Unconventional slapping

I just watched Mr Claypools version of Metallica-Master of puppets on bass, he slaps it and its AWESOME.

Ive kind of learnt it (poorly) but it still sounds gd

Anyways i was just wondering what dont bands incorperate slap more often?

willba wrote:I just watched Mr Claypools version of Metallica-Master of puppets on bass, he slaps it and its AWESOME.

Ive kind of learnt it (poorly) but it still sounds gd

Anyways i was just wondering what dont bands incorperate slap more often?

With my music, I find alot of guitarists dont seem to like slapping. Wether or not its just cause it takes the light off them or whatever.

And its difficult, I can see alot of bands' bassists dont seem to play anything difficult..

I think difficulty might come into it, though.

Anyways, we're obliterated in the mix, anyways =P

Difficutly is one factor. The other is the fact that they're not imaginative enough to make it work. When you think "metal" you think "pick" or "straight 16th notes" or "follow the guitar".

You have to be able to think outside the box.
Slap is mostly a funk thing, because of the octaves and most bassists that play funk don't go into metal and vice-versa.
Check out Ryan from Mudvayne, he slaps. It is a hardcore band, but still it's slapping to something more aggresive. There are a couple of other bassists out there who play metal and can slap, but for some reason just don't - Magnus from Hammerfall for one.

It's a matter of whether you know how to incorperate it into a metal song. Try it and you'll find it's not easy. If you are willing to break the barriers, be creative and unconventional (as you've stated) you would surprised at what you can do. Some may find it easier, but some who are just stuck on principals or unexperienced (this is the usual case) or unadventureous will have trouble.

Ever since watching Ryknow play Dull Boy and Dig, I've been fixed on incorperating every technique I can in every way possible. Sometimes it sounds good, sometimes it sounds bad, but that's why we experiment.
I've actualy written a few songs that are very metalish (aggresive anyway) where I slap some parts - and it sounds good.
I like to add slapping as an effect when I want to bring out the line, but I never slap an entire song...no point.





Check him out! Technically he is one of THE BEST metal bassists out there. He use to play jazz before, or so I've heard. His technique mixing and, literally, wild mashing (although very precise and controlled) of the bass were a great inspiration for me to start experimenting.

P.S. They released these two videos along with complete footage of every seperate camera, God bless them.


...wow, I really overdid it here ...

Stryfer wrote:Difficutly is one factor. The other is the fact that they're not imaginative enough to make it work. When you think "metal" you think "pick" or "straight 16th notes" or "follow the guitar".

You have to be able to think outside the box.
Slap is mostly a funk thing, because of the octaves and most bassists that play funk don't go into metal and vice-versa.
Check out Ryan from Mudvayne, he slaps. It is a hardcore band, but still it's slapping to something more aggresive. There are a couple of other bassists out there who play metal and can slap, but for some reason just don't - Magnus from Hammerfall for one.

It's a matter of whether you know how to incorperate it into a metal song. Try it and you'll find it's not easy. If you are willing to break the barriers, be creative and unconventional (as you've stated) you would surprised at what you can do. Some may find it easier, but some who are just stuck on principals or unexperienced (this is the usual case) or unadventureous will have trouble.

Ever since watching Ryknow play Dull Boy and Dig, I've been fixed on incorperating every technique I can in every way possible. Sometimes it sounds good, sometimes it sounds bad, but that's why we experiment.
I've actualy written a few songs that are very metalish (aggresive anyway) where I slap some parts - and it sounds good.
I like to add slapping as an effect when I want to bring out the line, but I never slap an entire song...no point.


Check him out! Technically he is one of THE BEST metal bassists out there. He use to play jazz before, or so I've heard. His technique mixing and, literally, wild mashing (although very precise and controlled) of the bass were a great inspiration for me to start experimenting.

P.S. They released these two videos along with complete footage of every seperate camera, God bless them.


...wow, I really overdid it here ...

yea your right its the type of music these days that slap isnt liked or necessary, which sucks cos i live slap bass, very song i hear with some in it im like ooo sick bass and me mates are like dude u always pick that out haha
and i was likeing this guy in the videos, hes sick, im not a metal fan at all, but this wasnt to bad =)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9USb_OQza44

must i say more?yes... i do, the bassist of korn slaps, its so awesome! Im only mentioning this because im in a band and tbh they dont know alot about bass, so when i use slap, they all think its godly (and really hard)

I don't think its a question of difficulty. Slap is an easy enough technique to achieve if you put the effort in. I don't slap on any of the songs in the band I'm in, for the reason that it just wouldn't suite what we are doing and I'm fine with that. It's not like slap is the beginning and end of being a bass player.

Difficulty = takes more effort and thus only dedicated bassists will learn it

You are right, slap is NOT the beginning and end of bass playing - putting it all together, however, IS.

Stryfer wrote:Difficulty = takes more effort and thus only dedicated bassists will learn it

You are right, slap is NOT the beginning and end of bass playing - putting it all together, however, IS.

As far as I know John Paul Jones has never slapped bass on record, and he is an absolutely amazing bassist. He is a very dedicated bassist. I'm just getting the impression from this thread that to slap bass is a statement of how good you are at playing bass. I do a little slap and pop but it amounts to about 10% of my practice time and I would consider myself a dedicated bassist, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it, there isn't its great and I do love it. But to say the reason we don't hear slapping in more bands is because bassists are unimaginative or don't have the ability is completely wrong, ever think they may not want to slap in their music? Look at the later chili peppers album, regardless if you like the albums or not, and how Flea does hardly any slapping and if he does it is not as frantic and technical as their early albums, it just wouldn't suite the music they are doing. I'm not having a go at anyone here just saying my piece.

I'm with the whole "guitarists hate it" theory. I find a lot of guitarists are egomaniacs and they fear what they don't understand. I find few guitarists who are willing to play the backing parts of a bass oriented song. And others that use the excuse "it clutters up the song," but they can play 15,000,000 notes and it's gold to them.

Also the diminishing standards of today's popular music have a fair share in this, which relates to the difficulty aspect of things at hand.

I didn't get the impretion that you're having a go We're on the same page, but we just don't know it yet.

Yes, there are bassists that play great music and don't slap at all. You don't have to slap in EVERY song... Plus, we were talking about metal mostly and new music. I'm thinking of the SMV trio and Flea and Mudvayne etc, they have plenty of techniques and they can mix them all together and make it work, but that doesn't mean they have to do it in every song. It's nice to mix in slaps or taps or strums if it fits...if not - forget it. Jaco never slapped and he is amazing, but he had other techniques to mix in.

You are a dedicated bassist and you can slap, you don't do it often, but you know how to. Most metal bassists never learn to slap at all.

Finally, the title was "Uncoventional Slapping", so everything I said is strictly linked to how good and effective unconventional slapping is and why most players probably don't do it today. Nothing more

Peace

Yea I do understand what you are talking about, we are on the same page after all. As for unconventional slapping the only thing I do that would be considered this, is slightly pop my pinky on the strings in time with the snare, it wouldn't be a full pop as I mute the string straight after with my right hand it sounds really dead muted. I don't do it often, like you say its just to add effect every now and again.

Pastichio wrote:Yea I do understand what you are talking about, we are on the same page after all. As for unconventional slapping the only thing I do that would be considered this, is slightly pop my pinky on the strings in time with the snare, it wouldn't be a full pop as I mute the string straight after with my right hand it sounds really dead muted. I don't do it often, like you say its just to add effect every now and again.

Trying to incorporate more pinky pops myself.

The sound is pretty unique.. But still similar to the strings clacking against the fretboard, which a number of death metal bassists do.

Korn does a pretty good job of using slap style I guess, the music isn't entirely aggressive but some parts of it really are. I've seen a few local bands who do alot of slap too. Pretty cool when it 's in metal core with the bass playing half time.

HOLY CRAP!! What hole did you crawl out of???

Haven't seen a post from you forever.

Dropthelines585 wrote:HOLY CRAP!! What hole did you crawl out of???

LOL

Dropthelines585 wrote:HOLY CRAP!! What hole did you crawl out of???

Haven't seen a post from you forever.

Just been busy.. I've talked with Drakon on msn a bit but that's about the only contact i've had with people. I'll make a post explaining what I've done when I find the time.

Nice to be remembered