thumb technique slap

V

VirtualSamana

New member
Learning to slap the bass here.

I am confused about thumb technique.

Should I:

1. Move my thumb in a downward motion grazing the target string then resting it on the next string?

Or

2. Hit the string dead on allowing my thumb to bounce of it?
 
#2.

With #1 you're probably not really slapping the string. That would be more like plucking with your thumb.
 
VirtualSamana said:
damn, having trouble getting the d and the g to ring when I bounce my thumb off of them.
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Try not to concentrate too much on your thumb bouncing back up, it is going to do do that just from the action of the strings. I notice that when I slap, my thumb slips down past the string a little. just remember that it will take time for this to feel natural.


*important* Also try to slap just over the edge of where the last fret ends.

Just keep practicing and remember this:

the slower you practice the faster you learn, the faster you try to practice, the slower you learn.

go to www.activebass.com for free lessons, etc.


clif
 
monty said:
What’s a good bass to use, or pick-ups to use, to get a good slap technique?
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Others may disagree with me on this, but I feel that basses with Active pickups make for the best slap tones. Why?

Basses with passive pickups have a hard time sounding punchy and clean since slapping has a very wide range of frequencies. I find that passive pickups "fart" when I slap on them.

As far as pickups, I'd recommend active basses with 2 "soap bar" pickups. They give a nice punchy balanced tone. There are some higher end basses like the music man stingray that have 1 active humbucker pickup that sounds pretty meaty also. Then again 2 active J bass pickups or 1 active p bass pickup with 1 active J-bass pickup sound really good too. The key is Active electronics.(needs 1 or 2 9v batteries in the bass to power)

There are some decent Yamaha and Ibannez basses that are around 400.00US that sound pretty decent. Also try Scheckter and G and L basses.

clif
 
VirtualSamana said:
thanks clif,

great info. Do you recommend a cab/combo with a tweeter for slap or can you make due w/o one?
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I think what is most importatnt for a cab or combo is that it has a "horn"not a tweeter (I don't think any cabs have tweeters). The reason why is that slapping emits some very high frequencie that a horn will help facilitate that crisp sound.

I tend to favor 10" speakers but I have heard good slap tones on 15" speakers as well. Just make sure that they have a horn for a nice crisp bite for when you "pop" the strings.


clif
 
Hit the string with your thumb so that the string bounces off of the fretboard for Rock-a-Billy stand up bass slapping sound.


And active electronics or a preamp.
 
definitely number 2


Try to curl your fingers (aside from your thumb) so that your hand looks like a thumbs up sign, then try to align your thumb near perpendicular to the strings, leaving the rest of the fingers someone near parallel to the strings.

Try to slap on the edge of the fretboard, that will give you a nice sound.
 
damn, having trouble getting the d and the g to ring when I bounce my thumb off of them.
Click to expand...

Personaly I don't try to slap the D and G strings...alot of what you hear is "slap and pop".

I only have 4 string basses but I slap on the E and A strings but "pop" on the D and G strings by pulling the D and G strings away from the body and letting them snap back against the fret board.

As long as you are not left handed and playing a right handed bass upside down (ala Jimi Haslip of the Yellow Jackets) your non fretting hand will find this more comfortable and allow you to play faster and more complex lines. As your thumb hits the down strokes your index or middle finger hits up strokes...this can cause blisters however when starting out so be forewarned.

Try the clasic 70's octave funk groove first by slapping a 1 4 5 chord progession (Open E, A and B) on the E string and alternately poping the octave of that note on the D string (two frets up).

There are tons of variation to add from there but this is a good place to start just to get your right hand technique down...you will also have to work hard on your left hand string muting technique to keep from causing too much open string noise.
 
Very rarely will I slap on the D string. I use my thumb to whack the E and A, my index finger to pop the D and my middle fiinger to pop the G. Doing that allows some pretty rapid arpeggios with "the sound".

I prefer passive basses but (other than a MusicMan Stringray) the common sound IMO is achieved with any two pickup bass: Jazz Bass, P-Bass plus, etc. Scoop the mids some and you'll be slap crazy.

As far as ergonomics I'm generall a low slung player and keep the bass neck angled upwards a little so my hand in more straight with my wrist and looks really relaxed with the thumb pointing down. That's impossible with a higher slung bass and/or sitting down where the thumb is distintly giving a thumbs up.

Pay attention to pickup height to make sure that you aren'y smacking the string into one of the poles or against the pickup cover as that will ruin a cool slapped part in a hurry.
 
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