In fact, you might not even sound like the pros in your first few years, it all depends on. If you love the groovy bass lines in popular funk and rock songs, you might want to learn how to play slap bass. This lesson will cover basic slap with the thumb, ghosted notes, muting, hammerons and pluckingpopping. We wont go into any complicated techniques or slap bass lines. Alright, i hope youll find this groove fun for practicing slap bass. Slap bass solo sheet music for bass, percussion download. Bass technique video lessons adam nitti music education. Play each separately fi rst then put them together with. Thus, even if youre already a great bass player, youll want to spend some time learning the basic forms and motions behind the slap sound.
So many bass players have trouble getting a clean slap sound because they use the wrong hand position. Ok this is my opinion but i have looked at alot of slap books over the years and most of them suck ass. This is my first bass solo so i dont know much about bass techniques. If youre starting and need help with learning how to slap, then i suggest you take a look at my slap bass for beginners course. The 2008 film forgetting sarah marshall parodies seinfelds usage when the main character peter played by jason segel, who produces music for a tv series, inserts a goofy slap bass sample into a dramatic scene where dark and ominous. A solid foundation in all areas of slap bass technique. In fact, you might not even sound like the pros in your first few years, it all depends on how much and how consistently you practice. Before attempting the double thumb slap technique we need to master the rest stroke. There is enough easily usable information here to build your technique from scratch to as serviceable as any normal contemporary bass players slap technique needs to be in typical playing situations. Youll learn everything you need to know about slap bass technique, enough to get you started in a matter of weeks. Technique is a tool, and the moveable anchor is one tool that will get pretty much any. Part 1 of the slap bass basics series, which is dedicated to introducing bass players to the slap bass style. Once you have the bass line so you can play it smoothly play it along with the backing track.
Below is a simple song that will incorporate three octave shapes. They have their hand pointing down so that the thumb runs across 2, 3 or even all 4 strings in the same way that flea does. Gleaned from years of teaching, performance, and listening experience bass players at all levels will benefit from studying the numerous exercises, grooves, and musical examples offered in this book. The only way to perfect the bass guitar slapping technique is through practice. By popular demand im starting a series of slap bass lessons covering the basic techniques. Beginner to intermediate bass players who want to learn slap bass veteran bass teacher and berklee grad reveals a new super simple method for playing slap bass without expensive lessons, years of tedious practice, or even natural ability. Straight to the point, valuepacked bass lessons bass guitar technique. My ultimate guide to slap bass technique will take you every step of the way from newbie all the way through to advanced pro. Jun 25, 2012 dave larue is one of todays leading bassists, recording and touring with the steve morse band and dixie dregs for nearly 20 years. Technique lessons talkingbass free online bass lessons. This is a pretty advanced lesson, so if youre just starting out with slap bass you might want to save it for later. The standard tuning for a 4string bass is e a d g e. This is a quick slap exercise designed to maintain your thumb chops when low on practice time.
The importance of technique and tone is discussed as it applies to this style, and exercises are presented that will help the player to develop these skills. Here i will show you some examples of essential elements, which are used in funk slap, practical examples with notes, tablatures and studio recorded mp3 audio tracks. In this example you will slap the open e string and pop the open g string. Section one introduces the slapping technique, along with basic rhythms. It is intended for bass guitar teachers instructors. The technique for slap bass differs from that of standard bass. A musical instrument is designed the way it is because of 1 the sound it needs to create, coupled with 2 the average human body in mind. In this slap bass lesson, we start working on the thumbhammerpluck pattern, one of the most useful slap rudiments i know. While the rolling technique is commonly used by the children, bass or modified bass is the commonest technique for the adults. Slap bass techniques, adjustments and tricks to develop. Since the mid1950s, the bass guitar has largely replaced the double bass in popular music. Without mastering the funk slap technique, a bass guitarist cannot participate in modern music genres and play in a music group. They have their hand pointing down so that the thumb runs across 2, 3.
Funk studies for the electric bass was the first book to be published on slap bass technique now more than 25 years later, slap it. When we bounce, the thumb returns to its starting point. Ill show you all the standard slap techniques in detail, with closeups and ill also share secrets and. Twist your wrist and release the thumb after contact with the string. Dave larue is one of todays leading bassists, recording and touring with the steve morse band and dixie dregs for nearly 20 years. Take a look through the lessons below and get started with the basics of slap. How to slap the bass in 3 easy steps free bass lessons online. Since its release in 2005 ultimate slap bass has become one of the most popular books ever written on the slap bass technique.
In this article, well give you a few pointers on getting started with slap bass technique, and finish with a more advanced exercise to demonstrate what it sounds like in a musical context. The bass guitar, electric bass, or simply bass, is the lowestpitched member of the guitar family. Including ghostnotes, syncopation, popping, crosshammers, double stops and over 140 slap bass grooves, licks and patterns. The slap bass technique is used for the instrumental for theme song of the nickelodeon show kenan and kel. Learn the 2nd most essential slap bass technique called the pop. Funk slap is popular with bass players of all ages and represents the ultimate level of training for any bassist. Slap bass is a popular technique often used in funk music, but in reality, its just a different way to hit the string. This comprehensive book covers every aspect of the slap technique from the absolute basics through to advanced techniques such as double thumbing, open string hammerons and how to combine slapping with other techniques. Double thumbing is a slap technique whereby we slap through the string rest stroke with a downstroke before using the upstroke to get an extra note in that single motion. Two volume course featuring video lessons, pdf workbooks and. E7 slap bass groove with open strings bass road bass lessons.
The ultimate slap course for bass guitar two volume course featuring video lessons, pdf workbooks and. Feel free to play around with the timing slaps bass is using your right thumb if left handed then left to slap the strings. Alexis is the author of the critically acclaimed instructional dvd, the slap bass program, and also coproduced fingerstyle funk, the instructional dvd by. The most important goal of your bass technique is to avoid injuring your hands, back, ears, or anything else that may arrest your ability to play bass. In this mouthful of a lesson ill show you how to play a quirky slap groove that incorporates some elements you might not be used to. This lesson covers the foundational slap, or thump technique in particular. Victor wooten is one of the main innovators of using this particular pattern. His incredible technique and finesse of the bass make him the. Slap exercise online bass courses downloaddownload lesson as pdfrelated lessonsbass guitar fingerstyle technique.
Free slap bass exercises marks and symbols used in funk. It is also suitable for group learning, as it comes in a handy electronic version which can be easily projected in front of a group of students. Pro bassists use technique functionally to get musical results, rather than trying to satisfy an arbitrary conception of how they should play. In this video lesson, learn how to play slap bass using the correct technique. In my opinion, these are the 4 main bass technique goals from which good bass technique will flow. A somewhat definitive guide to the matthew garrison technique and playing ramps. Some of the techniques presented are the left hand choke, use of the left hand thumb to fret notes, single string slappop, and paradiddles a. Over the past several years the slap bass program has become the undisputed bible of slap technique. The only way to perfect the bass guitar slapping technique is. This is a pretty advanced lesson, so if youre just starting out with slap bass you. Bass or modified bass, charters, modified stillman, rolling stroke and modified stroke. I figured out the very basic rudiment of slapping on my own.
The samples are in pdf format and require adobe acrobat reader to be installed. I introduce you to the different techniques thumbing, plucking, left hands slaps and hammerons etc youll need to use. Pro bass players use the techniques that work for them. How to play slap bass fundamental changes music book. Jul 15, 2010 by popular demand im starting a series of slap bass lessons covering the basic techniques. Another free video bass lesson from mark j smith for.
The online course is a lifetime subscription that accesses more exercises and lessons. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and scale length, and typically four to six strings or courses. This week were looking at classical study pieces and how theyre great for developing your bass guitar technique. Free slap bass exercises marks and symbols used in funk slap. You probably wont sound like your slap bass idol the first time you play a bass. The simple steps to slap bass course is a complete, stepbystep method for mastering the slap bass style from the absolute basics of the thumb slap all the way through to advanced techniques such as machine gun triplets, double thumbing and flamenco rolls. As a bass player you are adapting your hands and body to this musical instrument.
A short lesson on how to learn the slap technique on a 4string bass. No one was physically born to play bass or any instrument but voice for that matter. Download my free beginner slap bass exercises pdf from this lesson. So lets drop all the dogmatic baggage and try this functional definition on for size. What youll gain are technique foundations for being able to play slap bass and learning famous slap bass songs. The purpose of this lesson block is to show you what makes up good technique and to give you some beginning exercises for developing good habits and coordination. How to slap the bass in 3 easy steps free bass lessons.
Apr 11, 2020 if you love the groovy bass lines in popular funk and rock songs, you might want to learn how to play slap bass. Make sure to boost the treble and bass while cutting the mids. Slap bass technique the ultimate guide my ultimate guide to slap bass technique will take you every step of the way from newbie all the way through to advanced pro. I wrote this exercise so we can work on it together at a few different levels of complexity. Basic bass technique studybass fundamentals one studybass. If all instruction material was as solid as this, i would have 50100 booksdvds in all for bass, guitar, mandolin, not a or more. This book, slap technique for bass is a really nice compilation of practice riff that will hep you technique and broaden your creativity. When we play rest stroke, we follow through with the thumb and come to rest on the next string. Left and right hand checklist bass guitar technique. Feb 10, 2016 5 exercises to jump start your slap bass technique for beginners duration. This course is my personal guide to slap bass technique and playing style. The only way outside of the matrix to develop your technique is practice, practice, practice.
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