make your hand a loose fist with your index finger loosely sticking out. gently try slapping all the strings without hitting the others, going up and down e-a-d-g slowly, and then get a little faster, and it would help to practice muting each string as you slap it. just get faster and more precise on your hits.
What part of your thumb do you slap the bass?
To achieve this, you want to slap the string with the side of your thumb, in a downward motion. You want to slap through the string, landing your thumb on the next string down. So for reference, if you were slapping on the E string, you would strike through the E string, letting your thumb rest on the A string.
Why can’t I slap bass?
New strings are inherently brighter sounding where old strings can get very dull and thumpy sounding. Also how the bass is eq’d can also affect the sound. Typically you want to boost the low and high end a bit and decrease the mid. That is the typical setting for slap style bass.
Is slapping bass hard?
Slapping can be really tough for beginner bass players that want to imitate their heroes like Flea, Marcus Miller or Mark King but some of the issues are easily fixed with some simple tips.
Is it OK to play bass with a pick?
You can use a pick on your bass guitar if you want to. Both finger plucking and using picks are perfectly normal ways to play the bass guitar. You can find plenty of examples of famous bassists who use either technique, and there is no harm to using a pick. It won’t damage your strings or create an inferior sound.
Who is the best slap bassist?
Mark King. The guy who put the slap in pop during the 80s, Mark King did it all while fronting Level 42.
Do you need low action to slap bass?
Low Action
Action is the distance between the strings and frets and it has a huge effect on slap tone. In fact, it may be the most important factor. Lower action puts the strings closer to the fretboard, making it much easier to bounce them off the frets.
How can I improve my slap technique?
Slap Technique
- Be precise with thumb attacks.
- Only hit the string you want to sound.
- Muting strings is critical.
- Muted thumb attacks should be struck with the same intensity as sounded notes.
- Pull attacks should not be louder or more intense than thumb attacks.
Who invented slapping the bass?
Larry Graham
Larry Graham is generally credited as inventing slap bass guitar. Graham has said that he was simply trying to create a drum-like sound to flesh out the rhythm in the then drummerless Family Stone.
How do you slap bass for beginners?
Flick your thumb in a smooth motion back and forth as an extension of the rotating motion in your wrist. When you play, this turning-and-flicking motion will allow your thumb to hit and bounce off the strings. This causes the strings to bounce off the bass frets, producing the “slap” sound.
Why do people slap the bass?
The slap and pop techniques are commonly used with pull-offs and hammer-ons with the fretting (usually left) hand, to further increase the rate at which notes may be played. Ghost notes, or notes played with the string damped, are also commonly played in slap bass to increase the percussive feel of the technique.
Why do bassists use their fingers?
Using Fingers to Play Bass
Usually, bass players report having more control when using their fingers, giving them a richer tonal variety, and beefier tone. In Addition, the popular slap technique used by many bassists can be easily implemented, if you don’t hold any pick between your fingers.
Is bass easier than guitar?
Bass is easier than guitar in the early stages of learning music. You can play or cover famous songs quicker with a bass guitar. Most bass parts are monophonic, so you don’t have to learn chords.
Do you strum a bass?
A bass guitar can be strummed to add both power and harmony to a song. While strumming is a less common technique due to the bass guitar`s low range, bassists have strummed the instrument to great effect in genres such as rock, metal, punk, funk, and jazz. Bass chords tend to sound muddy (and you can learn why here).
Who invented slapping?
While being inherently linked to four-string funk pioneers such as Sly and the Family Stone’s Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins of Parliament-Funkadelic, the style of slapping – achieved via striking, or ‘slapping’, a string with the outside of the thumb – was originated by double bassists performing in jazz groups in
Who is the world’s greatest bass player?
Rolling Stone Readers Pick the Top Ten Bassists of All Time
- John Entwistle. The clear winner in our poll was John Entwistle of The Who.
- Flea.
- Paul McCartney.
- Geddy Lee.
- Les Claypool.
- John Paul Jones.
- Jaco Pastorius.
- Jack Bruce.
How old is slap bass?
The slap bass technique has been around since the late 1960s and produces one of the most iconic sounds. The slap bass technique has been responsible for altering the music landscape forever. From funk to classic rock to modern rock, slapping has been an incredible invention and tool for musicians today.
How much bow should a bass neck have?
A bass (as so many stringed instruments) needs this tiny bit of space for vibrating strings. Depending on strings and playing style a relief of 0.008″ to 0.016″ is required. That is, if the frets are all level. A good bass is constructed with this little relief in mind, regarding intonation and fret positions.
Why does my bass make a buzzing noise?
There you have it. Three common causes for fret buzz: (1) uneven frets (2) excessively low string action, and (3) a back bowed neck. Just one of these problems is enough to cause fret buzz, but often times a guitar has a combination of these three problems all at once.
Gerardo Gonzalez loves cooking. He became interested in it at a young age, and has been honing his skills ever since. He enjoys experimenting with new recipes, and is always looking for ways to improve his technique.
Gerardo’s friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of his delicious cooking. They always enjoy trying out his latest creations, and often give him feedback on how he can make them even better. Gerardo takes their input to heart, and uses it to continue refining his culinary skills.