Music Talk Board

Of course. Slapping just sounds awesome.

Slapping is great when it fits the music.

You can play awesome basslines like this:

(04-27-2013, 04:27 PM)debbie Wrote: [ -> ]Slapping, popping and other techniques are more gimmicks and not used constantly. You can still be a very good bassist without being able to slap.

That depends how those techniques are used. In Funk, for instance, slapping is used a lot. It can also be well-used (in small degrees usually) in certain types of progressive rock/metal.

Of course, slapping just because it sounds cool is most certainly a gimmick. As with everything musical (imho, anyway), it needs to fit the song.

Is it worth investing in a thumbpick to help out with strumming fingerstyle?

Yeah, slapping can be a gimmick, but doesn't have to be. I agree it depends on what kind of music you're playing. Just like guitar, if you're sweep picking in the middle of a blues song you're probably overdoing it, but there are times when it is okay to sweep.

(04-27-2013, 11:35 PM)Danjo Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, slapping can be a gimmick, but doesn't have to be. I agree it depends on what kind of music you're playing. Just like guitar, if you're sweep picking in the middle of a blues song you're probably overdoing it, but there are times when it is okay to sweep.

This is something i hear too much and it annoys me how wrong it is. Sweep picking is a technique, in which you move the pick in a sweep like motion. It doesn't mean the standard major/minor/diminished arpeggios, it means how you move your pick.
you can play scale patterns, acoustic stuff, and even chromatics with it. And you can use it in any style of music, the notes and rhythm you play them in is what counts with it.

And @yoman, i'm not really sure what you mean.

I mean this.


Someone told me that John Entwistle uses them so idk

I got that, but for strumming fingerstyle bass? I personally see no use to it.

(04-28-2013, 12:00 AM)Adam Wrote: [ -> ]I got that, but for strumming fingerstyle bass? I personally see no use to it.

Agreed.

@Adam: I don't feel like its very common for people to use it in different ways though, mostly seems like a 1 trick pony.

That being said I am aware that modern sweep picking kinda developed out of Jazz techniques, but I don't know how many people are applying it appropriately in other genres besides metal anymore.