thumb. Boom. I could slap. It's been working fine ever since. Try changing your right hand position and see if that works. Chris http://homepage.mac.com/cvreeland/BassSig.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oiled Posted January 4, 2003 Share Posted January 4, 2003 Keep slapping, faster and faster until the funk is just shooting out of you uncontrollably. You'll be shooting funk left and right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoot Posted January 4, 2003 Share Posted January 4, 2003 Find a few examples of different slap lines (not just octaves), learn how they're played, then play along with a METRONOME very slowly until you really "feel it". Then work the speed up gradually. Simple and boring suggestion I know, but whenever I struggle w/ a certain technique, it's amazing how effective it is. But the key is to "feel it" before speeding up, or else you end up making a mess. Ah, nice marmot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted January 4, 2003 Share Posted January 4, 2003 You have to loosen up that right hand wrist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny, Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 Originally posted by jeremyc: Learn a bunch of parts off of records.Or even tapes, CDs, or mp3s. SILLY WABBIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartolini Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 BenLoy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stanley is indeed another great slapper, but I purposely left out the virtuoso so-fast-you-can't-hear-what-they're-doing guys, because, well, he's just starting out. If FreddieB wants to tackle a Stanley slap line, "Lopsy Lu" is the only thing I can suggest that will intimidate instead of terrify him. In my opinion, Stan was not a great slapper. But he had his high ego about what he did with his bass at that time. In his 'If this bass could Talk', he has mentioned that he originally thought that slapping was started by Louis. (Later has found out that it was Graham and he goes on saying that Graham had only one lick in slap. ) Anyway,there are some slapping stuff by Stan in that album (eg. a duet with a tap dancer where Stan slaps with the sound of shoe-tapping on to the floor. It would've ben much interesting if the tap dancer's sound was softer, it's too loud and the bass slap stuff is all hidden inside. "Lopsy Lu" is amazing as a composition but not much of slap. Anyway I wouldn't have dug in to these stuff unles I were struggling with basic slap stuff. Really, if you take each and every great player and analyse their slap techniques, it's really possible and sure you could do them and you will realize that whats lacking in you is not the techniques but for some reason,lack of music. ( I mean ...its about me ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartolini Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I also forgot to mention that I read somewhere Regi Wooten saying that as a techer, what he needs from one coming to learn from him is only ten fingers in the hands and not the talent. So his youngest bro does everything possible with the ten fingers on the bass and fortunately he also had the talent! Otherwise he would've ended being a Regi! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartolini Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 Bartolini Anyway I wouldn't have dug in to these stuff unles I were struggling with basic slap stuff. Please excuse my poor English and above should be, Anyway I wouldn't have dug in to these stuff if I were struggling with basic slap stuff. Damn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 Bartolini wrote: In my opinion, Stan was not a great slapper. But he had his high ego about what he did with his bass at that time.Interesting...Stanley was credited as being the first guy to apply slap technique while playing over some really wild chord changes... I have to disagree with you about Stanley not having great thumb technique. His use of the technique is quite unique and different from everyone else. He's not as percussive as, say, Marcus Miller, but he's got some sh*t going on. And "Lopsy Lu" rules. Take that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I I mjrn Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 Originally posted by Bastard Beotch: Originally posted by jeremyc: Learn a bunch of parts off of records.Or even tapes, CDs, or mp3s.All of which are records. (That mistake in nomenclature always bugs me---they're all records!) The tip from Mr. Bassist is a good one, too, when I lived in Austin a bandmate used just that approach. Besides being (maybe) easier, it puts less stress on your thumb allowing your hand to stay more relaxed. That's always a good thing, especially in helping reduce repetitive maotion injuries. PS, BC, faster is not funkier---as Bernie Worrell said, "Funk will take the long way around." It's not about the motion but the emotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 Originally posted by Bastard Beotch: Originally posted by jeremyc: Learn a bunch of parts off of records.Or even tapes, CDs, or mp3s.The AFM's recording agreement was called the Phonograph Recording Agreement and is now called the Sound Recording Agreement. This agreement keeps it open to whatever delivery system of the recording is in place. Michael Jackson's real nose is on the money that all the above mentioned are records and when vinyl was the medium that was used they were phonograph records. Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abaguer Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 The slapping I like is more from the Chuck Rainey School than the Flea/Les Claypool school. He has a darker sound and he mutes the G string with his left hand fingers. That way the bottom bass line is always happening and the pops are just percussive accents. I can slap up a storm but I don't overuse the technique and I don't clutter up the rhythm while slapping. You can be really funky slapping and playing eight notes as opposed to sixteenths and thirty-seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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