Bands that use a lot of slap bass?

Rexx Shredd · 12-10-2014, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jathon Delsy

As a bassist, I used to play a lot of slap bass, until a singer I worked with and respected ask me not to. "Why?" I asked. "Because it doesn't sound good." he said.
Does he have a point? Does slap bass overly limit the harmonic and melodic possibilities of the instrument, and also it loses the warm bottom end punch, to replace it with percussive twangs that can be better expressed by other instruments?

I have a similar issue

I have a funk project called "Urban Shokker" (see signature). Now, slap bass is actually my forte BUT I think the technique itself has gotten to a point where it becomes stereotypical that it becomes contrived. Whats more, is many people immediately think that "Funk" is automatically supposed to " = slap bass" and even I get sick of walking into Guitar Center just to hear some grooveless "slappity tackity slappity tackity" bull**** going on over in the bass section

I made a decision to keep slap bass to a minimal with Urban Shokker, just using it here and there as needed: this was a difficult excercise in self-discipline but I managed

The trade-off was the cool part: I explored the use of effects (something I never do in most of my bass playing history) and was happy with the creative output I discovered by running my bass through various effects and fx chains