Introduction to Slap Technique

Slap technique, or Slap Bass is a technique that was pioneered by Larry Graham. He was playing bass in his Mother’s band and wanted to add a percussive element to his playing to make up for the band not having a drummer. So Slapping and Popping (or Thumpin’ and Pluckin’ as he called) it was born. The technique was later copied and used by many famous bassists including Stanley Clarke, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, Bootsy Collins and Flea to name but a few.

Here is a short video of Larry Graham, the man who started it all.

Many players who use slap technique wear their basses quite high. This keeps the thumb and forearm in a straight line parallel to the strings. There are other players such as Tony Oppenheim who likes to wear his bass low which keeps the forearm and fingers at right angles to the strings. Unfortunately, there is no single position that will be right for everyone. This is something that you will have to experiment with to see what works best for you.

There are two parts to this technique: the Slap and the Pop. The Slap involves striking the string close to the end of the fretboard with the side of your thumb. Strike the string just hard enough to make the string hit the fret and then allow the thumb to bounce back immediately. Your hand should be relaxed and your arm should remain still. The work is done by twisting your wrist.

The string height, or action, is quite important for this technique. If the strings are too close to the frets (low action) the bounce will not happen; too high and and it will be necessary to strike the strings too hard. If you are not comfortable adjusting the action yourself, your local music store should be able to help.

The Pop is achieved by putting the tip of your index or middle finger under the string, pulling it away from the fretboard and letting it go so that it strikes the frets. Again, the hand should be relaxed and should be done just hard enough to make the string strike the frets.

While these tips may help you to decide if learning slap technique is for you, if you’re serious about wanting to add some funk to your sound you’re going to need good instruction. In my experience I have found Funky Chops to be one of easiest, fastest, and and fun ways to learn. You can check it out for yourself by clicking here.