Well, in general the music I want to play is better on a 5 string, so that was the reason for my choice. I also just love the low B string and how a 5 string looks. But, slapping a 5 string is definitely harder, that is the one section of the course that really frustrated me. I actually ended up buying a 4 string as a result and will go back to the slap section to see if I can improve my performance there.
5 Likes
Thereās a local band here that has a female bassist that plays a five string and slaps quite well. I donāt know how she does it, but she does. It was her that inspired me to learn on a 5 string instead of a 4.
I donāt slap well either, but it doesnāt matter because I have zero interest in that type of playing anyway.
3 Likes
You may want to try a technique my private instructor has me doing for slap.
Use the side of your palm under your thumb, and your index finger (or others if you need to pop quick next) to form two points that connect to the body of the bass when you come down to slap.
keep your thumb loose and when you slap, let it act like a spring and bounce up by itself vs. you pulling it up. Then when you go higher than the lowest string (B in this case), the lower part of your thumb mutes the B string. Works for A string and up too. Takes a minute to get the technique but worth a shot.
3 Likes
Yeah, Iāve seen that technique and have been trying it, I donāt know if itās due to my strap length (position of my bass) or how my hand is angled, but I find it very difficult to do. I realize I need to practice more, and I will, but it is the sympathetic ringing of the B string that got me to buy the 4 string. Iām kinda glad I did, though, because I was developing 5 string habits that made playing the 4 string difficult at first. Now Iām jumping between both to make sure I can play both equally well.
3 Likes
Oh, I know it can be done, Iāve seen several tutorials on it, even using a 6 stringā¦ but muting is never really covered to my liking. Some say use the fretting hand, but I finger 1-finger-per-fret and try to do it precisely (my fingers are fairly curved) so I donāt have enough skin in contact with the other strings to really mute them. If I just lay my fretting fingers across the strings, I then donāt feel I have the proper dexterity to actually fret correctly with 2/3-fingers per fret basically.
Others mute with their slap hand, basically the palm of their slapping hand or sometimes farther up the forearm, over the strings close to the bridge, and do it so seamlessly you donāt even notice. But, again, the angle of my arm doesnāt seem right for that as my forearm isnāt really close enough to the strings.
I think Iām going to have to get an in-person teacher for that, but I also donāt have particular interest in music where you slap. I just want to be able to do it so I know I can do it, if that makes sense.
4 Likes
can also wrap your fretting hand thumb over and mute the B, many do that too.
1 Like
Right, I was trying to do that too. Issue there (for me at least) is trying to fret with my thumb wrapped around like that. Maybe my fingers arenāt long enough, not sure, but dexterity again became an issue. I know it sounds like a ton of excuses and probably comes down to practice and technique, but itās definitely the hardest part of learning bass for me at this time.
3 Likes
yeah, slap takes a long long time going very slowly and to ramp up.
So much so that I put it on the back burner for a while, not because itās too hard, but because I have other priorities that I want to focus on first.
4 Likes
I put slapping so far on the back burner, it incinerated. 
6 Likes
Crossed the chequered flag today
Super Badass Graduation Date: 10/22/2021
started at 09/13/2021
Five weeks filled with great fun!!! 
16 Likes
Well done, that is fast! Congrats.
8 Likes
Congrats Thomas, good job, 5 weeks is nice timing, you must have been having a blast. I remember when I was doing it, I couldnāt put it down, and it was the very beginning of the Covid lockdown, so I had all day every day.
Went by too quickly, left me wanting more, but you should be wanting more once you are done, no matter how long it takes.
6 Likes