Slapping

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In music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different playing techniques used on the double bass and on the (electric) bass guitar.

1 Double bass
2 Bass guitar
- 2.1 Variants
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Double bass

On double bass it refers to the technique that is a more vigorous version of pizzicato where the string is plucked so hard that when released, it bounces off the finger board, making a distinctive sound. A percussive sound is also made by smacking the strings with all four fingers on the right hand, usually in time with the snare drum. Notable slap style double bass players have included Jake Tullock, Bill Johnson, Mark King, Wellman Braud, Milt Hinton, Pops Foster, Jimbo Wallace, Kim Nekroman, Scott Owen, Chester Zardis, Dick McCarthy, Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau and Lee Rocker.

Slapping the bass is a technique used by many bands since at least the 1920s and came into popular use in the 1940s. Slap bass provides a strong downbeat when the string is plucked and a strong back beat when it slaps back onto the fingerboard of the bass. It creates a very percussive sound and adds a lot of drive that is particularly good for dance music.^[1]

Slap bass was used by Western Swing and Hillbilly Boogie musicians, and became an important component of an early form of rock and roll that combined what was then called hillbilly music, and blues, a musical style now referred to as rockabilly. The technique inspired the George and Ira Gershwin song, "Slap That Bass"

[edit] Bass guitar

On bass guitar it usually refers to a percussive playing technique used in funk, latin, and pop, in which player hits the string with the thumb of the strumming hand near the base of the guitar's neck, often combined with snapping the strings usually with the index or middle finger of the same hand, (the latter more specifically called "popping", i.e. "slapping and popping"). Some bassists use other fingers of the strumming hand to achieve this sound, such as bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr., who conversely uses his thumb to pop the strings, and his other four fingers to slap the strings. The invention of slap is generally credited to funk bassist Larry Graham of Sly & the Family Stone. Graham has stated in several interviews that he was trying to emulate the sound of a drum set after the band had lost its drummer.

The unique sound of the slapping technique comes from the string hitting the fretboard with high force, and gives a much more percussive sound than regular fingering of notes with the strumming hand. The sound is also usually louder and more distinct than the sound of a bass guitar played using the usual plucking techniques.

Some funk or funk-rock bass guitar players known for their use of slapping in their playing , with notable bands and/or artists they have worked with include Larry Graham (Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station, Prince); Louis Johnson (The Brothers Johnson, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson);Bootsy Collins (solo artist, Bootsy's Rubber Band, Funkadelic, Parliament, Praxis); Les Claypool (solo artist, Primus).

Electric bassist Stu Hamm (solo artist, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and others) performs slap bass in a variety of rock genres. The bassist for the pop band Level 42, Mark King uses slapping in the pop genre. In the 90's, Korn bassist Fieldy used slapping in the nu metal genre. Fusion jazz bassists also use slapping, such as Stanley Clarke (solo artist, Return to Forever, Chick Corea) and Marcus Miller (solo artist, Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Luther Vandross). For a longer list, see the List of slap bass players (electric bass).

[edit] Variants

There are numerous variants of the slapping technique, which extend the basic actions by including other percussive strumming techniques, such as adding hammered notes, and repeating slap and pop patterns to effectively produce the equivalent of a drumroll on the bass guitar (see Victor Wooten).A 'slap and pop'-related playing technique involves using the Funk fingers invented by progressive rock bass player Tony Levin.