SINGLE STRING SLAP PERMUTATIONS

[AARON BACON]

Hey I have a new channel out and i want to share with you all some of my lessons!

Please let me know what you think, an honest critique is really all im looking for!

Thank you all so much.

 

 

[WRGKMC]

You're using a style similar to this guy who does it very well. While I admire the playing, its not what I'd call slap bass, just a variant of it to get those kinds of tones.

[WRGKMC]

Larry Grahm is one of the first to get those tones, but he still used allot of thumb picking, not slapping.

 

[WRGKMC]

Louis Johnson is definitely the "Quintessential" inventor or what I consider "Real slap bass". He whacks the strings with a rotating wrist action downward towards the fret board, to get the slap tones and has the same kind of attack a drummer does whacking the skins with sticks.

 

Other techniques can get you the sound but not the speed as is evident in this video.

 

He uses picking too, but much of its subtle hooks of the thumbs and fingers. He's not picking the strings up off the fret board and letting them go like a rubber band. That's OK for accents and stuff but its a slow movement that requires too much time. Instead he slams downward into the fret board and then lets go. on most of the notes

 

I've always admired this technique. I know several players who can do it very well. My ability to do it is pretty limited. I was never much of a drummer and this is pretty similar to playing a Bongo or conga where the fingers are used to slap the skins. If I played drums more I'd get the whole wrist action but I've played string instruments so long my hands aren't very ambidextrous for drums or keyboard.

 

In short I know too well what needs to be done and realize the time it takes to get those techniques mastered and choose not to go there. I had to live through the disco ear where every bassist had to be able to play slap bass to earn money. I refused to dress up like a clown in a disco suit and wear those ridiculous elevated heels. I stuck to playing in rock bands all through that era. I lived through the 60's Motown when all that slap stuff started

 

I do admire the real slap bass technique for sure. Maybe what you're doing can get you there eventually, or at least to the point where that guy in the first video was going. It has slap tone but its really a different technique. Its uses a side to side technique and practically no wrist pivoting at all. Its something I even use that to some extent because I could never get the real slap technique mastered like Larry does in this video.

 

I have a buddy who plays full time. He wishes he was born black so he's have those long fingers and natural rhythm. Funny statement coming from him because he's a superb bassist in his own right.

[1001gear]

As a drummer I find a lot of these technical how to-s; rhythm candy. One way articulation - both physical and musical is often more like a speech impediment than musically conducive. I'd even say all the instructional stuff is just flashing the flash (fast as possible, lol) since it appears demonstrating the actual technique produces a sloppy "non musical" result. such is Youtube I guess.

[AARON BACON]

Wow, everything all you guys said is so helpful. Thank you all so much for the feed back.

I've seen these videos and i admire Larry Graham and Louis Johnson as a lover of slap bass.

I'm still working on upgrading my gear for the videos so i can have a better tone, i really cant get much better with the gear im using in these vids, but the technique is still there for those who enjoy.

 

Here's an example of how i am influenced by the great Larry Graham.

i would love to hear what you guys think of this one!