slap bass in music meaning | TheMusicDictionary

Slap Bass in Music

Slap bass is a technique used in playing the bass guitar that involves striking the strings with the thumb or fingers to create a percussive and rhythmic sound. It is commonly associated with funk, jazz, and rock music genres. The technique produces a distinctive "slap" sound and adds a punchy and groovy element to the music. Slap bass is often used to create syncopated rhythms and emphasize the downbeat of a song. It can be used in both solo bass lines and as a part of a band's rhythm section.

Origins and Influences

The origins of slap bass can be traced back to the early days of jazz and blues music. Bassists in these genres started experimenting with different techniques to create percussive sounds on their instruments. Slap bass gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of funk music, particularly through the influential playing of bassists like Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins. Their innovative use of slap bass helped define the sound of funk music and influenced generations of bass players. )

Technique and Style

To play slap bass, the bassist strikes the strings with the thumb or fingers of their plucking hand. The thumb is used to create the "slap" sound by hitting the strings against the fretboard, while the fingers are used to create the "pop" sound by plucking the strings. The technique requires precise timing and control to achieve the desired rhythmic effect. Slap bass players often incorporate other techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to create a wide range of sounds and textures.

Notation

Notating slap bass on sheet music can be done using specific symbols and letters to indicate the technique being used. Different sources may use different notations, but commonly used symbols include "S" or "T" to indicate slap and "P" to indicate pop. The notation also specifies whether the note is sounded or muted. For example, "S" may be used to indicate a slap and "P" to indicate a pop, while a standard or "x" note head is used to specify whether the note is sounded or muted. A legend is typically provided to explain the notation.

Examples in Popular Music

Slap bass has been widely used in various genres of music, and there are numerous examples of songs that feature prominent slap bass lines. Some notable examples include:

- "Super Freak" by Rick James- "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder- "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers- "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen- "Good Times" by Chic

These songs showcase the versatility and impact of slap bass in creating catchy and energetic basslines. )In conclusion, slap bass is a technique used in playing the bass guitar that involves striking the strings with the thumb or fingers to create a percussive and rhythmic sound. It originated in jazz and blues music and gained popularity in funk, jazz, and rock genres. Slap bass adds a distinctive and groovy element to music and has been used in numerous popular songs.

A performance practice most commonly found with the double bass and is a form of pizzicato. The performer will typically pluck the string away from the fingerboard with sufficient force to cause the string to "slap" the fingerboard, producing the desired pitch and a distinctive slapping sound. Those skilled in this technique can perform several slaps in between notes of the bass line. This slapping sound provides a more discernible rhythm than the plucking of the strings alone. This sound is capable of cutting through the sound of the band much better than the normal plucking of the strings.

This technique has been used in folk music traditions around the world. In the United States, string bands of the south used this technique starting sometime after the turn of the the twentieth century. In the early 20th century before electronic amplification was available to most musicians performing popular music, the double bass was typically the softest instrument in a band. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the slap bass style of playing a double bass became popular to allow the sound of the double bass to be heard. This style is heard on many recordings of the period because of the additional volume and also due to the fact that the recording equipment of that time did not do a very good job of capturing low frequencies. This technique became popular with the development of Bluegrass music in the mid-1940s.

The slap bass style has been used in traditional jazz, swing, polka, bluegrass, Rock n' Roll, rockabilly, and psychobilly music. Performers in the 1950's began to incorporate the slap bass technique with unique showmanship. They would often spin the double bass around and occasionally, performers would climb onto the double bass while performing. The slap bass style also was the basis for the "slap and pop" technique for the electric bass in the 1970's. Performers would us the thumb of the plucking hand to strike the string, making a slapping sound but still allowing the pitch to sound followed by using the index or middle finger of the plucking hand to pluck the string hard enough so it hits the fingerboard, achieving the pop.

In Europe, a variant of this is known as the snap pizzicato (snap pizza) or the Bartók pizz. It is a directive instructing the performer to pluck the string of the instrument hard enough to snap back against the fingerboard and create a percussive sound.