I'm not sure another instrument can boast of something as controversial as our very own slap-and-pop. Maybe serious flautists kvetch about those who occasionally “pull a Tull,” but it seems like slap bass, from shrill and annoying to jaw-droppingly funky, is among the biggest polarizers. To draw a comparison to another contentious craft, slap is the special-effectdriven blockbuster movie of the bass world, while the other bass techniques range from screwball romantic comedy to a nuanced art-house mope-fest. Like a CGIladen blockbuster, slap bass can be really cool, propelling a piece forward like nothing else, but sometimes it can be an eardrum-piercing bore. As beginners, we are inexorably drawn to it, often inspired by slappy mavericks like Flea and Les Claypool—but we can quickly go astray, losing sight of our primary bass responsibilities. So before learning how to slap, heed my warning ... don’t forget the groove! Thanks to Larry Graham, slap arrived in the late ’60s, and just like every other technique for our young instrument, there isn’t a consensus on the ultimate approach. The basic technique usually combines a wristtwisting thumb slap with an index- or middle-finger pop. But the angle of the thumb to the string, and the use (or disuse) or pops, vary a lot. Some folks prefer to slap with their thumb at a downward angle and their forearm roughly perpendicular to the neck (Fig. 1). They use their forearm’s back-and-forth rotation for the bulk of the slap energy, usually resulting in an aggressive tone and, because of the positioning of the index finger, a lot of popped notes. This technique is used to great effect by a lot of bassists—but in my oh-so-humble opinion, it’s not ideal. Though beginners seem to gravitate toward this approach without guidance, its limitations don’t allow the player to take full advantage of the whole groovy slap world. I prefer the slap technique of players like Marcus Miller and Larry Graham, which is based on a thumb that’s parallel to the string (Fig. 2). Though this approach requires the bass to be higher on a strap, its benefits are numerous. It results in a fuller, fatter thumb tone, perhaps because there’s more flesh hitting the string. It also seems to make the thumb more dominant, rather than the see-saw slap-then-pop motion of the other approach. This means that brash pops are available, but not an essential product of the physical technique. The parallel-thumb technique is also more controllable, allowing for advanced techniques like Victor Wootenstyle double thumbing and cool syncopated ghost-notes and funk patterns. For now, look at the photos and see where your burgeoning slap technique stacks up. If you find yourself drawn to the first approach, don’t sweat it! We’ll apply the slap technique to some cool beginner lines in a future installment.
	—Bass Player Technical Editor Jonathan Herrera studied music at the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Music Academy. He plays with a host of Bay Area luminaries, including recent projects with Atma Anur, Rhiannon, Gregory James, and his own band, Karate Snoopy. You can email him at jherrera@musicplayer.com.
	Orginally published in BASS PLAYER magazine. Copyright © 2006 CMP Entertainment Media. All rights reserved. Used by permission.