Slap Bass Sucks
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Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: General Music Discussions
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=74648
Printed Date: May 22 2025 at 12:49
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Topic: Slap Bass Sucks
Posted By: Xanatos
Subject: Slap Bass Sucks
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 19:29
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I just found slap a overused/abused technique in bass playing PD: I am experimenting with colors , any colour u like no? Theres no moderation in the use of slap in today bass players at all , they abuse of it , i even found great bass players like wooten and claypool boring because of their overuse of slap , the only guys who are safe from this nocive technique are the real jazz players :)
So heres the challenge (NIGHTMARE MODE) : Can someone please show me a good bass solo without slapping that isnt porn music and isnt tech death metal? |
Replies:
Posted By: WalterDigsTunes
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 19:42
| I think the problem is that you're listening to players from "today." Go to the era when this technique was innovative rather than dwell on stale cliches. |
Posted By: Xanatos
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 19:50
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WalterDigsTunes wrote:Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 19:56
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Posted By: zravkapt
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 19:58
| Larry Graham of Sly & The Family Stone invented slap bass and was probably the best at it. |
Posted By: Baggra
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 20:14
| Yep. I was about to say the same/. |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 20:39
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I don't find Wooten boring because of his slap/pop, I find him boring because of his lack of feeling. Slap is a good thing, you just have to know how to use it wisely. With great power comes great responsibility, and the most responsible would probably be Larry Graham.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 21:20
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Posted By: The Neck Romancer
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 21:51
| Slap is nice when used sparingly. |
Posted By: himtroy
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 22:01
That was nearly the exact same post I was about to make. From Wooten's downfall being his showy playing and his lack of feel to the dominance of Larry Graham. I just don't understand how someone doesn't think this is dominant. ------------- Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell? I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance. |
Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 22:21
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Ahh, Larry Graham. There was a dude that played with some great feeling. Not like Wooten, who I agree, I feel no emotion in his playing. Now listen to this and tell me that this slap bass isn't f*cking awesome, though. -------------  
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Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: January 01 2011 at 22:23
| good lord that first post was horrible to read |
Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 01:12
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I agree. Let's change the name of this thread to "Rainbow Posting is Mean" |
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 01:28
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Yeah, the first post was really obnoxious, please tone it down. Actually, you just shouldn't use any colors at all, a colored post is never better than a plain one (I'm so racist). Do you mean bass-dominated music or just music without slap bass? Because quite a lot of music does not have slap bass. If you mean in bass-centric music, where I actually hadn't realized the prominence of slapping until now (I found that Larry Graham video very hard to listen to), you might find something to enjoy in the music of Bill Laswell ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 01:30
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Henry, normally Larry's with a full band. I'm sure you've heard some of his work with Sly and the Family Stone at least.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 01:39
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Yeah, I know, I just hadn't realized until this moment that in so many cases a prominent bass player means slapping. I just wasn't paying attention. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 01:41
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I don't know about that, some of the most prominent never slapped (Jaco, for example). I must say though, playing slap style is a ton of fun.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 05:57
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my favourite slapp bass player is Marcus Miller seen him love and wow he have the best sound on a bass iI have witnessed
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 05:58
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Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 11:48
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Joe's Garage Aside from smooth jazz (or as the OP may have suggested, "Porn Music"), i think slap bass is not used enough, or just the right amount. btw i think Victor Wooten combines technical with feel, and if you dont like funk, you're just going to think he's all show, no feel, which i disagree. And since when is there too much slap bass in tech death metal?  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm 
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Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 11:54
Bubu Bussonett of Magma, One Shot or The Electric Epic uses the slap bass technique, so it's fine with me. 
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Posted By: The Runaway
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 12:43
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f**k bass. ------------- http://www.formspring.me/Aragorn224" rel="nofollow - Trendsetter win! The search for nonexistent perfection. |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 13:25
I love funk and I still think Wooten's all show no feel - Why else would he feel compelled to write songs like Classical Thump other than to show off that he can play really fast? Some songs are better than others, I'll give you that - I really enjoy U Can't Hold No Groove (both listening to it and playing along), for example, but overall I ended up selling all of my Vic albums (and Bass Extremes) because they just bore the crap out of me anymore. I'd rather listen to a bassist who can play something impressive without jamming in a few hundred extra notes every second. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: himtroy
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 15:54
My hatred of Victor Wooten is the lack of feel thing, the funk comment was irrelevant. I listen to funk on a daily basis and the emotion I feel from that music is exactly why I can't stand Victor Wooten. He has ZERO feel or emotion and is only concerned with everyone seeing the technicality and difficulty in what he does. It's like John Petrucci, it's impressive in an aerobic kind of way, not musically at all though. EDIT: I need to start reading all Salty Jon's posts because I keep saying the exact same things. And thumbs up to whoever said Les Claypool. That man knows what the hell he is doing, slapping and not.
------------- Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell? I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance. |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 16:00
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Victor Wooten is amazing. Listen to "Sex in a Pan" or better yet, "Stomping Grounds" from Live Art. Or check out his version of "Norwegian Wood" or "Cherokee." No feeling? Or an old hymn: ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: himtroy
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 16:11
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I can't sit through Victor Wooten. Even if someone finds something of his ability to display feel it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't employ that ability in his music most of the time. I was impressed by him as a kid in the same way I was by shred guitarists, then I grew up and realised theres more to music than playing fast. I love predominantly instrumental music and people have recommended me Wooten material before, every time i couldn't stand it. If I want to listen to massive technical ability being displayed in that fashion I'll listen to Jaco so I can at least feel some emotion and hear some notes last longer than a mili-second.
For example, the Bass Extremes video of him and Bailey playing Donna Lee. Bailey's playing is virtuosic and impressive sounding, while also being very good sounding. Then Wooten comes in slapping as fast as possible and I'm thinking "well holy hell I could never play like that." This is immediately followed by "yeah.....so he's still playing an endless string of very fast notes....okay....okay...still..okay.." then BOOM skip back to where Bailey is playing. ------------- Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell? I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance. |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 16:21
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I'm a guitarist. I've been told I have no feeling by some and have lots of feeling by others... Maybe you should write Wooten a letter and tell him to slow down and make more faces.   ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: progvortex
Date Posted: January 02 2011 at 23:58
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Hmm... probably some sort of rant about slap bass? Dunno, didn't read the first page because I had an epileptic seizure.
------------- Life is like a beanstalk... isn't it? |
Posted By: The Neck Romancer
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 01:10
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 04:36
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I quite like the slapping an popping in Red Hot Chilli Peppers as well, I don't have any of their albums but their slapping is wide known. also some cool slap bass on Rage Against the Machine, the bassplayer in the ever hated Korn also is quite skilled in the arts of slapping, and popping, (just sayin)
don't forgett mr funky fingers Tony Levin -------------
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 04:59
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I'm told by bass players that one of the definitive books on the subject is by bass virtuoso Jonas Hellborg - so surprised no mention of any of his numerous recordings in this style. What of Jeff Berlin's 5G with Bruford: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47aYmY0QLLc ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: Xanatos
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 08:52
| The only good bass solo without slap i know is Midnight Bell from Planet X , what a great solo :) |
Posted By: zravkapt
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 09:05
| There are lots of bass solos without slapping and popping; can't think of any off the top of my head, but I know there are many. |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 13:01
 Gabriel Roth's take on the matter |
Posted By: Xanatos
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 13:38
 Finally someone say it
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Posted By: The T
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 14:08
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Slap bass use = "he's the greatest bassist ever" opinion by people with no musical training. That's why it's so used. And as with any technique, used properly it can be quite refreshing. ------------- 
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Posted By: Baggra
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 15:10
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Okay.
Seeing as how a current thread of mine (at another lounge) has been savagely run off the rails , in a rare exhibition of pettiness and pique Baggs is gonna attempt to take this somewhat off-subject.
This talk of the mighty Larry of Sly And The Family Stone got me trawling my (freezing) garage Depository of Dross Vinyls for a copy of "There's A Riot Going On" and having (sort of) played it just now I must comment that, apart from the track "Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa" this lp pretty well is the creamcorn of Sammay.
I am justified in depositing it down in the rubbish vinyls.
Its bum-bum.
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Posted By: zravkapt
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 15:35
| There's A Riot Goin' On is awesome, and so is Graham's bass playing on it. |
Posted By: Baggra
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 15:39
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Basswork is great.
But rest is load of cob.
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Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 19:01
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Larry Graham's best bass playing for Sly was on the album "Stand".
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Posted By: zravkapt
Date Posted: January 03 2011 at 19:40
| Stand is one of the best albums from the 1960s by ANYONE |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: January 04 2011 at 13:15
i was just getting to Hellborg  "e" is one of my favorites, and is slap bass-heaven as for the Victor Wooten comments, i dont know what to say. I love jazz-fusion, so i love BF&TFT, and enjoy his solo work, as well as Vital Tech Tones, and whatever else i find him on. Of course, he's nowhere near my favorite, but enjoyable nontheless ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: January 04 2011 at 13:34
Finally? he probably wrote that before you were born |
Posted By: Xanatos
Date Posted: January 25 2011 at 13:56
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: January 26 2011 at 00:05
| Don't know about Wooten solo but I love his contributions on Bela Fleck and The Flecktones and the album with Prasanna. Maybe, solo he gets carried away but excellent as a dominant bassist in the band. Krystoff Gildenlow (if I spelt that right) is one name I didn't see mentioned, good slap bass for Pain of Salvation though I felt it was kind of redundant in their music and only called too much attention to itself. |
Posted By: JJLehto
Date Posted: January 26 2011 at 00:08
| Well....I respectfully disagree. |
Posted By: clarkpegasus4001
Date Posted: January 26 2011 at 00:56
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David Hungate and Mike Porcaro from Toto, both great bass players, great technique, understated players at times, yet they play "normal" style most of the time and when they do "pop" it's usually very tasteful and not overdone. ------------- Tony C. |
Posted By: PlumAplomb
Date Posted: January 26 2011 at 09:28
| i know its been mentioend but i'd like to reiterate that les claypool is yummers and a very talented musician |
Posted By: Proletariat
Date Posted: January 26 2011 at 09:38
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obviously relying on one technique can become cheesy just like tapping or sweep picking can grate on the ears or the way that pinch harmonics were overused in 90s metal however thats not to say that once in a while these techniques can't add to a song or be used innovativly. I say slap on! ------------- who hiccuped endlessly trying to giggle but wound up with a sob |
Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: January 26 2011 at 13:32
------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: January 26 2011 at 13:39
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I generally don't like slap bass. At best, it reminds me of good funk, which I rarely like but it's still all right. 99% of the time it reminds me of 311 and Incubus's first album. Nope. Pick bass is underrated, though. Sure a lot of sh*tty punk bands and even less talented than normal bassists use it as a crutch, but Rickenbacker + pick = the chunkiest bass you heard in yer life. It's basically 50% of what makes Pallas excellent; strong bass presence that kicks your face off. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: January 26 2011 at 13:42
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Slap bass doesn't suck by itself. But too many bassists tend to overuse thinking it makes them sound great, and too many people actually fall for the trick, that the claim gains some credibility. -------------
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