Slap, Tap, and the use of it in everyday life.

[lasteffect]

I know when it comes to slapping like Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten to tapping like Bill Sheehan or Stuart Hamm, a though came to me.

How often besides fingerstyle or pick playing is slap or tap used in your playing in original songs, noodling, jamming, and a major source of writing new material?

Do you believe that Slap and Tap are over hyped and when did this begin?

I've always found myself wanting to do this or that like those players mentioned up top, Hamm and Miller being the bigger loved influence, though I do not play like them. I mostly play fingerstyle, sometimes with a pick.

I most jam with other musicians that are straight metal or rock guys. This leaves little to no room for anything than finger or pick. Especially when you are grouped with two guitarists and they either want to do jams with them trading crazy stuff or just doing covers (which is the same, I mean besides when does the bass get main time from Hanger 18?).

When I do add some slap or tap stuff it only comes off funky, which is usually too funky to be rock or metal. Other times it works, but only because I have to slap or tap very fast and within a 10 second time frame for a little non-groove solo. That is unpleasent to me, but works mostly in metal bands, I suppose.

But instead of hearing more about my diatrives, please talk amongst yourselve about the life of slappin and tappin da bass. Does it fit in your life or not? Is it your choice or other reasons? Is it something you don't do or is it something you can't live with out?

 

[Mr Praline]

Tapping - never. Have never used it in a band setting.
Slap - seldom to never. Used in in one song that I can think of in a band setting.

 

[DiMarco]

As long as it serves the purpose of song anything goes really. Don't try to label or fit within a particular style just let your creative juices flow.

 

[azzyrazzy]

Tapping - never. Have never used it in a band setting.
Slap - seldom to never. Used in in one song that I can think of in a band setting.

More or less the same here, sadly :/

 

[Eberbachl]

Tapping? Never. I admire the skill it takes to pull off, but I don't really dig it so I've never learned to do it.

Slapping? I love a good funky slap line and practice it regularly. I enjoy it very much, but seldom do it in a band setting. I would say only occasionally. I get as much out of slapping at home and jamming with my kids as I get from slapping in a band, so it's all good.

:d

 

[Mr Praline]

Just to be clear; I have nothing against it, I just don't use those techniques that much in bands, but I DO practice at least slap to a certain extent.

 

[Augie]

I have used slap in original metal songs on several occasions. I think Slap is only funky if you chose to make it so. It can be very percussive and aggressive, a great little add on to metal songs. check out mudvayne, very little funky about that, loaded with slap and a little tapping as well.

 

[Heike]

How often besides fingerstyle or pick playing is slap or tap used in your playing in original songs, noodling, jamming, and a major source of writing new material?

Both traditional slap and double thumbing frequently, touchstyle occasionally, I'd say.

Do you believe that Slap and Tap are over hyped and when did this begin?

Slap in the 70s, tap in the 80s, IIRC.

Does it fit in your life or not?

Yup, fits.

Is it your choice or other reasons?

Both, in a way. In the 70s and 80s I often was asked to play slap when I for one had preferred playing, well mostly finger funk, maybe even on fretless (but then in vain trying imitating Jaco, Percy Jones, Hansford Rowe or Matz Steinke would have been just the other hype).

Is it something you don't do or is it something you can't live with out?

Well, I think it's fun, and I tend to see those questions very much more relaxed than 20-30 years ago! 8:

 

[lasteffect]

Well, listening to LD50, Ryan sounds uber funky to me in Death Blooms and Under My Skin. I think it was his weird tone in LD50 that made it sound so funky.

 

[Hallbatross]

Great topic!

Slapping and tapping are an important part of my life. These techniques are a big part of what really got me excited about playing bass early on and also helped to distinguish myself as a bassist later on. I have incorporated both slapping and tapping into most of the bands I have been in and it has always brought positive attention from band mates and the crowd. One of my favorite songs that incorporates both (almost exclusively) is “A Show of Hands” by VWoots, amazing!

 

[Kisu]

Almost all of my solo stuff is tapping (please check it out if you have't yet)
I like to mix tapping in jams too, tapping chords make a really nice sound in fusion band ! I slap very little, just when I want an aggressive or percussive sound

 

[da-vonk]

Da last year I fully focused on da slapping when I waz practising on my own, and as I ran out of exercisez (mostly cause da onez I knew from dvd'z or Youboob got boring or were too difficult) I one day got da idea to try to slap sum of da songz we cover with my punk/rock band Da Tooterzzz ... and to my surprise most of those songz are 'slap-able', and in fact for sum of em I even think it would be awesumly kewl if I would slap them instead of play them with da 'regular' fingerstyle ... Unfortunately my slapping iz still not good enuff and I also do da lead vocalz in da band so it'll probably take sum (or better: lotsa) time before I'll be able to slap and sing with da band ... but I have fun while practising so who knowzzz ...

and yes, from da day I bought da Infinette (almost 20 yearz ago) I dream about being able to slap da bass one day ... :lol: ... da first fifteen yearz I hardly practised (as I alwayz waz da lead singer of da band) but when I quit my former band I started to practise more seriously (every day) ... and when I found that my fingerstyle waz good enuff to play with da Tooterzzz I decided to give it another shot ... it'z freaking frustrating at timez but as I still notice sum progress from time to time, I have not given up on that dream yet ....8:

 

[boebl]

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE slapping. I love listening to slapping, I love slapping myself. Playing Solo I do it almost all the time (not the ryan way, but not the jamerson way either - a little harmonics in there, ...). Also my band loves slapping. All of them. Really.
So, naturally... there's not a single song I do it.

It's all about the style of music, but also the place your musicians are willing to give you. If we start a little funky jam, I can slap the sh*t out of my bass and everyone is happy - but as soon as you play rock songs, with rhythm and solo guitar and vocals it's hard to find your place. It's not impossible, for sure - but it's all after the sound you and your band are looking for.

Same with tapping - I'm able to do some of it, and I like it - but besides in bass solos, I can't find a place for it in the music I'm playing right now.

If I had a chance to play in a funk band with a lot of bass slap parts - I'd be in immediatly.

 

[Gerry]

I've always loved the slap technique but was frustrated with "learning" it and told myself I hated it and didn't need it. I've been called out for slap solos a few times in the past which turned out pretty boring. I couldn't figgure it out. I could hit and pop the strings and do a few techniques but where does the funk come from? Even when I copied licks and grooves from others, it just wasn't quite right. I gave up until I saw someone playing drums and percussion on the bass. I was nodding my head and he wasn't even playing any notes. I then thought up the funkiest, nastiest beat I could and copied it on the bass using muted right hand thump & pluck with left hand slap. Once I got the beat down, I started adding random scale notes and hammer ons. I still would get lost in it but kept the groove going. Before the night was out, I was making my own stuff and nodding along. I didn't want to stop. I still have a ways to go, but at least what I make is mine and I understand what was holding me back. I'm not really into tapping because I like the tones better on a keyboard. Nice topic, hope it helps someone.

 

[golem]

`




I "fell in love" with bass for the sound it has.
The particular sound I fell for is not present
in slap or tap style. The sound I fell for just
happens to derive from a very conventional
stringed-ax-playing approach.

I wouldn't want a job in a band where I'd
hafta slap/tap all the time. If just a small
amout were required, I'd do it just to keep
my job and enjoy all the the non-slap/tap
["normal"] tunes. Fortunately, I've not had
to do ANY slap/tap. Suits me.



`

 

[Florin]

I hate slap. I mean I love it... I think I've spent way too many hours studying it, and I almost never played it in the real life. Even when I joined a new band and they had a slap bass line, I changed that line to fingerstyle I wish I knew how to play with a pick instead.

 

[naetog]

Tapping for me seems to come about during improvs at practices, but never in a real song, yet. I like it with delay to get a nice cylical groove going to start things off. Slapping happens often enough. Sometimes I'm not feeling it, and sometimes I am. i do get a bit slap happy now and again.

 

[Heike]

I wish I knew how to play with a pick instead.

I have to agree, paying w/ a pick yields a nicely compact tone that often sits better in the mix than playing pizz. Uh, like, real world bass... :|

 

[crustychef]

I fortunately get to slap in both of my bands. Both are rock one is more prog and the other is more dirty, low and funky. I have to slap straight in the prog band and it was very hard to get used too. It's the 5th song down. I had to throw a little funk in on the last half though. I couldn't help it. I slap some on the 3rd track too.
My new band made up of the guitarist and drummer of the old band and myself is much more open. I often play lead. No recordings yet. Still writing songs. Tapping is something we have played with and I'm sure we will incorporate one day. I don't really practice it much though.