Slapping on a fretless

point19 · Post by **point19** » Wed May 16, 2007 10:41 pm

This might be a stupid question of sorts.... But why do I always hear that you can't slap on a fretless? I am just trying to figure out if the reason is a stylistic one (ie. "slapping is for them fretted folks, not us" type of thing), or if it is more of a mechanical one (flat neck and no frets=thud).

I personally slap the crap out of it. I actually like the muted "thud" that slapping and popping creates.

Anyway, I'm just curious....

Rando · Post by **Rando** » Thu May 17, 2007 12:14 am

Sure.
Just watch out for flying splinters.

One thing I like about fretless is that most fretless players aren't doing so much of that nick-nack-slappety-whack stuff. Not that it's a bad thing, but like any effect, some people don't know when not to use it.

FretLessSince68 · Post by **FretLessSince68** » Thu May 17, 2007 1:45 am

I would actually like to improve my slapping on fretless but have not yet mastered it, nor have I mastered that style on fretted.

Alain Caron, on the other hand, can slap the heck out of the instrument. Garsh, what a monster.

I find that my fretted slap technique is tied to the presence of frets. When I bring the left hand down on a ghost note it comes out much better on the fretted. My right thumb typically hits the neck at or near the top fret. That thumb/string/fret combination is a big part of the sound. I can thumb and ghost the fretless but it lacks the brilliant impact of the fretted.

Fretless finger popping off the higher strings is a different matter. I seem to be very dependant upon the frets for a decent pop sound/clack, so popping on the fretless is anti-climatical compared to a pop on the fretted. So I tend to just use the thumb when the urge to slap hits while playing fretless.

Another factor is strings, flat wounds sound much less dramatic when slapping (to me).

The stylistic argument is a valid one. When playing fretless I try to acheive beauty, nuance, and subtlety appropriate to a jazz composition. Slapping, in this context, is like swearing in polite company. On the other hand, fusion and other types of more dynamic music are perfect for a slap or two from the fretless. Just don't ask me to pop (yet).

NickBass · Post by **NickBass** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:45 am

Well, there are some players now who slap on fretless, I'm thinking about Michael Manring or Brian Bromberg..it' s just a completely different sound, less bright than on the fretted bass.
I love hearing it from other musicians, but personally I switch to the fretted bass when I have to slap or play more "chordal"...if you want to hear some fierce slap-and pop on fretless check out Paul Young's "No Parlez" album, with Pino Palladino slappin' out the hell from his Musicman fretless!
I have a question for FretLessSince68: sorry man, but in the videos I've always seen Alain Caron switch to the fretted bass when he needs to slap, does he slap also on the fretless? And if yes how can his sound be so bright ? That guy is simply amazing!

FretLessSince68 · Post by **FretLessSince68** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:56 am

You are probably right NickBass about Alain Caron. I just assumed he was slapping on fretless. I understand he does the double thumb too.

I've never seen him live or on video except for short clips on fretless, but have almost all of the recordings. He is so excellent in all aspects of bass.

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:45 am

Hats off to the slappers

I can't slap a single note, find it really difficult

NickBass · Post by **NickBass** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:20 am

Well, it's a thing that I find really natural on the fretted bass, but not on the fretless, maybe because I play a piezo-fretless, so I have more low-basses and less highs...probably if I had a Musicman fretless or a Fender fretless I would have tried to slap on it!

FretLessSince68 · Post by **FretLessSince68** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:44 pm

I started playing bass before slapping even existed and found it to be a very different technique, considering that it is not my "native language" it took me a long time to really get into the style.

Here is the most important thing about slap that I personally got from the experience. Learning slap does not occur incrementally as with most other techniques. I practiced, and practiced, and seemed to be getting nowhere. The sound just was not happening even though my thumb placement was good etc. Then one day (after months of practice) it happened. It sounded great at last!!!! and I had made no changes. Go figure.

For me, the technique matured like a flower, blooming suddenly after a long growing period. After that it was just a matter of getting more rhythmic patterns and other slap chops down.

Now I need to see if I can get better at slap on the fretless.

If you want to slap, keep at it and don't give up.

point19 · Post by **point19** » Sat May 19, 2007 2:23 pm

FretLessSince68 wrote:
For me, the technique matured like a flower, blooming suddenly after a long growing period. After that it was just a matter of getting more rhythmic patterns and other slap chops down.

Now I need to see if I can get better at slap on the fretless.

If you want to slap, keep at it and don't give up.

That is absolutely right, 68.... Slapping typically doesn't come naturally to a lot of players, especially though with more traditional roots or of the fretless persuasion.

Being a drummer originally, I look at bass as both a percussive and string instrument, and I personally believe that having the percussion background has helped a lot in my playing. One thing as a drummer that I couldn't stand was when a bassist wouldn't/couldn't lock with me, and that is important for me when it comes to slapping with a drummer.

And as for Jason's comment "Hats off to those who can slap....": I believe that competently playing a fretless is (for me) a lot harder than slapping on a fretted. Therefore, hats off to all....

I figured that slap and pop on the fretless was kinda "against the grain" of the typical player. I just wanted to elicit some responses from here. While a bulk of my slapping will remain on a 4 string fretted, I have found that the unique sound of a bass sans frets being thumped is intriguing.

The three keys to slapping that I have found: Articulation, Accuracy, and Endurance....

FretLessSince68 · Post by **FretLessSince68** » Sat May 19, 2007 3:32 pm

Point19 brings up a hugely important subject, locking with the drummer.

Let's start a new topic on this.