The Basics of Slap Bass

Slap Bass History

Exponents of the upright bass have been employing the slap technique since the 1920s, hitting the strings firmly against the fingerboard to ensure their basslines are heard above the other instruments. The slap style came to electric bass in the 1960s, introduced by Larry Graham during a gig without a drummer. Graham took the style, which he called “thumping and plucking” to the funk bands he was a member of, Sly and the Family Stone and Graham Central Station. The thumb slapping technique took off and in the decades since the 1960s has been adopted by bassists in many genres including funk, punk and rock. Notable bassists who use slap include Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Mark King and Flea.

What is Slap Bass?

The slap technique is a highly percussive way of playing bass guitar, and involves striking the strings with the side of the thumb. The string hits the fretboard and the fretted note sounds. Muted slaps – called ghost notes, and denoted in written music and tab by an “x” – can add to the percussive effect, and introduce variety to the melody of the bassline. Also crucial to slap bass is the “snapping” sound produced by pulling the strings up and letting them snap back onto the fretboard – this is called “popping”. Of course, all the other more usual techniques of bass playing are still used, such as hammer-ons and crosshammers, lift-offs, slides, string bends and harmonics – but rather than plucking the string with the finger or pick, it might be slapped with the thumb or popped.

Basic Slap Bass Techniques

The Right-Hand Slap

The first basic technique is the right-thumb slap – assuming you are right-handed! This is achieved by striking the desired string – usually the E or A string, although the technique can be used on all strings – firmly and rapidly with the thumb of the right hand by rotating the wrist. Immediately allow the thumb to bounce off the string and the note will ring out. Keep the arm relaxed. Some players slap the E-string, for example, and allow their thumb to slip down to the A-string. This is fine also. Accuracy and technique are the important things to get a clean note.

The Muted Slap

Playing ghost notes can be accomplished by muting the strings during the thumb slap. There are three ways to get the muted slap effect. The easiest way is simply to touch the string lightly and perform the right-hand slap described above. Be careful not to press too hard on the string or you’ll produce a new note. A second way of forming ghost notes is to strike the string as if you are attempting a Right-Hand Slap, but deliberately leave the right hand in contact with the string. This results in a muted slap. Finally, a very common and useful technique employed widely in the slap bass method, is the Left-Hand Slap. It is carried out by simply striking the string against the fingerboard with the fingers of the left hand. Make sure to hit the string and then release the pressure so that you don’t perform a hammer-on – which would result in a note sounding. Also take care not to produce harmonics – most easily produced at frets 5, 7 and 12.