Having a hard time producing this tone...

Bossalinie Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:18 am

Hello fellow bassist, I have a question.

I am having a hard time generating a sound from this song (anime), and I cannot for the life of me figure out how he/she is doing. All it is is fast jazzy eighth notes, but my sound just doesn't sound right at all.

Hotaru no Hikari
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pew6H-4paeU&feature=related

The spot is the main chorus at 1:01. I don't think the player is walking it nor do I hear enough pop to say he's slapping it. I'm fairly new to bass, and it is one of the songs that has inspired me to play. Can anyone point me the right direction for the technique being used. The whole bass line in the song is awesome, although repetitve, but this is the part that I am lacking, and I think it is because I'm playing it wrong. Thank you guys so much!

**Some freaky guy** Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:33 am

I can't say I heard any bass there at all, but if it's something between slap/pop and fingering I'm guessing it's finger slaps.

Edit: Found another mirror, and I think it's finger slaps.

Bossalinie Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:31 pm

I see, so he is slapping on the the downbeat, and using his fret hand for the upbeat. Wow, ok. I've used my fret hand to play notes but only on the open string and not while slapping.

What an interesting technique...well to me. That's going to take a lot of practice. Thank you very much. I appricate for putting me in the right direction I think I've found some walk through's for it http://basssessions.com/?p=38.

Have a great day guys

**Some freaky guy** Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:54 pm

That's not what I meant. Finger slaps are just hitting the strings really hard with straightened fingers, producing a slap-like sound that's kind of in between slaps and normal fingering (I like how playing bass has made that word less awkward).

Bossalinie Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:48 pm

LOL I hear you on the terminology.

I understand now what you are saying. I was just thinking that the pace he was going, that would be some increble finger power and speed to eighth-note this style at roughly 120 bpm. That will come with practice though. Thanks again!