Quote:
Originally Posted by Roygbiv
I still haven't figured out how to slap or pop. Any tips? Any techniques? I always blame it on my bass being cheap but I highly doubt thats the real problem.
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slapping and popping isn't that rough, it's not something i've done in years though hehe. generally speaking slightly higher action will make it easier for your slaps and pops to come through more clearly.
the technique came about as a way for bass players to accentuate the bass kick (slap) and snare (pop) hits from the drummer.
my method has always been to shape my right hand into a loose fist with my thumb sticking out and my index finger curled outward. the basic motion comes from your wrist as you shake the fist back and forth. the trick is alternating between coming down with your thumb (the slap) and pulling off with the tip of your index finger wrapped under the string (the pop). you don't actually need to pluck with your index finger, so long as the tip wraps around the string. once you find the right position for your hands you'll notice that you don't need to move your index finger to pop the string.
generally speaking it's a very aggressive style, it's not something to consider for a melodic passage. a friend of mine got me in the habit of beating the crap out of pop cans with my thumb as a slapping endurance exercise back in the day.
starting off slow will also help you develop a better technique. straight 4/4 octaves are good practice if you can stop giggling at the fact that you sound like a cheeseball disco tune haha.
here's the line for the chemical brother's 'block rocking beats'. it's a very clear example of the style, not 'too' cheesy and it sticks to the same 2 strings throughout (unless i'm forgetting a part of the song haha).
G----3-----5-----3-----5--------8----
D-------------------------------------
A-1-----3-----1-----3------6-6-------
E-------------------------------------
repeat as necessary, everything on the A string is played with a slap from your thumb and everything on the G string is popped by your index.
the 'higher' version of the line is just 2 frets higher on everything. the cool thing with slapping and popping is that your left hand is generally relaxed. it's a two finger line, my index finger frets the low note and my pinkie frets the higher one (if you don't have pinkie strength yet S&P will develop it).