The Basics of Slap Bass

The Popping Technique

Popped notes are normally played with the index and third fingers of the right hand, usually on the D and G strings. Slightly hook the fingertip under the string to be popped, lift it away and then twist the wrist, allowing the string to snap back against the fingerboard and frets. Popped notes have a more percussive sound than a normal plucked note. It is also quite common to pop notes on the E and A strings using the thumb rather than fingers. It is important, when popping straight after a right-hand slap, to position the finger at the same time the thumb makes contact during the downward movement of the hand. So you get a thumb slap on the downward movement, and pop when your hand rebounds. Don’t be tempted to slap, bounce your hand back up, and then bring it back down to perform the pop – the slap and pop technique should be smooth.

The Muted Pop

The muted pop is carried out in exactly the same way as the normal pop, except that you lightly touch the popped string with fingers of the left hand. As with ghost notes produced by muted slapping, be particularly careful not to accidentally play harmonics when attempting the muted pop.

Double Stops and Harmonics

A double stop is simply playing two notes at the same time to give a chord-like effect. They are commonly played on the D and G strings by popping with the index and third fingers, although they can also be played on other string combinations using thumb and finger to pop.

Harmonics have a chime-like sound which can give a nice contrast to a heavy, slapped bassline. They are most easily played at the 5th, 7th and 12th frets, but with care can be played anywhere on the neck – another good place to play them is at the 9th fret. The pitch of harmonics can be bent at the nut – this is a technique that Mark King of Level 42 has used in some of his basslines. Finally, artificial harmonics can be produced by playing a note and then tapping the fret an octave up the neck – that is 12 frets higher. So for example, play 2nd fret on the G string and tap with a finger of the right hand at the 14th fret to produce the artificial harmonic.

Practice Pointers

You should already be familiar with the notes on the neck of the bass if you are generally a fingerstyle or pick-player. In the slap style your best friend is the octave, and whole basslines have been constructed using simple slapped notes and popped octaves – the octave being two strings higher, two frets higher. So 2nd fret E string has an octave at 4th fret D string. Get practising with a right-hand slap followed immediately by its popped octave. This is a very basic technique – and filler – used by slap players.

Practise some of these combinations also:

• Right-Hand Slap – Left-Hand Slap – Repeat……until comfortable, smooth and fast
• Right-Hand Slap – Left-Hand Slap – Right-Hand Muted Slap – Repeat
• Right-Hand Slap – Left-Hand Slap – Right-Hand Muted Slap – Muted Pop – Repeat

Above all, experiment, and try anything that you feel sounds good or right, and have fun! Happy slapping!