Techniques of playing bass guitar. Slap.

One of the methods of playing bass guitar is “slap”. In translation means a slap that quite specifically characterizes this reception of performance of a bass party.

If you cub and want to learn about the principles of the game in general on bass guitar then read another article: “Chetyrehstrunnyj bass-the first Steps for beginners”

I have heard such a story about the origin of this technique (I do not know how truthful): Once in one famous jazz orchestra did not come to the rehearsal drummer, then Bass began to perform his party extracting the sounds by hitting the right hand fingers on the neck. The imitation of a percussion instrument with the simultaneous sounding of a bass line was received.

The acceptance of slapping was widely spread with the advent of bass guitar. In the Seventies, the brilliant jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in search of a new sound experimented with his new band. As a result of these experiments appeared a new direction in pop music-jazz-rock. Davis invited a young, talented bass guitarist Marcus Miller to his team, a virtuoso performer of the bass party “slap”. The hard, funky bass line blended seamlessly into the new concept of Miles Davis music.

Now there are a lot of subtleties in the performance of slapping. You should start with a simple. The right hand brush is located as a continuation of the neck, the fingers are slightly bent, as if you hold an apple in your hand. Movement of a brush is similar to movement of a hand working with screwdriver. Right, left. Play Octave. The phalanx of a thumb hit on the bottom note, index (the most tip of a finger) masa the top note (as though reset), in turn, smoothly and methodically. Preferably with a metronome in a duet. Play straight, fourth, eighth, sixteenth. Then two notes at the bottom, two at the top. Three, four. Note: Playing at the top a few notes “tug” should be in turn index and middle finger. There are musicians who use and ring finger. It happens to use the thumb in both directions, on the principle of mediator. There is no strict rules in the new acceptance of execution, there is a space for invention of something new, original. In the left hand there are notes which sound, and there are “deaf”. Notation on paper is indicated by a cross. These notes simulate the impact of percussion instruments. Virtuoso alternation of such notes in a dodgy rhythmic picture and gives the uniqueness of the sounding of “slap” on the bass guitar.

There are many video, audio and music schools dedicated to the reception of slap. I advise you to view, listen, lose as much as possible. Each bassist in what he treats this technique. To get your own unique sound will have to rework a huge amount of music material. Many hours of individual lessons, preferably in an ensemble with a drummer. Patience and work. I wish you good luck on the waves of modern music!