I feel like I’m missing a step in slap bass that gets from thwangy slaps to sounding right.
Josh’s How to Slap Bass video has a section that exactly highlights what I mean starting at 12:17.
He is demonstrating slapping an open e string. My slaps on an open e string sound exactly like that, real thwangy sound from the string hitting the frets then the note rings, but the thwang overpowers everything.
Right after that, at 12:47, he demonstrates We Care A Lot, which is played with slaps on the open e string, and it sounds completely different to me. Much less thwang.
Seems like its a matter of not hitting as hard, but in a masterclass video Josh said you literally can’t hit it too hard.
Is it EQ that is calming the thwang down or a technique issue?
You’re right - it’s a huge difference in sound.
Most of the difference is that Josh’s bass is mixed in with the actual FNM bass line, which has all the great effects and EQ on it.
It’s also the really short, muted sound, which makes all the ringy/twangy sound disappear.
If you can put your phone up to your slap practice and take a quick video or even just some audio and post it here, I could be more specific.
I imagine that you’ve gotten all the steps.
It may be the coordination with the muting (for the short, tight notes) or the EQ from the original track that are making it sound different.
I just recorded this on my phone slapping the e string, mostly open, a couple of random fretted.
This isn’t an attempt to play the FNM riff, just a sample of the what it sounds like when I slap. I will say that this sounds better than what I was doing before. I’m running a fender rumble 40 and I typically practice with volume at like 10%. For this I turned it up to about 20-25% and it made it sound better. Not great, but better.
@DarthTim Yes!
Thanks for this.
Ok.
Here’s what I see and hear -
The left hand muting is the thing that will make everything better faster.
There’s a part in the video where you do it really well - right at 0:17-0:19
To get that nice tight sound, you have to make sure that your LH mutes get more than one finger on the bass.
You want it to cover the bass like a wet blanket.
You can’t hit so hard that you hear a fretted note, but you can’t be so careful that you get the sound of a harmonic (which you’re doing in the first 0:17 seconds).
You’re in a great spot for just getting into slap.
The attack sounds clean on the E string, and if you stay on it, it’ll just keep getting better.
Work on that muting hand so that you feel like you have clear and clean control over the length of the notes, and you’ll be much closer to the slap tone you want.
Also, a P bass, while a superior instrument in every respect, won’t get you that really tight, punchy slap sound.
In the video Josh is playing a Stingray bass.
A stingray or a Jazz bass (with both pickups turned to full up and tone full up) will be better if you’re after that tight, tight sound.
For what it’s worth, I’m also in the beginning stages (about 6-8 weeks in) on learning slap on a P-bass, and I’m also eyeing up a Stingray.
Specifically a Sterling Stingray Ray34. I looked up some sound comparisons and the cheaper Ray4 model doesn’t seem to have the same bright slap sound as a “real” Stingray. The Ray34 is about 90% there whereas the Ray4 is like, 20% there to my ear.
I’m keeping my eye out on Facebook for one. I’m lucky enough that my area seems to be full of people that buy new basses, play them a couple of times then sell them. It’s mostly entry level P and J basses but every now and then a stingray shows up. My local guitar center has a limited selection of stingrays to try out, specifically ones outside by price range.
It took awhile to convince myself to buy a second bass when I’m not a gigging musician but the price was too good to pass up. Couldn’t find a decent used stringray for a good price, but between a sale and guitar center’s veterans discount I got this new Ray4 down to $260.
Also IMO its a better neck, as said the body has contours, it’s not a slab, and electronics same as the next model up. You can’t go wrong for the money and if you upgrade it can sound just like a mia mm.
I got the new bass in and for some strange reason, it didn’t instantly turn me into Flea. It must be defective.
On a serious note, I do love it. No idea what I’m doing with all the eq knobs on the bass and amp, but at this point in my technique I’m pretty sure it doesn’t matter.
