Slapping and popping bass
 

I can't do it! :( *cries*

I've been watching YouTube tutorials but the sound I get when I do it just sucks. The main thing is that my popping is way louder than my slapping and it just sounds crap, I can't dooo itttt. I can only make a good slapping sound on low E string open, everything else sounds rubbish... especially us you move to higher notes on the fretboard (i.e. closer to the body).

Does anyone have any tips? I suck.

Okay maybe practice makes perfect because I AM starting to get the hang of it... I can make a nice good slap and pop sound now but I can't really synthesize it with making riffs/ melodies. Does anyone else get a really sore thumb? Any tips would still be great :)

The sore thumb goes away after a while, I made loads of lessons on slapping and popping. They were on my blog but then I wasn't on here for ages and it got deleted. Just try some of the stuff I put up, most of the beginner elssons are just co-ordination and simple octave/ E minor shapes and simple songs that get your hand used to slapping and popping and start to co-ordinate the two hands and then I broke down a load of songs in how to plays that are a bit more technical like some level 42, Graham Central Station, Victor Wooten, Fishbone, Jackson 5 etc. Have a gander. Some feedback would be nice too.



There's more on the channel.

my friends and i used to beat on soda cans with our thumbs to toughen them up. once you get the callous in place it'll be fine. :thumb:

though like almost anything else, less is more. you'll find you get a smoother sound if you use a lighter attack with your plucking hand and turn up your levels a bit.

as for using the style to make riffs/melodies, there's a reason slapping and popping is predominantly found in more aggressive funky disco type stuff. it's mostly about melodically replicating the core drum beat. more often than not you're slapping along with the kick drum and popping with the snare. i can't imagine trying to develop the style as a writing tool to be honest.

i would also be checking out all of littleknowitall's clips if i didn't already know how to slap and pop my ass off hehehe.

Thanks for the tips guys :)

littleknowitall I've subscribed to your YouTube channel and am planning to make my way through a bunch of your videos! They are really helpful! Thanks and I'll definitely be watching them!

Awh cool I'm chuffed. I'm not huge on there and the majority of the videos I put on there were originally to put on a blog here so when someone actually works through them and gets something out of them I'm chuffed to bits like just to know they're helping someone with something. Hope they do help anyway.

Slapping the bass! Slappa da bass! Slappa da bass mon! :D:D

Haha great movie that.

I'm glad someone knew what it was from :laughing::D:D