Slap bass is a guitar technique that revolutionized the way people play their bass guitars. As you might guess from the name, the player will slap the bass strings to produce a unique percussive sound. This technique can be done with a double bass or a bass guitar, but it only developed for the bass guitar in the s. Since the original development of the technique, there have arisen two distinct methods to achieve this sound. Over the years, many bassists have played around with their instrument to stretch the tones and sound.
For example, pull-offs and hammer-ons are terms used to describe the method of pulling off the string and hammering back on the instrument to create a quick slapping and popping sound. The first method is simple. When you are playing, you take the bony ridge of your finger and slap the string down.
This method is a little different from the first. You pluck the string of the instrument hard enough that it slaps back against the body of the guitar. Most artists who use slapping techniques combine slapping and popping to create the iconic sounds associated with it. Slapping as a technique has been around since the early s for the double bass instrument. It is a technique used in several early precursors to classic rock, including western swing, jazz, and rockabilly.
Perhaps double bassists had a hand in inspiring the invention of the technique for the bass guitar. Unfortunately, the historical record does not have much to say about the links between early jazz double bassists and funky bass guitarists. Going back to the beginning of this technique for the bass guitar, bass guitar enthusiasts generally point to two individuals: Larry Graham and Louis Johnson.
Back in the days of the funk and disco genres, these two found a new way to create groovy percussive sounds. Larry Graham is usually credited as the first bassist to develop and popularize the technique. Later on in his career, Graham would work heavily alongside fellow funk icon Prince, who is also a strikingly good proponent of slap bass in his own right.
Favouring a short-scale Alembic bass in the studio and onstage, Clarke became acclaimed for his intuitive use of strummed chords, string bends, slapping and ghost notes to make his mark on the scene, and the speed of his two-finger plucking technique is rivalled by none.
One of the biggest criticisms attached to slap bass is the tendency for players to mitigate groove in favour of speed or technique — something that should be considered a big no-no in the playbook of any funk bassist. A perfect case study of how to avoid falling into this trap can be found in the playing of session legend Marcus Miller, who shot to fame in the s after playing on records for the likes of Miles Davis, Luther Vandross and smooth jazz trailblazer Grover Washington Jr.
Graham began to produce and write material for a band called Hot Chocolate not the British band which he later joined and renamed Graham Central Station. This band went on to release thirteen albums, and Larry Graham has also released six solo albums.
As time passed…and when I started hearing and seeing other bass players playing like me as opposed to playing like other bass players… that just started to make me feel wonderful, that I could make a contribution. View More Bass History. Connect with us. Larry Graham — Pow. Larry Graham Slap Bass Technique… Larry Graham is widely accepted to be the originator of the slap bass technique, but what prompted him to start a whole new style of bass playing? Continue Reading. You may also like
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